Each year, approximately 11,000 individuals return from Illinois prisons to Chicago, and many face immediate challenges related to housing, employment, and basic life skills. Research shows that about 1,200 people are released directly into homeless shelters annually, while several thousand more experience housing instability.

The B-Unit is committed to reducing recidivism in Chicago by providing transformational support for returning citizens and their families, particularly in communities most impacted by incarceration. Through a comprehensive approach that includes transitional housing, workforce development, financial literacy, life-skills training, and mentorship, the B-Unit seeks to create stable pathways for individuals returning home from prison.

Studies show that the unemployment rate for formerly incarcerated individuals is around 27%, and in some cases, as many as 70% remain unemployed within the first year after release. In addition to job barriers, many returning citizens struggle with financial literacy, time management, technology use, and other essential life skills due to years spent incarcerated.

Returning citizens in Chicago are also highly concentrated in a small number of neighborhoods, primarily on the West and South Sides. The communities with the highest concentrations include Austin, North Lawndale, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, Englewood, West Englewood, Auburn Gresham, Roseland, and South Lawndale.