AZ Common Ground (AZCG) is a community-based organization created behind the razor wire of a prison fence by three former inmates who developed a plan to provide services to youth and adults upon their release from prison. These men came together to form this organization based on their unique perspective of having been ex-offenders; experiencing the difficult process of reentry firsthand, and learning to rebuild their own lives as convicted felons.
AZ Common Ground was established due to the high recidivism rate of ex-offenders once released from incarceration, the lack of successful reentry programs and services offered to ex-offenders, and the desire to assist communities and organizations to support victims of crime.
AZ Common Ground began teaching life skills courses in February of 2011. Since then, AZ Common Ground has successfully graduated 834 individuals from their program with just 47 returning to incarceration. However, 14 have returned with new charges. The remaining 33 returned to incarceration on technical violations. AZ Common Ground receives over 120 new contacts per month.
