In early 2020, Todd Wenzel was teaching a class at the Oshkosh Correctional Institution on the rights and responsibilities of renters for people nearing release. That’s when the prison’s social worker came to Wenzel, the Winnebago County UW–Madison Extension Human Development & Relationships educator. Inmates were asking for help navigating their finances before they left the facility.
In response Wenzel and his colleagues at UW–Extension developed the Re-entry Ready: Focus on Finances program. They were honored for their accomplishment with the Wisconsin Governor’s Financial Literacy Award at the Capitol in early April.
The eight-module class was piloted in October of 2022 — when pandemic protocols allowed Wenzel to teach in facilities again. Reentry Read: Focus on Finances is now taught by UW–Extension educators in jails and prisons in 29 Wisconsin counties. XXX include how many people have taken it.XXX
People who’ve been in prison often need help reintegrating into society. That way, they can be productive citizens and contribute to their communities — and avoid serving more time. Everyone pays when people go back to jail and prison. In 2021, Wisconsinites paid $72 each, or $425 million, on incarceration costs. Part of that reentry process is helping them control their personal finances.
People in prison may have been there for from three to 20 years. A lot can change in a few years.
“The financial world is different. Just having someone understand how to look at their bank account and their balance on a smartphone app — when we talk about paying bills online, that is so foreign to them,” Wenzel says.
The hands-on modules cover personal finances — everything from debt and checking credit scores to paying bills, getting mortgages and retirement. They’re also tailored to the needs of participants.
“A lot of people come out of a facility with justice system debt — court-ordered fees. A really common one is back child-support payment,” Wenzel said. “So understanding that and figuring out how you’re going to pay your bills, figuring out your income and credit — a lot of people that have been inside, they’re often victims of identity theft and financial frauds. We talk all about how to find those things.”
Word of mouth spreads quickly — there are waitlists at facilities across the state to take part in Reentry Ready: Focus on Finances. By building relationships with social workers, the Reentry Ready team tailors each program to the needs of the participants.
The team at UW–Extension also collaborated on a web page of Reentry Ready Resources for people who are recently released. The page includes an action plan and checklist with considerations for housing, work and legal and insurance needs. There are extensive guides with each county’s specific procedures and resources. These include addresses and contact information for institutions and people that can help them reenter the community after incarceration.
Reentry Ready: Focus on Finances recently added a follow-up with participants of the class after their release. That way, Extension educators can see which skills and information were the most helpful to them.
Congratulations to Wenzel and the Reentry Ready: Focus on Finances team: Katie Gellings, Amanda Kostman, Jeanne Walsh, Tahnee Aguirre, Sarah Hawks, Jonathon Ferguson, Ronda Davis and Jenny Abel.