Non-profit helps former inmates navigate life after incarceration

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Every Tuesday as part of our Greater Memphis on a Mission series, we highlight organizations making Memphis better. This week, we caught up with a group that believes in life after incarceration.

Tommie Dunn Jr. was released from federal prison last year after serving fifteen years. He says finding employment after being released is a big barrier.

“People look at you and look at your background and first thing — like no. We can’t, you can’t work here. No, we don’t want to take no chance,” Dunn said. “With T.R.A.P. you have people that not only tell you they’re doing something, they actually there. They’re showing up.”

T.R.A.P. stands for Transitional Reentry Adult Program . A non-profit organization that helps former inmates navigate life after incarceration. Portia Moore is the founder and CEO.

“We do mentorship, leadership classes, personal growth, development, and job readiness. A lot of the things they need to get re-acclimated coming back into society,” Moore said.

Moore knows how hard it can be to re-acclimate into the real world.

“I am a person on re-entry myself. I have charges from earlier 2000s,” Moore said. “When you come out of incarceration or you get these charges and you’re going out to apply for jobs, and you’re constantly hearing no due to your background, it’s very deterring. And it will put you in the mindset of I may as well do what I was doing in the first place.

That is where Moore wants to change the narrative. They offer classes to help with basic computer skills, business etiquette, and job placement. Dunn has taken numerous classes.

“Financial literacy, credit building, even mental health. People don’t understand how important mental health is — coming from an institutional setting to the real world,” Dunn said.

Dunn is now part of the Ironworkers Union Local 167, which is a four-year apprenticeship program. He says he credits Moore and T.R.A.P. for it all.

“She came from a similar experience,” he said. “And to see her out here going hard. It’s like ok, I can do it too.”

That is why Brown Missionary Baptist Church and the Mid-South Genesis CDC donated $1,000 to T.R.A.P. It only takes one person to believe in you when no one else will, that can change a life.

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