CoreCivic offers many tools and resources for those in our care to prepare for successful reentry into their community. The 2nd Opportunity Reentry Program is one of these important resources, and it's now available to residents digitally on CoreCivic's Go Further Discovery platform.

Developed by Augie Ghilarducci, a businessman with lived experience, 2nd Opportunity is made up of five video-based courses that teach everything from financial literacy to life skills and potential career paths.

Ghilarducci knows first-hand what it's like to be incarcerated, and he understands the feelings of lost hope and connection to the outside world. Being incarcerated for over a decade, Ghilarducci had a front-row seat to witnessing recidivism, and he saw some patterns emerge. These observations, along with his appointed job as a course writer and teacher in the education department, are why he developed a reentry course and plan which would later become 2nd Opportunity.

"In the federal system, we're releasing to all 50 states. But it didn't matter where they went, it didn't matter if they were tall, short, young, old, their stories were the same," Ghilarducci said. "They had unresolved substance issues, they had limited education, they had few skills." But, perhaps most importantly, Ghilarducci said most who returned to prison did not have a positive support system or a solid understanding of all the resources available to them.

Ghilarducci leaned on this knowledge to start building the 2nd Opportunity Reentry Program while incarcerated. He used as much information as he had access to - while also collecting stories from fellow justice-involved individuals. When he was released, he continued to fine-tune the program until he landed on five key courses:

1. A Path Forward
2. A Path to Financial Freedom
3. Values-Aligned Goal Setting
4. A Path to Advanced Skills
5. A Path to Higher Education

Each course is taught from the lens of someone who was incarcerated, and they share how they were able to become successful upon release. "I remember those feelings. I remember the feeling of who's going to hire me? How am I going to make a living?" Ghilarducci said. The courses also use storytelling as a method of teaching - portraying real-life situations as examples and teaching people how to get through them. The program also comes with a workbook that allows participants to track their ideas, progress and generate a reentry plan.

"There's no magic here," Ghilarducci said. "It's bringing them something to give them hope and some feeling that their future doesn't have to be like it is now. They can get out and move forward with their lives."

Participants who complete the 2nd Opportunity Reentry Program can earn three hours of college credit, and Ghilarducci says he hopes to expand this opportunity further. He is also exploring the possibility of bringing 2nd Opportunity into virtual reality. Right now, the 2nd Opportunity Reentry Program is available in 16 CoreCivic facilities nationwide.

Ghilarducci says he never expected 2nd Opportunity to become his career when he was released, but he's certainly glad it is. "I didn't look for it­­—it found me—and that's why I know this is what I'm supposed to do with my life."