Former Inmate Joseph Mapp appointed as new Director of Office of Re-entry by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is looking to give the city’s re-entry program a jumpstart by naming its new director, who is a former inmate.

Johnson on Thursday named Joseph Mapp as the new director. There had not been one for the Office of Re-entry since August 2023.

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Mapp spent two decades in prison before turning his life around.

“Sadly, there is not enough of this work being done to meet the demands of so many people returning from incarceration,” Mapp said.

The office is being funded by cannabis revenue. Mapp said his mission is to work on policies to develop fair hiring practices for people returning from prison. Mitchell said employment is the biggest barrier.

It has only been a month and a half since Demarco Davis returned to Chicago from an Illinois prison. Re-entering society after two years behind bars was a daunting task for the 30-year-old.

“It was like trying to climb Mt. Everest in summer gear. I had no home, no money, no friends, no phone,” Davis said.

Davis turned to Teamwork Englewood for help. The Englewood community organization has a re-entry program that serves about 1,000 former inmates a year.

“They provided me with a lot of the resources that I was able to get food, housing, clothing. This program has helped me a lot,” he said.

Re-entry Program Director Mark Mitchell said getting someone a job right away is the key to keeping the recidivism rate low. That’s why they offer job, resume and interview training.

“Instead of having an individual come in here for weeks or months, we try to place them within days. Our focus is on retention instead of readiness,” Mitchell said.

Teamwork Englewood is one of several programs working with the city’s Office of Re-entry.

“This is telling employers in private industry, ‘Hey, give these guys a chance. You don’t want violence on street,'” Mitchell said.

Despite current or any future budget woes, the mayor said the Office of Re-Entry is sustainable, and will be fully funded as long as he is the mayor.