Empowering Lives.
Bettering Communities.

Our Mission: Second Chances with a Human Focus

New Freedom inspires successful community re-entry for all members and drives their success through compassionate, introspective, peer-driven support.

Our Vision: Pioneers in the Re-Entry Space

New Freedom offers a complete solution that allows justice-contacted individuals to succeed in life by creating positive change for themselves and their communities.

We’re Servants at Heart

Together, we focus on serving others before ourselves. Our genuine desire to give back drives what we do.

We’re Transformative

Whether it be perceptions, lives, or our communities, we believe in the power of change.

We’re Compassionate

In all circumstances, we demonstrate humility and empathy without judgment, helping our members conquer their challenges in order to realize positive outcomes.

We’re Tenacious

We believe in the uncompromising pursuit of positive outcomes. With unfailing perseverance, we support our members and guide them through every step of their journey.

We’re Restorative

Everything we do is focused on making a personal, societal, and economic impact.

“I never thought it was possible to be where I am today, just like nobody thought it possible to create a community focused around re-entry. When I was in prison a place like New Freedom would have only existed in a dream. Little did I know, seeing a NFP flyer on the wall would redefine the course of not only my re-entry, but my entire life.”

Anonymous / Graduated January 2021

“I will never forget my first day at New Freedom. Here, I was given the warmest welcome that I have ever received. Not only by those who work here but by the members as well. New Freedom provided me with everything that I needed. At no cost to me. That much needed help took a huge load of stress off of me…”

“…With the assistance of my mentor and my support team I was able to center my focus on things like job preparation, options for housing and recovery. While attending process groups during the day I was able to address some childhood trauma and developed some very needed coping and life skills…”

“…I began to attend employment preparation groups and was able to gain employment. My experience has been that I began to get amazing results by taking the suggestions and help laid in front of me by my support team. The program design here has made it possible for me to reenter society confidently and successfully.”

Cesar / Graduated April 2021

Our Story: We Know Because We’ve Been There

New Freedom has developed a robust wrap-around support program called Navigator Services for continued support after graduation and now employs graduates in various roles within New Freedom facilities. The peer-to-peer vision originally conceived by our founders nearly 20 years ago is alive and well today.

One of our founding members, Joe Chiappetta, was incarcerated for 18 years and much of our current staff are former members. We know the services justice-involved men and women need because we’ve been there ourselves.

In 2017, one of our founding members, Joe Chiappetta, was released from prison after nearly an 18-year imprisonment and met Kyle Harless, an entrepreneur with years in recovery. They began the work of building the New Freedom Project. In early 2019, the New Freedom Project joined a team of community stakeholders to form a coalition dedicated to helping men and women transition from prison back to society.

Joe McDonald, a long-term leader in the recovery community, offered his help at one of the coalition meetings and began to work with the NFP founders and their teams to form the Transition Coalition – an effort dedicated to providing services for helping justice-involved men and women.

Denise McDonald – who had long been writing letters of encouragement to hundreds of incarcerated individuals – helped us redefine our purpose to mentor individuals still inside the prison system and prepare them for a successful re-entry with tailored services waiting for them outside, all provided by the same group.

In late 2019, New Freedom was born. Our team acquired, permitted, and licensed a 248-room former resort hotel and created a full continuum-of-care facility for returning citizens to stabilize, heal, and live as a community.

Since its public opening in October of 2020, New Freedom has created the most innovative approach to re-entry ever conceived, servicing 370-400 men and women at a time. Most of the members that come through our facility were previously mentored while in prison through our in-reach efforts.

94.5%

Efficacy

New Freedom graduates who have stayed out of incarceration.

100%

Employment

New Freedom graduates who have gained employment.

$140

Million

New Freedom’s estimated impact on social savings.*

25%

Decrease

New Freedom’s estimated impact on homelessness rates.

*In the form of lowered recurring costs for crimes committed, incarceration, lost wages, and community corrections costs. (Jan. 2021-May 2023)

A Community Where The People’s Walk Matches Their Talk

Joe | Graduated July 2022

“Even though I have graduated New Freedom, I come back several times a week. Everyone knows me and calls me Uncle Joe as a term of endearment. I would say that I am a miracle, and I would say the people that allow New Freedom to touch so many lives, are a miracle too.”

Read My Story

I Haven't Looked Back Since

Heather | Graduated March 2022

“I tried every way possible to not have to look within myself to find what God’s purpose had been for me all along, to help His people. I earned my Peer Support Specialist Certification and I now have an amazing opportunity to help others. After graduation and working in behavioral health, I chose to come back and work at New Freedom. I always considered it home, and I want to give back what was given to me.”