Just Income
We expand access to income for justice-impacted people so they have the economic stability they need to breathe and take their next step.
We run a guaranteed income (GI) program offering unrestricted cash assistance to people returning to our community with a felony record. The program runs annually, with participants receiving $800/month for a year. We conduct rigorous evaluations to demonstrate its impact and showcase the broader potential of GI.
We consult with organizations across the country that are developing or implementing their own GI programs. We also partner with national organizations and coalitions (e.g. Mayors and Counties for a Guaranteed Income, Economic Security Project, Income Movement, Reentry Cash Coalition) to advocate for expanding GI initiatives.
Guaranteed Income
Developed and managed by formerly incarcerated people, our guaranteed income program is testing a simple and refreshing solution to poverty and inequality.
Our past work demonstrates that a guaranteed income can help overcome barriers to successful reentry and unlock the inherent potential of our justice-impacted neighbors.
We want to show supporters and skeptics alike that poverty is a failure of systems, not a personal one.
Are you eligible?
Program
Eligible applicants will be chosen randomly to receive $800 a month for one year.
These payments are provided with no conditions attached.
Eligibility
To qualify, applicants must be Alachua County residents and meet one of these criteria between December 5, 2023, and December 4, 2024:
Released from a Florida state prison
Released from federal prison
Released from a Florida county jail with a new felony conviction
Began felony probation in Alachua County
Most eligible applicants will receive a letter from us with a PIN. If you don’t, call us at (352) 339-9393 or email info@jignv.org, and we’ll help.
Proof of Alachua County residency is required.
The application is currently closed.
"I appreciate what's happened in my life and I want to give back, and I want to share and give hope to other people. This income has moved mountains.”
- Murray Wilson, Just Income Pilot Recipient
2022 - 2023 Impact Report
During our pilot year of disbursements recipients shared how they used their unrestricted income to fulfill essential needs like housing, utilities, groceries, and reliable transportation. They've made forward-looking decisions by resolving legal fees, improving employment situations, pursuing entrepreneurship, and tending to their physical and mental well-being.
The income floor enabled recipients to not only support themselves and their families but also experience a sense of hope and forge connections within their communities.
Nobody should be too poor to be free
Fines and fees tied to the justice system keep people trapped in poverty. Inability to pay can result in re-incarceration.
Through our “Too Poor to Be Free” campaign, we have educational tools such as our e-learning platform that highlight the power of guaranteed income in navigating reentry.
Check out our award-winning E-learning Platform
Our E-learning Platform, ReEntry: A Look at the Journey Back to Life, takes users on a journey where they navigate real-life scenarios of life after incarceration.
As you dive into this journey, you may find things frustrating, unfair, confusing, illogical, and stressful. You will see that the path isn’t linear, and there’s not always a clear way forward.
Explore this e-learning platform, designed by formerly incarcerated people, to see how an income floor can mean the difference between freedom and returning to a cage.
Consulting & Partnerships
At Community Spring, our unique lived experiences shape our consulting services. We've successfully launched and sustained a GI program by and for formerly incarcerated people in a tough environment like Florida.
We’ve already shared this expertise with over 30 locations nationwide.
Leveraging Lived Experience
Our deep understanding of the challenges faced by marginalized informs our consulting, ensuring effective and compassionate GI programs. Our GI programs foster dignity and hope, providing more than just financial relief.
Tailored Consulting Services
We help design and support GI programs to meet the specific needs of each community, from planning through to full implementation, based on practical insights and strategic planning.
Building Strong Partnerships
Our strong partnerships with GI projects around the country and coalitions like the Guaranteed Income Community of Practice, Mayors and Counties for a Guaranteed Income, Income Movement, and others are crucial for adapting GI programs across different communities and achieving policy success.
Join Our Mission
Partner with us to harness the transformative power of Guaranteed Income. With our extensive experience and innovative strategies, we can help you develop or expand effective GI programs.
For more information or to discuss partnership opportunities, please contact us.
Background
Just Income was born out of the work of our 2020-2021 fellowship class, all of whom had been impacted by the justice system.
The 2020-2021 fellowship class was working on reentry support when COVID-19 hit. In response to the pandemic, this group developed a direct cash assistance program, CS Direct. Not only did we provide 128 low-income households with $300 payments, but we also used this program as a platform to discuss the importance of cash as a tool for poverty alleviation.
Around the same time, Gainesville, Florida Mayor Lauren Poe joined Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a national network of mayors advocating for a guaranteed income to ensure that all Americans have an income floor. Our advocacy work got Mayor Poe’s attention and a partnership was developed to bring a guaranteed income pilot to Gainesville. On February 18, 2021, The City of Gainesville adopted a resolution to support a guaranteed income.
Just Income was developed and is implemented by Community Spring. We are not a project of the City of Gainesville and are 100% privately funded. This program is designed and administered by formerly incarcerated people.