Carrie Kurtz: Hope Keepers On Supporting Returning Citizens

About the episode
Today’s guest is Carrie Kurtz, CEO of Reentry Synergy. Carrie has spent her career at the intersection of justice, housing, and human dignity—building real second chances for people returning home from incarceration. From Ban the Box to Justice Bridge Housing, Carrie explains why reentry only works when agencies, families, and communities coordinate—not silo.

What you’ll learn

• Why collaboration > “referrals” in reentry (coordination is the unlock)
• How housing first stabilizes employment, mental health, and family reunification
• Trauma-responsive reentry: language shifts, safer spaces, and trust-building
• Fair housing, landlord education, and reducing hidden discrimination
• The power of lived experience: multiple seats at the table, not a token voice

Why it matters
Reentry isn’t a program—it’s an ecosystem. Carrie shows how aligning stakeholders (people, families, providers, probation/parole, landlords, health systems) produces measurable stability and fewer returns to custody.

Perfect for
Anyone working in justice, social services, housing, policy—or anyone who believes redemption should be real and reachable.

Join the movement
If this episode challenges you, share it with a colleague or friend who cares about second chances. Let’s turn reentry from a buzzword into a blueprint.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Carrie Kurtz
• 3:02 Working Together: Reentry Synergy's Mission
• 9:12 Housing as a Foundation for Success
• 12:28 Employment Barriers and Ban the Box
• 14:27 Holding Hope for Others
• 17:03 Creating Trauma-Responsive Reentry Systems
• 25:27 MAT Programs and Recovery Support
• 27:13 Closing and Contact Information

Transcript

Carrie: 0:19
 Some people think, well, I don't have the time to be involved, but pointing out to them that you don't have the time not to be involved. If you have a criminal record, you have additional barriers. Reentry Synergy means doing together. So I've seen where doing together makes a greater impact.

Sterling: 0:37
 Hello, wonderful people. What you just heard were a few sound bites from my interview with Carrie Kurtz. Carrie is the Director of Reentry Services at Reentry Synergy, where she leads the fight for real second chances for those returning home after incarceration. Before that, she served as the Director of the Lancaster County Reentry Coalition, building a full continuum of care, guiding people from incarceration to stable housing, employment, and community support. Her foundation was built over more than a decade at Water Street Mission, where she served as the Director of Residential and Shelter Services, counselor, and program leader, helping some of the most vulnerable in her community regain dignity and hope. She also serves on multiple task forces and advisory boards across Lancaster County. She lives by one powerful truth: I will hold out hope until these individuals can hold out hope for themselves. In our conversation, we dive into what it truly means to come home after prison, to face judgment, rejection, and the uphill battle of rebuilding a life. We talk about ban the box to the Justice Bridge Housing Program. Carrie is proof that change is possible when someone stands in your corner. Don’t just listen. Share this episode. Post it. Send it to someone who needs it. This isn’t just a conversation, it’s the spark of change. Let’s go.

Announcement: 2:11
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Sterling: 2:49
 Who was Carrie before Reentry Synergy?

Carrie: 2:52
 I worked with individuals who had been involved in the criminal legal system, as well as people experiencing homelessness—many of whom were also involved in the criminal legal system. People with mental health and substance use issues. I’ve just seen the cycle where people go in and out of that struggle without really having the opportunity to move forward.

Sterling: 3:18
 You dedicated a great amount of work, I think it was the Water Street Mission.

Carrie: 3:23
 Yes.

Sterling: 3:24
 Was that part of going into Reentry Synergy? Did that evolve into where you are today?

Carrie: 3:32
 Yes. I was 12 years at Water Street Mission, and I helped create their residential and shelter programs. You just see people who need hope. What we saw is when you bring the pieces together—the other providers that have the services that one person alone can’t offer—you create opportunity, as well as social capital, because people see that others believe in them and want to help them get to a different place. I always say: from striving to thriving. That’s why we need people working together. My experience shows that the only way we really give people the opportunity to succeed and thrive is when we are committed to doing the work together.

Sterling: 4:29
 Now, the individuals who would come through the doors of Water Street Mission—did the majority of them have recidivism issues connected to homelessness and mental illness?

Carrie: 4:41
 Yes. I believe in individualized assessments. Each person needs a plan that meets their unique needs. You can’t do a one-size-fits-all solution. So we partnered with providers for mental health, substance use services, and housing. We know that if you have a criminal record, you face additional barriers. We worked with probation and parole, and a lot with street outreach—because many of the people we served weren’t even in shelter. They were cycling through the streets due to mental health and substance use.

Sterling: 5:33
 While incarcerated, they may stabilize with medication. But when they come out, it becomes an issue to maintain those same medications.

Carrie: 5:43
 That’s exactly it. People often stabilize while incarcerated. But if they don’t leave to stable, safe housing, they typically fall back into what they knew. I worked with a gentleman who had paranoid schizophrenia—he could be stable while in treatment or incarcerated. But when he was released and didn’t have stable housing, he would forget to get his Vivitrol shot. Out on the streets, you don’t even know what day it is. Managing meds and appointments just doesn’t happen when you’re in survival mode. Plus, medication gets stolen on the street. If you don’t keep it on you at all times, it disappears. And then you can’t get a refill.

Sterling: 6:35
 You mentioned the word stakeholders.

Carrie: 6:37
 Who is at stake in the work that we’re doing? There’s a parallelism—it’s the same thing. Exactly.

Sterling: 6:44
 When we speak about Reentry Synergy, how do you envision the mission?

Carrie: 6:50
 It’s really about emphasizing the importance of collaboration and coordination. A lot of people say we collaborate, but we’re not coordinating. Stakeholders aren’t just the individual, the community, and agencies—it’s family members, parents, spouses, children. Everyone has a stake. So how do we coordinate with all the stakeholders to provide the best opportunities for success? That’s the mission.

Sterling: 7:49
 Can you give us some of the programs that intersect with Reentry Synergy to accomplish these goals?

Carrie: 7:57
 Right. I currently work with the PA Reentry Council, through the Attorney General’s office. We have access to the Department of Health, the Department of Corrections, and locally we work with the Drug and Alcohol Commission, behavioral health providers, substance use providers, probation, parole, bail administration, the jail, the prisons, families. Families especially—there aren’t a lot of services to support families, but we are trying to build that so there’s a holistic approach. It’s about reaching out, making connections, and pointing out that we are really working together with a common cause. Some people think, “I don’t have the time to be involved.” But the truth is—you don’t have the time not to be involved. Sometimes it takes extra effort in the beginning, but the payoff—the return on investment—is significant when we work together collaboratively.

Sterling: 9:10
 Issues like housing, employment, and mental health intersect. How do they intersect during reentry? And how does Reentry Synergy help individuals make that connection?

Carrie: 9:23
 Housing is a key need. If you look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, that’s still valid. If you don’t have safe, stable housing the moment you walk out the door, the risks increase—to employment, mental health, substance use, family reunification, even reincarceration. Without housing, employment is at risk because you don’t have stability. Without housing, you can’t shower, rest, or prepare for work. So housing is foundational. That’s why I chair the PA Reentry Council Housing Subcommittee. Our goal is to see every person leave incarceration with safe, stable housing and the ability to maintain it. Sometimes that means transitional or supportive housing.

Sterling: 11:30
 Is this typically what they would call a halfway house?

Carrie: 11:33
 No, it can be different.

Sterling: 11:36
 I really want to point that out, because in the justice system people often assume it’s a halfway house. But this is not a halfway house.

Carrie: 11:45
 No. Halfway houses typically don’t provide wraparound support. Transitional housing, like the Justice Bridge Housing Program in Union County, provides stable housing with wraparound services individualized for each person. It helps them stabilize. One gentleman told me, “Walking out the door after prison is like stepping from air conditioning into extreme heat—it takes your breath away.” Stable housing removes that immediate panic of where to sleep, eat, or stay safe.

Sterling: 12:27
 What policy changes or legal reforms would make the most difference for returning citizens?

Carrie: 12:33
 Ban the box, especially in employment.

Sterling: 12:36
 Do you still see residual effects of that?

Carrie: 12:40
 For sure. Landlords and employers often avoid hiring or renting to people with criminal records, even if they won’t say it outright. But the reality is—individuals with records often have more accountability, more drive, and better attendance than many others. One woman told me, “We just need the opportunity, because we’ll work harder.” Statistics show this is true.

Sterling: 13:53
 I think James Ivery said that gratitude is gratitude.

Carrie: 13:57
 Yes, exactly. People with records often put in more effort.

Sterling: 14:19
 That’s definitely a different take.

Carrie: 14:23
 Yes, and it’s true.

Sterling: 14:28
 Share a story you wish would have gone better.

Carrie: 14:33
 I think of an individual I worked with at Water Street. He was in and out of shelter, in and out of the criminal legal system, and homeless. He overdosed and died. I still think about him. But I know he knew I cared—because he would sit with me, and I would listen. I have to tell myself he knew he had value, even though his addiction had such a hold on him.

Sterling: 15:16
 I think the fact that he kept trying—that’s Struggle2Success in itself. He was fighting.

Carrie: 15:34
 Yes.

Sterling: 15:34
 And he tried.

Carrie: 15:35
 Yes, he did. I adored him. He was funny, he had a lot going for him, but the addiction held him. But you’re right—he always came back. That gave us opportunities to talk.

Sterling: 15:53
 And that’s what your services are for.

Carrie: 15:55
 Yes. It’s relational. We don’t do this work for recognition. We do it because we care, because we see hope. I always tell people, I’ll hold on to hope until you can. Because I know there’s something better.

Sterling: 16:44
 One of my big things: respect the process.

Carrie: 16:47
 Yes.

Sterling: 16:48
 Respect the process.

Carrie: 16:49
 It’s easy to throw up your hands and give up. But I don’t believe there’s one person not worth fighting for.

Sterling: 16:59
 How do you ensure that formerly incarcerated individuals are not only heard but empowered?

Carrie: 17:05
 They need seats at the table. The more people with lived experience sitting at the table, the better—because they are the experts. They know what worked, what didn’t, what’s needed, and the struggles. I don’t want to sit behind a desk making decisions that affect people’s lives without their voice. But trust is an issue—many don’t trust the system. So it takes time to build relationships where people feel safe to share. Some open up right away, others take longer. Consistency and genuineness build that trust.

Sterling: 18:44
 What does a trauma-responsive reentry system look like?

Carrie: 18:49
 It’s not enough to be trauma-informed—you must be trauma-responsive. That means applying what you know. Ninety percent or more of the people we serve have experienced trauma, often scoring high on the ACEs study. Behaviors may be trauma responses, not misbehavior. Language matters too—don’t label people “felons” or “sex offenders.” Say, “a person who committed an offense.” Language shapes perception.

Sterling: 20:22
 The gravity of that—the old saying sticks and stones may break bones, but words can’t hurt—doesn’t hold up. Verbiage matters in how we approach people with traumatic experiences.

Carrie: 20:37
 Exactly. Behavior can be a trauma trigger response. Fight, flight, or freeze. Some withdraw, others lash out. Survival behaviors look different in prison than outside. I knew a woman incarcerated who acted out as a survival tactic. After release, she was calm and receptive. Same person, different environment. Trauma-responsive systems recognize that.

Sterling: 22:54
 They have to keep up that persona.

Carrie: 22:57
 Yes.

Sterling: 22:58
 We have to break down those layers, especially right after release.

Carrie: 23:13
 Exactly. We need to foster safe environments. Eye contact, listening, no preconceived fixes. Everyone defines success differently. Help people leave with at least one win. Point out resilience—turn survival skills into productive skills. That builds hope.

Sterling: 24:56
 Do you think programs like methadone and MAT are being used to their fullest capacity, or are they fading away?

Carrie: 25:19
 I used to be a skeptic. But I’ve seen how MAT can help. It provides a therapeutic level so people can receive counseling. It’s not meant to be lifelong, but a stepping stone. The problem is lack of continuation after release. Overdose risk is highest within 48 hours of release if MAT isn’t supported. With proper support, it can save lives.

Sterling: 27:21
 Thank you so much. I’m sure this won’t be the last time you come on the show.

Carrie: 27:26
 Thank you, Sterling.

Announcement: 27:29
Thanks for checking out this episode of Struggle2Success. To connect with the show, email us at struggle2success.p@gmail.com. Make sure you like and subscribe so you never miss an episode. And remember to lock in right here every Saturday. Life is trials. Stay focused.