Ezekiel Blackston, Housing Advocate, Green Reentry: [00:00:00] I done been to prison, not once, not twice, but three times. Okay? I'm homeless. I'm not a dumb guy. I have no problem working.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: That's Ezekiel Blackston. In 1996, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He served eight. And when he came out, he found himself facing the question many returning citizens ask, “Where will I live?”
Ezekiel Blackston, Housing Advocate, Green Reentry: So, when they say the recidivism rate is high, it's high because guys are coming home to nothing and when they get a piece of something, they have no assistance to help that piece of something grow into something. So, they're bound to do what they know how to do best, and that's crime.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Experts say a good indication of whether someone will return to prison is how quickly they find [00:01:00] housing. In fact, a 2023 study found homelessness increased the likelihood of recidivism by 50%. Each time someone has to move to a new halfway house, homeless shelter, or from couch to couch, those odds went up another 12%.
A group of nonprofits across Chicago's south and west sides are trying to break that cycle. Their solution? Provide clean, affordable, and dignified housing for people leaving prison. Plus, the social, health, and spiritual support they need to change their life. This is the story of two men who have broken that cycle, and how housing allowed them to show it for themselves, their families, and eventually their communities.
This is Joshua Eferighe with The Place Called Home for Change Agents.[00:02:00]
I met Ezekiel at Green Reentry, a transitional home where men leaving prison can stay for up to a year. Ezekiel was the housing advocate there.
Ezekiel Blackston, Housing Advocate, Green Reentry: I have no name for this building, but this is where all the guests come.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: He gave me a tour of their space.
Ezekiel Blackston: Our green reentry involves the schooling, the housing, the healthcare, arts and culture.
Going green is not going back.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Ezekiel didn't always have this type of stability. After his release, Ezekiel spent 90 days in a halfway house. These homes are supposed to ease a person back into their communities, but often these programs can make reentry more stressful.
Ezekiel Blackston, Housing Advocate, Green Reentry: Cause you got to pay them to stay there.
It get to the point where you're working to live in a halfway house where you have to share rooms with people [00:03:00] you don't know. And there's no structure, there's drug use going on. There's prostitution going on. There's no guidance, no guidelines. And those places were not conducive to my growth or anybody else's growth.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Ezekiel says he was ready to move on, to find a permanent place to live, to find a job. But he hit roadblocks. One of his biggest hurdles, his past criminal record. People with serious felony convictions are often banned from renting in public housing or Section 8. They also can't live with someone who owns a gun.
That's even the case if that someone is family.
Ezekiel Blackston, Housing Advocate, Green Reentry: People don't want to rent to you. You can't get any, um, like public housing, low income. You can't get any of those things. So you wind up, you know, Hey, hey Brian, can I stay at your house for a minute? Hey, Joshua, can I sleep on your [00:04:00] couch?
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Ezekiel was sleeping in his car when a friend told him about Green Reentry.
He stayed in the program for 18 months. Experts say this longer timeline is critical. Ezekiel received therapy, education, and was eventually even offered a job at Green Reentry. But perhaps most importantly, he gained a community that believed he could succeed. They even believed him when he made a mistake. Ezekiel was arrested for having a gun while on parole.
Ezekiel Blackston, Housing Advocate, Green Reentry: And I was so embarrassed that I back slid and did something stupid by carrying a gun. I didn't want the judge, the state's attorney, or anybody to know I was part of the program. Because I didn't want to bring no bad light to the organization.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: But the relationships he had built at Green Reentry, the ones he was trying to protect, kept his [00:05:00] progress on track.
Green Reentry's director wrote a letter on his behalf to the judge.
Ezekiel Blackston, Housing Advocate, Green Reentry: The judge asked me, what do you do there? And I said, I'm um, I'm a resident and a carpentry student. And the Cook County State's attorney said, since you have done so well, we're going to leave you in jail one day. Because I was participating in the program, I was given leniency.
I said, from that point, I'm, I'm hooked. If I can talk to somebody that's coming through these doors the same way I did, I'm your testimony. This place gave me back my spirituality, my dignity.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: A place to call home is so essential to that dignity. It provides the bedrock to build a family, start a career, [00:06:00] and pursue our goals. It provides security. Anyone's life could be derailed without that. When you consider a scattered social network, a few job prospects, the stigma and trauma from a prison sentence, It's no wonder that recidivism rates are so high in America.
Matthew Cage experienced this struggle firsthand. After spending 18 months in prison, the burdens, physical, financial, emotional, weighed heavy on him.
Matthew Cage: You know, your own self can be your worst enemy. You get in your own thoughts, and, and. You can do more damage to yourself than anyone else. It was more so me having to process and live with what happened.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Matthew's prison sentence was the result of the death of his closest friend, his brother. [00:07:00]
Matthew Cage: Hello?
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Matthew,
I think I'm outside of your residence.
Matthew is bulky and on the taller side, say, about 6'1 I can't hear you. If asked, he might describe himself as a man of few words, but you'd have to catch him in a talkative mood.
He may be quiet, but with Matthew, it's just a case of still waters. I managed to get him to crack a smile.
You hate me, man. You're so over me. We turn to
go into his apartment. And I immediately understood why he considered it his safe haven. Ah, here we are. How long have you been here now?
Matthew Cage: Um, for about 14 months.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Wow, this is nice, man. Want me to take off my shoes?
Matthew Cage: No, you're good. You're good.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Bro, this is [00:08:00] nice. The apartment opens up to a spacious living room with hardwood floors and plants sitting along the windowsills. But home is more than four walls, especially when there's Brenda.
What's your name? I'm sorry. She prefers
Brenda.
Miss Cage: Miss Cage, you can call me Miss Cage.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Miss Cage.
Miss Cage. Who's behind the plants? Is it you? Are you behind the plants? Is that you?
She walked about the house, calmly pointing out different items as if we were in a museum.
Miss Cage: This is his room.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: His, meaning Matthew's.
Okay, I see you, Matthew. You set up pretty cozy too, man.
Matthew's room is simple, but neat.
You could tell how he cares for each item, from the bed being made up to a tidy desk area in the corner. PBMR gave Brenda and Matthew a place to call home when things were at their bleakest. A chance to focus on goals, find healing, and save money for the [00:09:00] future. For Matthew's mom, it's the simple pleasures.
Miss Cage: I open up my blinds. I fix me something to eat. You know, just sit back, chilling, enjoying this day. You know, whatever.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Outside Brenda and Matthew's home is a colorful mural. Although weathered, it's a symbol of PBMR's presence in the neighborhood.
Matthew Cage: I don't know how long it's been here. It's been here since I've been here, though.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: PBMR is located in the back of the yards, a melting pot where Black and Latino working class neighborhoods meet on Chicago's southwest side. In part, that's why Precious Blood is here. Black and Latino men are among the most likely to be incarcerated. In this neighborhood, it's also where many of them try to rejoin society.
Michael Harrell says this housing is a kind of security. [00:10:00]
Michael Harrell, Coordinator of Transitional Housing, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation: When I say security, I talk about the options of someone having a place to stay after a long day. A place to lay their head.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Michael is the coordinator of the transitional housing program for Precious Blood. He is also a returning citizen. A term I learned helps reshape the narrative of the formerly incarcerated.
Just like Matthew, Michael says for returning citizens, having safe housing in neighborhoods where they're from or their families live can transform a community. The goal, give these returning citizens some foundation in the form of housing.
Michael Harrell, Coordinator of Transitional Housing, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation: And those foundations have given individuals opportunities to grow and to thrive in other areas of their lives without having to worry about housing.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Initially, Precious Blood's Housing is free for 90 days. Then, tenants are charged a market rate compensation that incrementally increases proportionally [00:11:00] on a staggered monthly basis. PBMR does not reveal this to participants until they transition. Those rent payments go into a fund to help with rental and moving costs once the person is ready to move on.
And with housing as a foundation, returning citizens can take advantage of all the other services that Precious Blood provides, like mental health or substance abuse treatment. Job training and placement, or even helping apply for Medicaid and health insurance.
Michael Harrell, Coordinator of Transitional Housing, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation: Opportunities that we provide for transitional housing is deeply in part to the resources that we receive, but it's not unlimited, because there are always more people that are in need than there are spaces available.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: I visited Precious Blood on a very windy day in March. While cold outside, the campus had a warmth that came from more than just a heating system. The people there were [00:12:00] full of spirit. You could hear it in their fun in the background.
Joseph Mapp, Director of Entry and Programming, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation: I'm glad you called today. So you're here doing a lively time, and that's the important part, so you can really get the essence of PBMR.
So one of the things is…
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: That's Joseph Mapp, but no one uses his full name. He's JoJo, and someone you instantly like. JoJo is Director of Entry and Programming at Precious Blood. He gave me a tour of the facility. JoJo says for real change, you have to go beyond housing. Homes make up a community, and one cannot thrive without the other.
Joseph Mapp, Director of Entry and Programming, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation: We're big on collaboration. And oftentimes we do also what's called pop ups. If there were acts of violence anywhere in the community, so people would not retreat into the privacy of their home and forget that they are neighbors, we immediately would go to that space and create a fun space. We want to be that light when it's dark out.
We want to show people that they can [00:13:00] have an enjoyable summer and a space where they can call their own and know they are supported in this partnership.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: As we made our way around the center, we came upon the circle room.
Joseph Mapp, Director of Entry and Programming, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation: So restored and restorative circles is nothing new, but it comes from indigenous people. Indigenous all around the world.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: The goal is to build community and flatten hierarchy.
Joseph Mapp, Director of Entry and Programming, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation: Whether it's Aztecs, whether it's Africans, whether it's Indians, the practice of being, building community, flattening the hierarchy. So, in a circle where everyone is equal.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Around the circle, young people talked about what community means to them. One student brings up her proudest moments, high school graduation.
Peace Circle Participant: I was grieving, like, my grandma had kids two weeks right before I graduated. And then had to bury her a week before I walk across the stage. So. That was like one of my hardest parts, because it was like something I could have gave up on, but I still kept going.[00:14:00]
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: My name is Joshua. If I had to narrow it down to one, it would have to say the birth, be the birth of my daughter. Um, to this day, I think that's my greatest accomplishment. She is the greatest thing that I will ever produce. Next to share was Matthew. whose home we took a tour of earlier, along with his mother, Miss Cage.
Matthew Cage: I'll say right now, my proudest moment is being able to take care of my mother. Um, when I was in jail, my pops passed away, which used to take care of my mom. And then I guess it fell on me and being able for her not to worry about nothin'. That's a good feeling.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: His father's death was the second profound loss Matthew suffered in just three years. It happened while he was serving time for the [00:15:00] first one. The car crash that took the life of his brother, 34-year-old Andrew Cage.
I took a ride with Matthew. He'd always been a car enthusiast. But now, being behind the wheel brings up different emotions.
Matthew Cage: That feel because I, my baby was a, um, I had a, 2016 Lincoln MKZ. That's the car I fell in love with. I loved that car. Then, then had got a, um, Chevy Equinox. Um, That's the one I crashed.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: I noticed Matthew's grip on the steering wheel tightened. He stared ahead blankly. Almost as if he was bracing himself.
Matthew Cage: I don't remember the crash.
I can remember the night, um, but I don't remember getting in the car and having a crash or nothing like that.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: I [00:16:00] asked him about his relationship with his brother. How many years younger?
Matthew Cage: Three.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Y'all close?
Matthew Cage: Very close.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: That was your little homie?
Matthew Cage: Yeah. We did everything together.
Yeah.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: One night in 2019, he went out partying with his brother and friends.
He'd been drinking but decided to drive home. His brother was in the passenger seat.
Matthew Cage: Then at the end of the night, when it was time to go, I just ended up waking up in the hospital.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Matthew was left with two broken wrists, two broken ankles, and a reckless homicide charge for his younger brother's death.
When he came to, he learned Andrew had taken a direct hit.
Matthew Cage: You know, uh, and it's like you, you're in the process of, of, of mentally going through like, um, it was your actions that, that caused this person to not be here. [00:17:00] Um, and on top of that, you fitted to go to, to, to prison, a place that you know you don't really belong.
And, and, and, and it sent me into depression.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: At this point, we've been driving for a while. I could see Matthew settle into his chair, shoulders relaxed, in his zone. He puts on some music. When Matthew got out of prison in October of 2022, he wasn't able to take pleasures in these simple joys. They would only bring him back, back to that horrible night.
Matthew Cage: Man, for a while though, I couldn't, I didn't want to hear music. I couldn't listen to music. That's a, a everyday thing. Um, I don't know if I completely forgave myself as of, um, now, but after going to therapy for a while and, um, it's just something that I, [00:18:00] I live with and, and every day different, you know, right.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Through therapy, Matthew has been slowly working to reestablish his life. That's something that likely only happened because of precious blood without the worries of where they'll sleep. Matthew and his mom can begin to heal after the loss of a brother and a son. And although PBMR offers only temporary housing, Matthew has found a more permanent space within its walls.
He now works for Precious Blood, helping people get connected to the very services he needed.
Joseph Mapp, Director of Entry and Programming, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation: He's not so much public facing part of PBMR. He's not talkative in that he'll sound like me talking your ear off, but he is the person that's the backbone that'll reach out to people that we contact with via email, that'll respond to different questions about PBMR.
Like I say, the beauty about him is he reserves a [00:19:00] professionalism that you would think he went to one of the top tier universities.
Matthew Cage: I feel like, if anything is needed, they get my back, so I feel actually more homely here at times than at home.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: Matthew now has sights on owning his own home, which he has already started plotting out.
Matthew Cage: I want to be debt free. I need to be able to save up my money so that I can transition into my own place.
Joshua Eferighe, Producer: He has aspirations of being an entrepreneur. Set his own schedule. Be his own boss.
Matthew Cage: Yeah, numbers always been my thing. But I see myself being connected to Precious Blood forever. Whether it's working or volunteering here and now, or any way they don't need it or can help, I'll help.[00:20:00]
Narrator: Thank you for joining Change Agents. The podcast series looking at grassroots actions and solutions through stories told from the inside, produced by Juneteenth Productions for Reparations Media. The music is composed by Sarah Abdullah. Funding support provided by the Chicago Community Trust, the Field Foundation, and the Wayfair Foundation.
Additional support provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and DePaul University's College of Communication. Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, Spotify, and wherever you find your podcasts. Follow change agents on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and on our website changeagentsthepodcast.com.
