Our Board of Directors
The Cochise County Reentry Coalition is governed by a Board of Directors.
Our Purpose
The Cochise County Reentry Coalition is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established to bring together a broad coalition of stakeholders within and around the surrounding community. Our goal is to promote the successful reintegration of Cochise County ex-offenders returning to the community, reduce crime, increase the community's safety, and reduce recidivism. We provide a network of resources to help individuals and their families reconnect and establish healthy, positive relationships and social ties through community resource connections.
Our Objectives
To meet the goals for our purpose, the Coalition adopted these objectives.
- Serve as a single point for identifying and educating returning citizens on reentry resources available in Cochise County. The objective is to reduce duplication of effort and make it easier for returning citizens to find the help they need for successful reentry.
- Convene occasional meetings to provide networking opportunities and presentations centering on successful reentry.
- Provide reentry-focused representation on crucial community and regional organizations, forums, and task forces.
- Provide guest speakers to civic organizations to improve public awareness about the challenges of successful reentry and to call on help from the public.
- Educate community employers, landlords, and other stakeholders on the benefits of offering their support to returning citizens.
- Form affiliations with community employers, landlords, and other stakeholders to offer employment and housing options for returning citizens.
Our History
The Cochise County Reentry Coalition was founded in 2014 by Kathy Boston and Sarah Montoya. At first, the Coalition was just a loosely organized group of organizations, civic leaders, and activists who met in a public space in the Sierra Vista library. The Coalition was formally incorporated as a 503(c)3 non-profit organization in 2018. Our monthly meetings began to grow and offered information and an opportunity for those present to network. The Coalition hosted two banquets that were well attended-the first featured speakers from the Department of Corrections and Cochise College. The second featured speakers who had served time and successfully returned to their society. Unfortunately, the Covid epidemic took a toll on the Coalition's monthly public meetings, and they were halted; however, the board continues to meet monthly. Currently, the Coalition is in a rebuilding phase and hopes to offer public meetings again soon.
Our Logo
The Cochise County Reentry Coalition logo is a phoenix, one of the best-known ancient myths. The phoenix is a bird that obtains new life by rising from the ashes of its previous existence. We could not think of a better symbol for returning citizens who are reinventing themselves from the ashes of their previous life. In the logo, the phoenix rises out of a red flame. We chose red since it is frequently associated with enthusiastic energy focused on a goal, which is what the Coalition wants to build in returning citizens. The circle around the phoenix represents the sun in most mythology, but for us, the circle represents the cycle of living in a community, being removed, and returning.
