Coronavirus (COVID-19) Announcement: The safety and well-being of our staff and clients is our top priority during this unprecedented time. We are actively monitoring and responding to all recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and our local health authorities. Current information is available HERE.

Pioneer supports justice-involved individuals with the services needed to successfully re-enter our communities. We are a social enterprise that partners with communities to transform society by honoring the humanity of people, reducing the impact of discriminatory mass incarceration and empowering people to live safe, healthy, productive lives through inspiration, affirmation and by overturning barriers.

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Labels Create Barriers

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

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Meet the People We Serve

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Pioneer Human Services is a nonprofit (501c3) social enterprise. One-hundred percent of our revenues are reinvested within the organization.

NEWS

Coming Full Circle to Give Back to Others

Shawn Prickett Shawn Pricket works as a certified peer specialist at Pioneer Center North (PCN), a residential treatment program. PCN uses evidence-based programming to work with individuals that are struggling with....Read more >>

U.S. Spends Billions to Lock People Up, but very Little to Help Them Once They’re Released

Pioneer Human Services was included in a PBS News Hour story on mass incarceration and the billions spent on incarcerating people, as compared to the minimal dollars spent on reentr services once they are released. Our....Read more >>

Pioneer Human Services Selected to be in New REDF Growth Portfolio

Pioneer Human Services is very excited to have been selected as one of the 13 social enterprise's in REDF's new cohort for their Growth Portfolio. "SAN FRANCISCO (March 30, 2021) —Reflecting a strong commitment to....Read more >>