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Transcript/ScriptIMAN Green ReEntry - Ihsan
HEADLINE: Muslim-based Groups Provide Housing, Work Training to Ex-inmates, At-risk Youth, Regardless of Religion
TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT: 05/26/2022 at 11am
BYLINE: Irfan Ihsan
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Houston, Texas
VIDEOGRAPHER: Irfan Ihsan, Ronan Zakaria
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: KE; Jepsen
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Original VOA, UGC IMAN Atlanta, social media
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:46
VID APPROVED BY: KE
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR
((INTRO))
[[A 2021 report by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics found that recidivism rates, the rate at which people return to prison, has been decreasing in the U.S. since 2005. But the numbers remain stubbornly high. VOA’s Irfan Ihsan met with a faith-based group in Atlanta, Georgia, that’s working to change that in a unique way.]]
((NARRATOR))
Getting out of prison was difficult for Shaii Shabazz.
((Shaii Shabazz, Green ReEntry Village Resident))
(male, in English)
“If you do a lot of time, in the Georgia penal system especially, you get out, it's hard to find … well, it's hard to find a place to go.”
((NARRATOR))
But he found help here, with IMAN, the Inner-City Muslim Action Network. This group works to increase the quality of life for marginalized communities of color.
(Mandatory Courtesy: IMAN Atlanta)
((NARRATOR))
This nonprofit organization was founded on Chicago’s South Side in 1997 and in 2016 opened another office in Atlanta, Georgia. One of their main programs seeks to help former prison inmates and at-risk youth, using a holistic approach.
((Mansoor Sabree, IMAN Deputy Director)) ((male, in English))
“So, we provide the Green ReEntry program as a hub and a base to connect those who are coming home after incarceration to have proper housing so that they can grow and
start on a new footing. Then job training, and our job training and vocational training focus in the area of construction.”
((NARRATOR))
((Mandatory courtesy: IMAN Atlanta)
The word IMAN itself mean’s faith in Arabic, the liturgical language of Islam. But this group has turned its faith into action,
((end courtesy))
as seen on Martin Luther King Drive in southwest Atlanta.
((Mansoor Sabree, IMAN Deputy Director)) ((male, in English))
“Assalamualaikum, Welcome to Green ReEntry Village here in IMAN.”
((NARRATOR))
These green doors lead to a new life for those recently released from prison. The safe, affordable housing provides them with a villagelike atmosphere of mutual support, inspired by the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.”
((Mandatory courtesy: IMAN Atlanta)
((NARRATOR))
IMAN purchased the old apartment building in 2019 and with the help of future residents, refashioned it,
((end courtesy))
into a welcoming new home for returning residents.
((Mansoor Sabree, Deputy Director IMAN)) ((male, in English))
“(It was) totally gutted out. Everything was pulled out of here, all the way down just to the bare studs. Rebuilt and redesigned”
((NARRATOR))
The 10-unit village now serves as a transitional home for people like Shabazz.
((Shaii Shabazz, Green ReEntry Village Resident))
“IMAN opened the door, for me with, with open arms, and it was a blessing for me, it was a blessing for my family, it was a blessing for all that's concerned. I think that everybody in the program, all this is a blessing for us.”
((NARRATOR))
Two other residents, Mike and Tennille, who offered VOA only their first names, have been at the Green ReEntry Village for a little more than a month.
((Mike, Green ReEntry Village Resident))
((male, in English))
“When you see IMAN, is Islamic organization. Even though we're not Muslim, they offer us the same opportunities, give us the same love as they do to their brothers and sisters.”
((NARRATOR))
Since its founding, the Green ReEntry program has produced
((Mandatory courtesy: Facebook IMAN Atlanta)
.. 45 skilled graduates in the Atlanta area, ready to help with the organization’s activities.
((end Courtesy)
Some are also making a living from the construction skills they’ve learned during the program.
Irfan Ihsan, VOA News, Atlanta, Georgia.
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Atlanta, Georgia.
Embargo DateMay 26, 2022 18:01 EDT
BylineIrfan Ihsan, VOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
