Community Spring Media
'Hope goes a long way': guaranteed income a lifeline for ex-prisoners
openDemocracy
October 15, 2024
In this powerful interview with openDemocracy, Kevin Scott, Program Director of Community Spring’s Just Income initiative, shares the transformative impact of providing an unconditional guaranteed income to formerly incarcerated individuals.
Just Income Brings Operations In-house to Build Trust with Participants
GiveCard, Colin Guan
June 17, 2024
Read how our partner, GiveCard, has transformed our Just Income disbursement process.
Prison reintegration program aids formerly incarcerated amid lack of known resources
Alligator, Lee Ann Anderson
May 28, 2024
Since the pandemic, over 200 guaranteed-income experiments launched across the United States. We are glad to have been a part of one of those experiments.
Guaranteed income is sweeping the nation. Will it last?
The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Sara Herschander
April 10, 2024
Since the pandemic, over 200 guaranteed-income experiments launched across the United States. We are glad to have been a part of one of those experiments.
From inmate to advocate: How incarceration motivated six individuals to try changing the system
WUFT, Aubrey Bocalan
January 29, 2024
Since the pandemic, over 200 guaranteed-income experiments launched across the United States. We are glad to have been a part of one of those experiments.
Just Income starts second year with funds for recently released inmates
MainStreet Daily News
January 15, 2024
It’s officially the second year that Community Spring will be giving out Just Income payments! We will be providing 22 justice-impacted individuals with guaranteed income for the whole year.
2023
New reentry simulator highlights the perils of life after prison
Prison Policy Initiative, Brian Nam-Sonenstein and Lucius Couloute
December 5, 2023
Life after incarceration is no easy task. Our Re-Entry E-learning Platform offers a new way for people to understand the hardships that many formerly incarcerated people face when coming home.
Income program helps those formerly incarcerated stay out of prison
Scripps News, Chris Stewart
November 30, 2023
During our pilot of Just Income, we were able to provide 115 formerly incarcerated people with a year of guaranteed income — no strings attached.
Hundreds of cities experiment with giving people free money
Courthouse News Service, Thomas F. Harrison
November 27, 2023
We are proud to be of a nationwide network of basic-income pilots. In this article, our pilot recipient Murray talks about the impact that our guaranteed income program, Just income, had on his life.
Mayor’s screen award-winning income documentary
WCJB TV20 News, Kayla Lewis
November 5, 2023
Tonight, we hosted a showcasing of the documentary “It’s Basic” that we were featured in at Bo Diddley Plaza. It showcased the stories of families from around the nation who have been helped by guaranteed income programs.
Just Income named Justice Innovation Prize finalist
Main Street Daily News, C.J. Gish
September 25, 2023
Community Spring has the opportunity to win $250,000 toward our guaranteed income program, Just Income, through Dream.Org’s Justice Innovation Prize. We will be presenting our programs at SOCAP23 in San Francisco on October 23-25.
Dream.Org Announces Justice Innovation Prize Finalists
Dream.Org, Rachael Payton
September 7, 2023
Dream.Org has announced that our Just Income initiative was selected as one of the five Just innovation Prize finalists! In October, we will be presenting our ideas to disrupt the prison industry and end mass incarceration through our guaranteed income program with the hopes to be one of the three winners that will be selected for a $250k prize to scale our work.
‘LIFE-CHANGING IMPACTS’: CAN A GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM WORK?
The Guardian, Vivian Ho
June 13, 2023
Just Income is one of the US guaranteed income programs mentioned in “It’s Basic”, which is a new documentary premiering at the Tribeca film festival. Michael Tubbs, an executive producer on the film and youngest and first Black Mayor of Stockton, California, described Just Income as “…so bold, so courageous, because it challenges not just the notions of poverty, but notions of crime and criminality.”
GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM GIVES $874K TO FORMERLY INCARCERATED ALACHUA COUNTY RESIDENTS
Gainesville Sun, Nora O’Neill
May 1, 2023
Just Income’s pilot has come to an end and $874,000 was sent directly to justice-impacted people — no strings attached. The recipients were able to directly invest in themselves. The top three spending categories for the recipients were retail, food and transportation.
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME EASES CAREGIVING AFTER INCARCERATION
Prism, Makaelah Walters
January 5, 2023
Many of Just Income’s recipients are caring for someone. In fact, 60% of the program’s participants are caring for at least one child. Some, like Murray who was introduced in the article, are caring for a parent or other family member. For so many, Just Income eases caregiving after incarceration.
2022
Gainesville becomes first city in Florida to apply ‘fair chance hiring’ to private employers
WUFT, Katie Hyson
December 16, 2022
Gainesville makes history by being the first city in Florida to pass a “fair chance hiring” ordinance to private employers. One of our former fellows and current Just Income Participant Coordinator, Tequila McKnight, discusses her experiences as one of the people who made this dream a reality.
GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM HELPS FORMERLY INCARCERATED
CBS-4 News, Massiel Leyva
November 18, 2022
Just Income recipient, Murray Wilson, discusses the impact that Just Income’s unconditional monthly payments for a year have had on his life.
More equitable hiring practices on horizon for those with criminal records in Gainesville
The Gainesville Sun, Javon L. Harris
October 23, 2022
Community Spring has partnered with Gainesville’s Office of Equity and Inclusion and the Greater Gainesville Chamber to support a local “fair chance hiring” ordinance which would prohibit discrimination based on criminal background early in the hiring process.
‘Fair Chance’ hiring ordinance soon to be voted on by Gainesville Commissioners
WCJB, Camron Lunn
October 14, 2022
On October 13, the Gainesville City Commission unanimously approved, in the absence of Commissioner Desmon Duncan Walker, moving forward with a reading of the “fair chance hiring” ordinance. Community Spring’s Policy Director, Max Tipping, and Just Income Participant Coordinator, Tequila McKnight give statements.
PRISONERS SADDLED WITH HUGE BILLS FOLLOWING RELEASE
Washington Examiner, Barnini Chakraborty
August 29, 2022
Almost all states in the US have “pay-to-stay” policies which require prisoners to pay for their time behind bars. For some, this could mean paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees when they get out. The significant cost that people face after incarceration has led to several pilot programs being aimed at addressing financial instability after release. One of those pilot programs is Just Income.
Lowest-income residents have most pressing – and most ignored – housing needs
The Gainesville Sun, Nathan Crabbe
May 22, 2022
On May 11, The Gainesville Sun’s community advisory board got together to discuss local housing problems and possible solutions. Community Spring’s current fellows of The Lighthouse Initiative spoke out by describing issues that they have noticed and solutions that could help with increasing more affordable housing in the community.
An Unexpected Outcome of the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Slew of Universal Income Program
Forbes Advisor, E. Napoletano
May 12, 2022
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Americans received direct, no-strings-attached stimulus payments. Feeling the benefits of these payments, the majority of Americans supported some sort of universal basic income. Now, several cities have UBI-type programs starting or already in progress. One of those programs is Just Income.
BASIC INCOME PROJECTS IN FLORIDA SHOW THAT THE SOCIAL CONTRACT GOES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS
Syre, Hannah Lemoine
April 21, 2022
Just Income has been recognized world-wide. Swedish news magazine, Syre, reports on the implications of Just Income’s work. As noted, “A society is no better than how it treats its weakest, its poorest, those furthest from the center of power.”
GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT FOR RELEASED FELONS
Basic Income Earth Network, Meagan Merritt
April 11, 2022
In January 2022, Just Income sent out unconditional direct deposit payments to half of their recipients, and in March 2022, the other half of recipients began receiving their payments. In that little bit of time, an immediate difference was noted in recipients’ lives. They were able to pay off legal fees, invest in education, and use it on transportation.
Employers Can’t Hold Arrest Records Against Job Seekers if No Convention, Proposal says
The Gainesville Sun, John Henderson
March 7, 2022
The Gainesville City Commission is presenting the draft “fair chance hiring” ordinance to the business community for input. Community Spring put out a statement discussing the importance of the “fair chance hiring” ordinance.
FLORIDA GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT FOCUSES ON FORMERLY INCARCERATED
Spotlight on Poverty & Opportunity, Bill Nichols
March 2, 2022
Just Income’s Program Director, Kevin Scotts, answers all the important questions about Just Income. “How was the project started?”, “Is Just Income privately funded?”, “What are the general requirements to be considered?” Check out the article if you want to know the answers.
JUST INCOME GNV OFFERS A YEAR OF REGULAR SUPPORT PAYMENTS TO PEOPLE RELEASED FROM PRISON
Gainesville Sun, Gershon Harrell
March 1, 2022
“It just really sounded too good to be true”, Just Income Recipient, Murray, said. But, nope! Just Income really is providing people who were recently released from incarceration income for a year — no strings attached. Murray discusses the impact that Just Income has had on his life.
GUARANTEED INCOME ORGS. PAYS GAINESVILLE FL EX-PRISONERS FOR 1 YEAR
The Black Wall Street Times, Ezekiel J. Walker
February 28, 2022
Just Income is not just setting precedent for guaranteed income for formerly incarcerated people, but for guaranteed income for more. Director of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, Sukhi Samra, notes that Mayors for a Guaranteed Income are “investing in pilots like the one in Gainesville to build the evidence base for a federal guaranteed income”.
GUARANTEED INCOME EXPERIMENT FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED UNDERWAY IN FL
The Crime Report, Andrea Cipriano
February 28, 2022
Community Spring’s project, Just Income, is providing formerly incarcerated people with $1,000 upfront followed by $600 monthly for a year. The initiative aims to address challenges faced during reentry such as unemployment and financial instability.
GUARANTEED INCOME EXPERIMENT PROVIDES HOPE FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED
ABC News, Kiara Alfonseca
February 27, 2022
The program is being tested in Gainesville, Florida.
City Seeks Input On Background Check Ordinance
MainStreet Daily News, Camille Broadway
February 24, 2022
With the efforts of our first fellowship class, the Gainesville City Commission has created a draft of the “fair chance hiring” ordinance which would ensure employers consider applicants on an individual basis rather than just their criminal record.
BASIC INCOME PROGRAM AIMS TO REACH FORMER INMATES
Scripps Media, Maya Rodriguez
February 14, 2022
A program is trying to see if a basic income for the formerly incarcerated may be the answer to shutting the revolving door into the criminal justice system.
A BOLD NEW EXPERIMENT OUT OF FLORIDA: GUARANTEED INCOME FOR THE FORMERLY INCARCERATED
Vox, Siobhan McDonough
February 3, 2022
Can giving people cash keep them from going back to prison?
2021
GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM BREAKS DOWN BARRIERS FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED
The Independent Florida Alligator, Troy Myers
November 22, 2021
Community Spring fellows believe a criminal sentence shouldn’t impact lives after people serve their time.
‘JUST INCOME GNV’ OFFERS EX-INCARCERATED PEOPLE GUARANTEED INCOME
BNC, Prime with Charles Blow
November 12, 2021
One population that has been hit hard by the current economic climate is that of the formerly incarcerated.
A BASIC-INCOME PILOT IN FLORIDA WILL GIVE FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE $600 PER MONTH FOR A YEAR, NO STRINGS ATTACHED
Business Insider, Aria Bendix
November 12, 2021
The program hopes to lift recipients out of poverty and prevent reincarceration.
A NEW GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM WILL KEEP PEOPLE AFLOAT AFTER PRISON
Fast Company, Talib Visram
November 12, 2021
As well as helping former prisoners, the program aims to raise awareness among the public about the grim reality of reentering daily life.
Gainesville program to offer guaranteed income to people released from prison or jailISON OR JAIL
WUFT News, Nora O’Neill
November 11, 2021
Just Income GNV is working to provide a guaranteed income to 115 Alachua County residents who were recently released from prison or jail.
Application for guaranteed income program open now
CBS-4 News, Taniqua Pennix
November 10, 2021
Applications for Just Income GNV are now open to Alachua County residents who’ve begun felony probation or have been released from a Florida state prison, federal prison, or Florida county jail with a felony on or after June 1st, 2021.
Op-ed: Guaranteed income is a way to recognize everyone’s inherent dignity
The Gainesville Sun, Mayor Lauren Poe & Kevin Scott
November 5, 2021
At Just Income GNV, we believe that direct cash is the currency of urgency and that guaranteed income works more effectively when it’s unconditional, direct, and simple. Guaranteed income is a way to recognize everyone’s inherent dignity and if we want our community to thrive, that means we need to include everyone.
Gainesville plans guaranteed income program for formerly incarcerated
CBS-4 News, Briana Nespral
July 15, 2021
As someone who served time in prison, Kevin Scott understands the value of a guaranteed income for people returning home. Our new project manager talk about our upcoming guaranteed income pilot for people coming out of prison.
Gainesville mayor to set up guaranteed income payments to former prisoners
The Alligator, Alexander Lugo
June 1, 2021
Kevin Scott, the soon-to-be manager of our guaranteed income pilot, describes in this recent article that upon release from prison he couldn't get a job, was in debt, and was still responsible for court fees, probation fees and child support. Failure to pay any of these would land you right back in prison.
Ex-prisoners need support, second chance
The Gainesville Sun, Editorial Board
March 8, 2021
People who have been incarcerated face challenges to reentering society. Having a criminal record can be a barrier to employment, housing and general acceptance. Difficulties in getting a job and having stability only make recidivism more likely. “What ends up happening is that every sentence becomes a life sentence,” said Lindsay Kallman, executive director of the Gainesville nonprofit Community Spring.
Gainesville joins other cities in passing a resolution in support of a guaranteed income
CBS-4 News, Taniqua Pennix
February 24, 2021
“We learned a lot about economic resiliency in our community, and how low it is. When we did our community based research we found about half of Alachua County residents making under $50,000 a year, couldn’t come up with $400 if an emergency arose,” Executive Director, Lindsay Kallman said. Kallman said the guaranteed income program will serve as an income floor so people have money saved and aren’t in a constant crisis.
Ex-prisoners in Gainesville may soon receive guaranteed income
WCJB TV20 News, Claudia Bellofatto
February 17, 2021
For many ex-prisoners, a program like this could be life-changing. Tequila McKnight got out of the prison system 7 years ago. She is now a fellow at Community Spring and says the program will have a huge impact.
City plan would offer ex-prisoners guaranteed income
The Gainesville Sun, John Henderson
February 15, 2021
Our guaranteed income pilot program in Gainesville would be among the first of its kind in the country. It would pay people who were previously incarcerated a guaranteed monthly income to help them get back on their feet.
Gainesville guaranteed income pilot program in the works
WCJB TV20 News, Claudia Bellofatto
February 10, 2021
In collaboration with Mayor Poe, Community Spring’s new guaranteed income pilot is profiled here as a tool for racial and gender equity. Plans for this new initiative are underway.
A Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Could Be Coming to Gainesville
WUFT-NPR, Thomas Holton
February 8, 2021
This radio clip and article discusses Community Spring’s CS Direct program and describes how we are expanding that work into a guaranteed income pilot program.
2020
Local non-profit gives cash assistance to low income households
CBS-4 News, Taniqua Pennix
December 21, 2020
Fellow Tequila McKnight and CS Direct recipient Seth Assan talk about the importance of unrestricted assistance. Direct assistance with no strings attached gives people the power to determine the best use of their funds.
Op-Ed: Guaranteed income addresses poverty at its root
The Gainesville Sun
Max Tipping, Policy Director & Nadine Johnson, Fellow
December 18, 2020
In this op-ed, Max Tipping and Nadine “Hope” Johnson discuss a guaranteed income in the context of our CS Direct initiative. “We hope that CS Direct can serve as a model and inspiration for future, broader efforts to get economic assistance directly to our neighbors who need it most. A guaranteed income would be a powerful means of addressing poverty and ushering in Dr. King’s vision of ‘a new day of justice and brotherhood.’”
Homelessness in Alachua County
Noticias WUFT, Emma Bautista
November 19, 2020
Community Spring Fellow Nadine "Hope" Johnson shares an up-close and authentic look at the experience of housing insecurity in Alachua County.
Grassroot organization helping families in need
CBS-4 News, Taniqua Pennix
September 24, 2020
This segment profiles Community Spring’s program CS Direct. CS Direct provides financial assistance to low-income households in Alachua County. Direct payments without restrictions are important in ensuring that recipients keep their sense of agency and the power to improve their lives in the way they see fit.
Food insecurity in Alachua County has risen amidst COVID-19
The Alligator, Anna Wilder
September 20, 2020
Community Spring Fellow Latashia Brimm's research and blog on food security in Alachua County is featured in this article along side another Community Spring Fellow Nadine Johnson's personal experience struggling with food access.
Supreme Court restricts voting for ex-felons in Florida; Gainesville community weighs in
The Alligator, Anna Wilder
August 4, 2020
Community Spring Fellow Tequila McKnight shares her outrage about the recent ruling that requires people with felony records to pay all their fines and fees before being permitted to vote. She worked on Amendment 4 and fought for the right to vote. And now she is navigating a poll tax.
Local grassroots organization show how people in Alachua County were affected by COVID-19
CBS-4 News, Taniqua Pennix
July 22, 2020
This coverage of our Grassroots COVID-19 Recovery Forum talks about the importance of having input by impacted people in the local COVID-19 response. The purpose of the forum was to share data from our community-based survey with local leaders. Results showed that low income folks in our community, were the ones most severely effected by the crisis.
Community Spring hosts Grassroots COVID-19 Recovery Forum
WCJB TV20 News
July 22, 2020
During this coverage of our Grassroots COVID-19 Recovery Forum, Community Spring fellow, Tequila McKnight explains, “The people impacted most by financial flux are people who make less money overall. Financial resilience is key to economic well-being and the prevention of future fallout from a crisis like COVID-19.”
New Community Spring aims to dismantle poverty
The Gainesville Sun, Larry Savage
July 7, 2020
Max Tipping, Policy Director, describes the best part about working with Community Spring fellows is “being able to work beside people that have so much to offer, but because of a thousand different circumstances haven’t been able to show the world what they have.”
Hundreds protest potential development on former Seminary Lane plot
The Alligator, Tristan Wood and Ariana Aspuru
June 19, 2020
Tequila McKnight, Community Spring fellow, was a speaker at the rally at City Hall for Seminary Lane. Seminary Lane was an affordable housing complex that she had close ties with. The land on which it stood is being sold to student housing developers, and plans for equivalent affordable housing units to replace Seminary Lane have yet to materialize.
Gainesville host "March for our Freedom Rally" in response to Minneapolis murder
CBS-4 News, Taniqua Pennix
May 29, 2020
Community Fellow, Latashia Brimm, speaks about the importance of racial justice and using direct action to create change. In light of George Floyd’s murder and other instances of policy brutality, she shares her fears about her son’s safety.
Shifting Power
The Marjorie, Hannah Brown & Becca Burton
May 11, 2020
This three-part series is an in-depth profile of two Community Spring fellows, Tequila McKnight and Latashia Brimm. It follows their challenges with re-entry, their fight to restore their voting rights, and their work with Community Spring’s Torchlighter Re-Entry Support. Their stories are a beautiful example of how cultivating power is a way to reclaim identity and build up our lives.
Op-ed: suspend evictions in Alachua County
The Gainesville Sun
Max Tipping, Policy Director
March 31, 2020
During the COVID-19 crisis, Max Tipping, Policy Director of Community Spring, calls for an immediate moratorium on evictions. “There will be a lot of difficult decisions facing our elected leaders in the weeks to come. This is not one of them. Basic compassion and common sense require that evictions immediately stop.”
Addressing the needs of prisoners during the coronavirus
CBS-4 News, Taniqua Pennix
March 20, 2020
CBS-4 interviews Community Spring fellow, Kevin Scott on prison conditions during Coronavirus. He describes how difficult it is for inmates to access adequate healthcare. With the rapid spread of COVID-19, Kevin advocates for the early release of nonviolent prisoners.
Coronavirus response sign-on letter
Max Tipping, Policy Director
March 16, 2020
On the day Gainesville and Alachua County declared an emergency, Community Spring acted to make sure that the needs of our low-income neighbors were a priority in our local government’s response. We drafted and submitted a sign-on letter to local elected leaders in which 32 organizations called for a moratorium on evictions, a local fund for emergency rent and utility assistance, a suspension of public benefit terminations, increased sick leave, support for employers to continue to pay their employees, food distribution, and a moratorium on utility disconnections for as long as the Coronavirus crisis continues.
Ex-inmates in Gainesville make it their job to ease the stigma for others like them
NPR WUFT, Kasamba Kokayi
March 5, 2020
Community Spring and the 2020 fellows campaign, Torchlighters Re-Entry Support, is profiled on Gainesville’s NPR. This piece highlights two of our fellows, Kevin Scott and Tequila McKnight and the challenges they faced when returning from incarceration. Tequila explains “When someone does their time, the sentence should be over” and yet the stigma of a criminal record follows them for the rest of their lives.
Community Spring fellow testifies at city commission on criminal background checks as a housing qualifier
Latashia Brimm, Fellow
February 20, 2020
“I think it is time to rethink how criminal records are used in rental housing applications. The way things are right now, every sentence, no matter how small, can become a lifelong barrier to finding decent housing. Formerly incarcerated people are nearly ten times more likely to be homeless. This drives increased recidivism, which comes at a tremendous cost in both individual suffering and tax dollars. And with black residents of Alachua County about nine times more likely to be incarcerated than white residents, this is a critical equity issue. As with source of income, a number of other places have already found ways to limit the harm caused by overly burdensome criminal record screenings in housing.”
Grassroots organization restoring hope to ex felons
CBS-4 News, Taniqua Pennix
February 12, 2020
Community Spring and our work around incarceration and hiring practices is the featured story of this local CBS news broadcast.
Equity effort needs all the help it can get
Gainesville Sun, James Lawrence
January 31, 2020
This article in the Gainesville Sun about the launch of Community Spring says “They represent new hope and the brand of grassroots leadership that long has been missing in remedying injustices that persist despite time and money poured into solutions that proved to be insufficient.”
Gainesville shares new plans to address racial equity at kickoff event
NPR WUFT, Maya Punjwani
January 23, 2020
This piece on our local NPR station quotes one of our fellows, Latashia Brimm, about the exclusion of formerly incarcerated people in our discussions about equity. She says “We need to think about the people who have paid their debts to society and need the support to not be systematically excluded.”