About Us
SCT’S MISSION is to break the cycle of recidivism and intergenerational harm by facilitating positive connections for justice-system-involved people with the community through employment, housing, volunteerism and referrals, while educating the community to reduce unfairness and stigma.
SCT’S VISION is that people experiencing jail, prison or criminal justice supervision will be given a fair chance to succeed, a real “second chance”, allowing families, neighborhoods, and communities to prosper and become safer. We believe community engagement is a vital two-way street between a wide cross-section of community members and justice-system involved people.
What is Second Chance Tucson?
Second Chance Tucson is a coalition of non-profit, faith-based, governmental, law enforcement agencies, and employers inspired by former Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and US Magistrate Judge Charles Pyle. It began as an idea the Mayor and Judge had to hold a reentry forum in 2014 to celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the Second Chance Act - federal legislation that funds reentry programs - and has grown from there. Our focus is on reducing recidivism and increasing community awareness about reentry, with an emphasis on employment. We do this through a combination of community education, volunteerism and employment outreach.
Second Chance Community Forums
The Forums help raise awareness about reentry, and the challenges returning citizens face. The focus is on why it is important to our entire community that returning citizens are successful.
Second Chance Job Fairs
The Job Fairs provide an opportunity for employers to recruit qualified, motivated employees with a support system working with them to ensure success. All of the employers attending are open to hiring people with a prior conviction. To help prepare the job seekers in advance of the job fair, Second Chance provides employability skills workshops covering topics such as resume writing and interview skills.
Second Chance Volunteer Days of Service
Volunteer Days of Service allow Second Chance participants to give back to the community, and participate in positive, pro social activities. A Day of Service is held annually on Cesar Chavez Day.
What are the benefits to my company of hiring someone with a prior conviction?
Many employers who have hired employees with a prior conviction have had a great experience. They report that they are highly motivated individuals with excellent job retention. One out of every 31 adults is in jail, prison, or on probation or parole. This is a significant portion of our community that includes many highly skilled people who are capable of being a productive workforce. Working for the re-integration of people who have done their time and want to move forward in a positive direction is vital to Tucson. Providing a returning citizen a job opportunity is necessary to combat recidivism and create a strong and safe community.
In addition, employers may be eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $2,400 for hiring a returning citizen.
For more information on the tax credit, please contact at Debbie Chavez at DChavez@azdes.gov or
602-771-0899
Board Members
Second Chance Tucson brings together a wealth of knowledge and experience to better serve Tucson residents
Charles Pyle
Executive Director
Chuck Pyle served as a United States Magistrate Judge in Tucson and Flagstaff from 2001 - 2018. In 2014, along with then Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, Judge Pyle co-founded Second Chance Tucson. He is now Executive Director of Second chance Tucson and remains very active on reentry issues in Southern Arizona. Judge Pyle also works to make the 5-Needle ear acupuncture protocol more widely available to help people, including justice-system involved people, find relief from the effects of trauma and addiction.
Michele Keller
Director
Michele Keller is the Senior Instructional Specialist with the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson. “I am a person in recovery. After 23 years of addiction and 3 different trips, adding up to close to 8.5 years in the ADOC, I have now been clean and sober for close to 20 years. I have been working in the Behavioral Health field for 18 years now. Assisting those with SA, SMI, mental health, dual diagnosis. I was on the board of the Safety and Justice McArthur grant and then about a little over a year ago I joined the SCT. I love what SCT has to offer, the population we serve and what the future holds.”
Karen Caldwell
Director
Karen Caldwell is the Director of Workforce Development for the Primavera Foundation in Tucson, Arizona. She oversees Primavera Works, a social enterprise which offers workers experiencing homelessness or other barriers an alternative to day labor halls. Primavera Works provides temporary employment and permanent job search assistance. She was born and raised in Tucson, and graduated from the University of Arizona with a BS degree in Sociology. She has worked at the Primavera Foundation since 1998.
Tony Offret
Director
I grew up in Tucson, attending grade school and high school here. I attended Northern Arizona University and graduated from the University of Arizona. I worked in banking for 21 years, starting as a teller and eventually becoming a vice-president with Valley National Bank (now Chase). I attended the University of Oklahoma, where I received my Master’s degree. While there, I decided to make a career change and go into higher education. I joined Pima Community College as the Advanced Program Manager for the State and Federal Prison programs. I supervise a team of instructors who teach college-credit vocational courses at the AZ State Prison Complex – Tucson and the AZ State Prison Complex – Douglas. We also teach Business and Management courses at the Federal Corrections Complex – Tucson. I hope that our programs at the three prisons will give inmate-students the knowledge and skills to succeed in finding employment upon release. I hope that my participation in the Second Chance Tucson organization will give formerly incarcerated men and women the opportunity to succeed and never return to prison.
Lillian Lewis
Director
Lillian Lewis is the Human Resources Director for the Jim Click and Holmes Tuttle Automotive Team. She is a native Tucsonan, who graduated from the University of Arizona. Prior to her Human Resources career, Lillian worked in a local community corrections center for 11 years with incarcerated individuals and those on Probation and Parole. She understands the challenges faced by those involved in the justice system and has continued to assist them through employment opportunities, career development and community resource referrals.
Kenny Curiel
Director
Kenny Curiel Department of Economic Security Reentry Coordinator. In 2017, established Reentry inside the Tucson Complex serving clients 60 days to release with job development and job readiness such as Resume Building, Soft Skills, Mock Interviewing techniques. Currently servicing nearly 47 percent of the justice involved clients released monthly across the State. Implemented a Federal Grant funded Program for out of State clients releasing to 13 grantee states across the Country.
Andy Silverman
Director
Andy Silverman directs the Civil Rights Restoration Clinic at the James E. Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona. Andy co-founded the clinic in 2006 and has directed it since that time. The clinic represents people with criminal convictions in applying for such relief as restoration of civil rights, set aside of convictions, sealing of case records, etc. Andy has taught in the criminal law and immigration law fields since 1970. He is very active in the Tucson community and throughout the state of Arizona. In addition to being a Second Chance Tucson board member, he is also on the boards of the Arizona Capital Representation Project, Asylum Program of Arizona, Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, Southern Arizona Legal Aid, and Casa Maria.