PHOENIX – August 5, 2025 – Dress for Success Phoenix has received a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to significantly expand its regional workforce development initiative focused on formerly incarcerated women.
The Federal Pathway Home 6 Grant was awarded to the organization’s HOPE for Success program and its newest initiative, The HOPE Center, a satellite studio located inside Perryville Women’s Prison.
The grant will enable HOPE for Success to provide more women with personalized career development, financial wellness education, occupational apparel, and yearlong case management that begins before release and continues during reentry. The goal is to close the gap between prison release and skills-based employment, improving reentry outcomes and reducing recidivism. The need for such dedicated services is paramount, with more than 3,000 women incarcerated at Perryville.
This also strengthens Dress for Success Phoenix’s position as a regional workforce development leader whose partnerships enable it to have broad impact.
“It is a meaningful investment in our mission to help women rebuild their lives and reenter their communities with confidence,” said Tamala McBath, CEO of Dress for Success Phoenix. “Our programs provide a pathway to self-sufficiency through education, employment, and wraparound support that reduces recidivism and creates long-term change.”
Data from the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) shows that approximately one-fifth of women released from prison return within three years. Women leaving incarceration face particularly steep challenges, including unemployment, housing insecurity, and increased risk of sex trafficking. About 60 percent of women exiting Perryville are mothers of minors, and many return to communities in Maricopa County where poverty rates reach as high as 33 percent.
“The work planned at the HOPE Center will have a tremendous impact on the women in our custody and care, providing them with greater opportunities and resources to confidently reenter and thrive in Arizona’s communities. By supporting individual success and transformative change, innovative partnerships like this strengthen public safety across Arizona,” said Director Ryan Thornell, Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.
This initiative helps meet Arizona’s urgent workforce needs by preparing untapped talent for in-demand jobs. As employers across Arizona face hiring challenges, Dress for Success Phoenix plays a key role in creating pathways to employment and economic independence.
“We are proud to be a trusted workforce development partner, having already supported more than 1,000 women through HOPE for Success and thousands more through our career programs,” said McBath.
The HOPE for Success program, which stands for Helping Open Pathways to Employment, addresses these systemic challenges by providing targeted pre- and post-release services. Inside Perryville, participants will engage in more than 80 hours of self-paced job readiness and career development curriculum through a custom digital application created by R3 Score Technologies.
Dress for Success Phoenix will utilize R3 Score Technologies to deliver career training, workforce credentials, and digital readiness content directly through tablets inside Perryville. The goal is to ensure that incarcerated women have access to market-driven tools supporting long-term employment. Through this partnership, Dress for Success Phoenix and R3 Score are setting a national standard for what it means to prepare women to thrive post-release. “We are honored to be selected as the secure technology infrastructure to power this groundbreaking in-prison initiative,” said Laurin Leonard, President & CEO of R3 Score Technologies.
The women will access the content via tablets provided by Aventiv, a diversified technology company that provides communications, tablet‑based education, reentry tools, and payment services for correctional facilities and incarcerated individuals across the U.S. Its reputation for innovative technology solutions will enhance digital outreach and service delivery for women preparing to reenter the workforce. “Our partnership with Dress for Success Phoenix on the HOPE for Success program is a testament to our shared commitment to improving reentry outcomes and expanding access to opportunity,” said Alisha Shoates James, Senior Vice President, Aventiv Technologies.
The women will also receive personalized support from Dress for Success Phoenix case managers and career coaches. Upon release, women are outfitted with both personal and professional clothing, wrap-around services, and continue working with their assigned case manager for 12 months to access job placement services, housing resources, childcare support, and higher education or certification programs.
Post-release, the organization also extends services to rural and underserved communities throughout Arizona through its Mobile Career Center and additional satellite studios, addressing similar reentry needs in counties like Pinal, Yuma, and Coconino, where access to consistent support is even more limited.
The HOPE Center is the first permanent, in-prison location operated by Dress for Success Phoenix. It provides a safe and empowering space where women can begin planning for life beyond incarceration. Workforce development and reentry programs like HOPE for Success are vital for breaking cycles of poverty, incarceration, and trauma that affect not only individuals but entire families and communities. Children of incarcerated mothers face an increased risk of homelessness, lower educational achievement, and entry into the criminal justice system themselves. Investing in programs that stabilize families and promote economic independence has far-reaching impacts.
To learn more about HOPE for Success or Dress for Success Phoenix, visit dfsphoenix.org.
