Pioneer supports criminal justice-involved individuals with the services needed to successfully re-enter our communities. Our mission is to provide individuals with criminal histories the opportunity to lead healthy, productive lives.
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We believe that words are powerful and can be very stigmatizing and harmful when used to label our citizens who are or were formerly incarcerated. Let’s be clear, the individuals are first and foremost human beings!
We all need to remember that people released from prison or jail share common and descriptive names with everyone else in society to include: grandparent, parent, son and daughter, extended family member, friend, neighbor, colleague and employee. These are the only type of names that should ever be used to describe a person.
When talking about people who have been involved in the criminal justice system, here are labels to avoid and terms that are acceptable:
NEVER USE
|
Convict |
ex-Con |
Inmate |
ex-Inmate |
|
Offender |
ex-Offender |
Criminal |
Prisoner |
|
Felon |
ex-Felon |
Parolee |
Watch a Video about Pioneer
Pioneer Human Services is a nonprofit (501c3) social enterprise. One-hundred percent of our revenues are reinvested within the organization.
Robin shares her journey of addiction, drug court, securing stable housing and building back relationships. “ Pioneer made it reachable to maintain a real life, to have family and to start to love myself....Read more >>
Will was referred to the Spokane Residential Reentry Center (SRRC) that Pioneer Human Services operates. Through a contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Pioneer operates all four federal residential reentry....Read more >>
Our director of research and client outcomes, Bettina Friese, PhD., is the lead author on a study that was just published in the International Journal of....Read more >>