May 22, 2026 — Goodwill Manasota Corporate Office, Sarasota, FL
Imagine you have just been released from prison. You have a bus pass, a short list of places you are required to be, and about 45 minutes to get your life on track before the clock runs out. You need housing. You need a job. You need to report to your probation officer, get your ID sorted, and figure out how to eat tonight. And you have to do all of it at once, with none of the things most of us take for granted: a phone, a car, a support system, a cushion of any kind.
That was the reality 81 community leaders stepped into on May 22 at the Goodwill Manasota Corporate Office in Sarasota.
The Reentry Simulation, hosted in partnership with Project 180 and facilitated by the Florida Department of Corrections, 12th Circuit, was two hours that a lot of people in that room will not forget quickly.
The Experience
Participants were placed in the roles of individuals navigating life after incarceration and moved through a series of stations representing the systems and services returning citizens must access after release. Each station came with its own requirements, its own wait times, its own paperwork, and its own set of rules. Miss a deadline at one station and it could affect your standing at the next. Run out of time and, in the real world, that might mean a violation.
What makes the simulation so effective is not any single moment. It is the accumulation of them. Station by station, participants begin to feel what it actually costs to start over when the deck is stacked against you. The exhaustion. The confusion. The way one small obstacle can topple everything else. By the end, the conversation in the room sounds very different than it did at the start.
“Near the end of the simulation, I almost wanted to go back to ‘jail.’ I was struggling significantly. At least in jail there was a roof over my head and my meals were guaranteed.”
Project 180 Participant
Three Organizations, One Shared Commitment
This event grew out of a partnership rooted in a simple but powerful idea: that people deserve a real second chance, and that the communities they return to have a responsibility to help make that possible.
Project 180 is a Florida-based nonprofit built around exactly that mission. They work alongside employers, housing providers, service agencies, and community leaders to chip away at the structural barriers that make reentry harder than it has to be. The Reentry Simulation is one of their most powerful tools, not because it lectures anyone, but because it puts people inside an experience and lets it speak for itself.
“Many of us take for granted how difficult it can be to find housing, transportation, employment, or even obtain basic identification. For citizens returning to our communities after incarceration, these challenges often happen all at once. The reentry simulation helps us better understand those realities and inspires us to become part of the solution.” Antonia Rolle, President and CEO, Project 180
The Florida Department of Corrections, 12th Circuit, brought professional facilitation and real-world grounding to every station, ensuring the simulation reflected the actual systems returning citizens encounter. Their involvement signaled something important: that the work of reentry is a shared responsibility, and that collaboration between systems, nonprofits, and community is how real progress happens.
“At the Florida Department of Corrections, we believe community engagement experiences like this are essential because they create understanding, strengthen partnerships, and bring awareness to the real challenge returning citizens face every day. Reentry is not the responsibility of one agency alone. It requires collaboration between corrections, nonprofits, service providers, and the community. Our hope is that attendees left with greater empathy, meaningful insight, and a renewed commitment to building stronger support systems within their own organizations and communities.” Stephanie DiTroia, Circuit Administrator, Florida Department of Corrections, 12th Judicial Circuit
And for Goodwill Manasota, hosting this event was a natural extension of who we are. We are a proud second chance employer. We actively hire people with barriers to employment, including those with a justice involvement history, because we know that a criminal record should not be a life sentence when it comes to opportunity. We have seen firsthand what happens when someone is given a real chance to work and to grow. It changes everything.
“Project 180 reminds us that every year 60% of individuals released from jail return to jail that same year. After experiencing the Reentry Simulation, now we know why. We’d like to be part of the solution.” Margie Genter, Vice President of Mission Services, Goodwill Manasota
Who Was in the Room
The 81 seats were filled with intention. Project 180 and Goodwill Manasota invited community leaders across sectors, people working in housing, workforce development, healthcare, nonprofits, and beyond. Some came already familiar with the reentry landscape. Others were encountering it in a meaningful way for the first time.
That mix mattered. When people from different parts of the community sit through the same experience together, something shifts. Silos soften. The conversation that follows is less about whose job it is and more about what we can do together.
What Happens Next
The simulation was a starting point, not a finish line. Project 180 is building Next Step Coalitions, smaller, focused groups working to address specific barriers like employment, housing, and policy. If you were in the room on May 22 and you are ready to move from insight to action, there is a place for you in that work. And if you were not there but want to be part of the conversation, reach out.
Because this is exactly the kind of partnership that moves the needle. Not a single event, not a one-time awareness moment, but an ongoing commitment between organizations that believe the same thing: that the strength of a community is measured by how it treats the people who need it most.
To learn more about Project 180 and the Next Step Coalition, visit Project 180. To learn more about Goodwill Manasota’s mission and community partnerships, visit experiencegoodwill.org.
About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Industries-Manasota, Inc. (comprising Goodwill Manasota and Goodwill Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast), a leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to changing lives through the power of work, proudly serves 11 counties on the east and west coasts of Florida. Goodwill’s mission-integrated social enterprise transforms community donations into opportunities, providing resources, training, and support through strong collaboration with local partners to help individuals obtain employment and build skills. For more information or for a comprehensive listing of locations, visit experiencegoodwill.org or call 941-355-2721.
