Building a career and maintaining a stable household in today’s economy is challenging for many, but it is especially difficult for individuals with criminal records who have accepted accountability for their actions, yet continue to face the lasting consequences of incarceration long after completing their sentences.
These are the experiences we regularly hear at our Deep Cuts Barbershop Talks. Our attendees share their difficulties navigating barriers to housing, employment, transportation, and ultimately, access to a fair second chance.
“The Barbershop Talk is where I get a lot of useful information on various topics and make good connections with other folks there.”
– Barbershop Talk Attendee
The journey towards a better Savannah starts with the intentional inclusion of our system-impacted community. At Deep, our systems-impacted work aligns with our mission to support the village around our youth because the adults who need these supports are often the parents, siblings, caregivers, neighbors, and community members who make up the villages that surround and support our young people.
We find this work incredibly important because systems-impacted people constitute a significant portion of our communities. These are individuals who have been arrested, incarcerated in a juvenile detention center, jail, prison, or other carceral institutions; or been placed on probation or parole, and their immediate family members.
Each month, Deep Center hosts a Deep Cuts Barbershop Talk to provide a safe space for systems-impacted individuals to be heard and supported. Our Barbershop Talk is a space for sharing, support, and community. While participants engage in these discussions, they receive self-care offerings, including free manicures, haircuts, and food. It also serves as an opportunity for systems-impacted individuals to build their reentry toolbox through resource-sharing sessions led by our community partners.
By partnering with organizations such as Dismas Charities, Harambee House, DeVetter Law Firm, St. Philip’s AME Church, and others, we are able to share programs, resources, and opportunities. Through these partnerships, participants build their knowledge of the local resource landscape, discover shared challenges, and develop the skills and community needed to overcome them. Our hope is that our Deep Talks barbershop attendees can utilize this knowledge as they build back stable and healthy lives.
Finesse Barber and owner, Gary Polite, provide haircut services.
These talks build community power, and we are excited to continually witness the community and hope this space provides for a community so often left behind.
To learn more about Barbershop Talks, visit deepcenter.org and follow us on Instagram @deepcenter912. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Austin Rojas at austin@deepcenter.org.