About Us
Mission
We are committed to:
Reforming society’s response to incarceration.
Building connections across communities.
Equipping participants for successful reintegration.
Advocating for awareness of our shared humanity.
Vision
To build a dependable community of trust, awareness, and belonging where all are worthy of humanity.
Our Values
Optimism – We have a radical hope for tomorrow.
Inclusivity – We accept people as they are — all humans are worthy of humanity.
Empathy – Our empathy is audacious, courageous, bold, and relentless. We are steadfast in caring for others.
Responsibility – We never back down from the difficult or ignore mistakes.
We believe that humans are more than their past. We believe in the power of change. Through compassion, connection, and community, we rebuild people’s lives and ultimately help them reintegrate into society—all while challenging outdated perceptions to reform how our country defines criminal justice.
Breakthrough Alliance of Colorado is a 501c3 non-profit organization that prides itself in transforming the lives of people with criminal histories and the community’s perception of the incarcerated population. Our holistic approach includes an in-facility career education program, community engagement, reentry support, a fair opportunity hiring program, and criminal justice advocacy initiatives.
Our in-facility program develops the soft-skills essential to personal and professional growth through PAIRIN, teaches job readiness skills with a curriculum designed in partnership with Google Boulder, and cultivates the entrepreneurial mindset through class sessions and group work through Colorado State University.
In the entrepreneurial phase of the in-facility program, the people in our program pitch their business ideas to classmates and volunteers. Our in-facility program welcomes community members to volunteer as coaches. These coaches assist the in-class learning process by providing feedback, encouragement, and real-life experience. During a participant’s initial reentry, staff will connect them to wraparound services, and to volunteer mentor support from the community. Our support extends past release. The team maintains contact every week for the first month of reentry.
The Fair Opportunity Employment Program recruits fair opportunity partners, develops resources/tools to support hiring, and maintains reasonable opportunity talent. We will match employers struggling to find quality employees with our people re-entering society and provide them with the necessary tools to work together successfully. Lastly, advocacy is an essential part of working in the criminal justice sector. Through the spread of information and engagement initiatives, we advocate for a more fair and productive justice system.
We believe in humans, and in our shared humanity because we know that every person deserves to be seen, heard, and challenged to rise above their past to break through to a better tomorrow.
The Problem
One in three Americans has a criminal record, one of the highest rates in the world.
Recidivism
Approximately one of every two individuals released from correctional facilities in Colorado will return within three years.
Employment Discrimination
Having a record reduces the likelihood of a job callback or offer by as much as 50%.
The Solution
A successful reentry begins inside correctional facilities and is dependent upon a community ready to foster a productive return. Breakthrough takes a holistic approach to community and people. Our in-facility program focuses on character development as well as job readiness, growing the whole person. After this eight-month program, the Breakthrough journey continues through the transformative experience of becoming alumni. As alumni, individuals showcase their knowledge and become an inspiration for new people entering the program.
We continue to support people as they transition to society through mentorship and stability check-ins. The skills our people develop within our in-facility program cannot be used to their fullest if current societal barriers remain. This is why our approach includes coaching and mentorship from community members and a Fair Opportunity Hiring initiative. Volunteers come into facilities to provide business and entrepreneurial coaching while learning to be more accepting and open-minded business leaders.
Our Fair Opportunity Hiring initiative aims to educate and eliminate barriers to employment for individuals with criminal histories. The overarching goal of the program is to recruit business partners and develop resources and tools to support hiring and maintaining fair opportunity talent. We match employers struggling to find quality employees with our people re-entering society.
Our solution creates a more diverse and forward-thinking community, reduces recidivism rates, and increases financial security for people rejoining society.
Breakthrough Staff
Board of Directors
Peer Facilitators
CSP Peer Facilitators
- Fred B.
- Jason H.
- Shabazz B.
- Perry S.
LVCF Peer Facilitators
- Amberlee T.
- Claire W.
- Dawn R.
- Sarah B.
- Shanna G.
AVCF Peer Facilitators
- Hector C.
- Javay R.
- Lou R.
- Rick R.
- Ryan I.
- Terry L.