Reentry Peer Mentors: Trusted guides to life on the outside

Re-entry into society after years behind bars is a challenge. Santa Clara County’s peer mentorship program helps smooth the way for people who often can scarcely recognize the world they suddenly find themselves in. Having a buddy who’s been there and done that can help people like Jesse Hernandez, after 30 years in prison, stay on track. For Hernandez, that buddy is William Couch, who experienced a tragedy in his life that made him want to help other men successfully reintegrate.

Peer mentors help people newly released from prison adjust to the world of work and self-sufficiency.

For another Newsbeat video about the Santa Clara County’s Re-Entry Services, click here.