April 2022 — Going the Extra Mile: A Case Study of Rural Reentry in Arkansas examines the work of Phoenix Youth and Family Services, which takes an individualized approach to aiding young adults (ages 18–24) who are returning to their communities following involvement with the criminal justice system. The received wisdom on rural reentry is that it is generally more difficult than reentry in an urban setting. Phoenix, which serves a five-county rural area in southeast Arkansas, has excelled on key outcomes related to reentry. It is part of FHI 360’s Compass Rose Collaborative, a project funded by the U.S. Department of Labor to improve the education and employment outcomes of young adults like the ones in this report.

The Compass Rose Collaborative is 100% funded by the Department of Labor in the amount of $4.5 million. No other sources of funding support this program.