Groundbreaking Women’s Reentry Facility Opens at Arizona Prison
Photo: Dress for Success Arizona CEO Tamala McBath and Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry Director Ryan Thornell cut the ribbon at the HOPE for Success Center at the Arizona State Prison Complex – Perryville. | Photo Credit: (all) Courtesy of Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry
By Charlie Lange
PERRYVILLE, Ariz. – Last week, the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR), in partnership with Dress for Success Arizona, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the HOPE for Success Center at the Arizona State Prison Complex – Perryville.
The HOPE (Helping Open Pathways to Employment) for Success Center offers a wide variety of reentry services for incarcerated women, including career readiness training, digital learning tools, case management and access to behavioral health, housing and wraparound support. The ADCRR says that the new facility inside the Perryville prison represents a major step toward reducing recidivism and fostering economic independence among women impacted by the justice system, and will serve as a cornerstone for reentry efforts statewide.
“The work happening at the HOPE for Success Center will have a tremendous impact on the women in our custody and care, providing them with greater opportunities and resources to confidently reenter and thrive in Arizona’s communities,” said ADCRR Director Ryan Thornell.
“Our partnership with Dress for Success Arizona and the work happening at the HOPE for Success Center embodies our commitment to community relationships that promote individual success and create a safer Arizona for everyone,” added ADCRR Deputy Director Ashley Oddo.
“By equipping individuals with the skills and support needed for successful reentry, we’re helping them make lasting changes and build meaningful futures, which strengthens public safety across our state.”
During the ribbon-cutting event, ADCRR leadership and Dress for Success Arizona staff led state officials, community leaders and other local partners through guided tours of the new facility.
The Center is the first in-prison satellite location in the U.S. operated by Dress for Success Arizona. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded a $4 million Federal Pathway Home 6 Grant to Dress for Success Arizona to support workforce development and reentry programming for formerly incarcerated women.
“This center stands for something powerful: the belief that every woman impacted by the justice system deserves the tools, the support and the dignity to rebuild her life,” said Tamala McBath, Chief Executive Officer of Dress for Success Arizona.
“The HOPE for Success Center is more than walls and clothes; it is a lifeline. Here, women will find access to education, career training and the resources they need to create a sustainable future for themselves and their families.”
Videos from the groundbreaking ceremony are available on the ADCRR’s LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram pages.