THE FREE PRESS: What can a little financial breathing room make possible?
MICHAEL WHITE WAS ACCEPTED INTO 4-CT'S CASH FOR REENTRY PROGRAM IN NEW HAVEN. (CHRISTOPHER CAPOZZIELLO FOR THE FREE PRESS)
THE FREE PRESS
September 9, 2026
For Michael White, it meant taking four months of paternity leave after his son arrived three weeks early.
“He was so fragile when he was first born that I used to stay up three days in a row just watching him sleep,” Michael told The Free Press. “It meant everything to me just to be there, to watch him grow.”
It also gave him time to plan a courier business serving regional bakeries. Today, he and his wife deliver to more than 40 locations across Connecticut.
Michael is one of several participants featured in a new article about guaranteed income programs for people returning from prison, including 4-CT’s Cash for Reentry program.
What moves us most is that Whitney, Michael, Trevor, Juan Carlos, and Peter trusted us enough to share their experiences publicly.
Direct cash programs are built on trust. We trust participants to know what they need, and they trust us with their stories.
Thank you to P.G. Sittenfeld and The Free Press for covering these programs and the people at their center with care.
Shout out to Raquel Ferguson and Daniel Hemel, New York University School of Law Basic Income Lab, and Center for Employment Opportunities for their partnership in this work as well as to Kevin Scott and Community Spring for their leadership in this space.
