Pioneer supports criminal justice-involved individuals with the services needed to successfully re-enter our communities. Our mission is to provide individuals with criminal histories the opportunity to lead healthy, productive lives.
Learn how you can Get Involved.
We believe that words are powerful and can be very stigmatizing and harmful when used to label our citizens who are or were formerly incarcerated. Let’s be clear, the individuals are first and foremost human beings!
We all need to remember that people released from prison or jail share common and descriptive names with everyone else in society to include: grandparent, parent, son and daughter, extended family member, friend, neighbor, colleague and employee. These are the only type of names that should ever be used to describe a person.
When talking about people who have been involved in the criminal justice system, here are labels to avoid and terms that are acceptable:
NEVER USE
|
Convict |
ex-Con |
Inmate |
ex-Inmate |
|
Offender |
ex-Offender |
Criminal |
Prisoner |
|
Felon |
ex-Felon |
Parolee |
Watch a Video about Pioneer
Watch our video HERE featuring a few of our Roadmap to Success graduates speaking about their experience in the job-readiness training program. Students attend the program five days....Read more >>
I got started a little late in life, I was 51 years old. When I was young and growing up I didn’t exactly have great role models. In my house it was considered OK to smoke cigarettes, drink, use drugs and commit....Read more >>
In November of last year, Pioneer opened a 16-bed residential youth program called Pioneer Youth Center—J Street, in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood. Boys and girls from the ages of 13 to 17 years old,....Read more >>