Damascus began in 2015 with one overarching goal: to bring a reentry model to Cincinnati, Ohio, that delivered real results for real people in real-time. Todd and Christine Marallen combined their years of experience in both the Corporate and Criminal Justice worlds to create the Damascus Model, building a continuum that starts inside correctional facilities and continues through the transition home and into employment and sustainable lives.

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By leveraging professional contacts and community partners, Damascus built one success story at a time by preparing and walking with individuals returning home from incarceration and placing them into employment opportunities at organizations that recognized the value in building people into their bottom line.

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From the beginning, Damascus has operated with little regard for how it has "always been done", who is standing in the way, or who quarrels with the ideology.

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In 2016, Damascus became an Enterprise Partner with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Since then, hundreds of incarcerated individuals have graduated from the Damascus Reentry Program and thousands of men and women who were previously living off taxpayer-funded assistance have found employment through Damascus.

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BUILT ON BEST PRACTICES

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The Damascus Model was built by combining years of best practices--both those we invented and those we witnessed in others. While we agree there are lots of good people doing good things in the areas of reentry and employment, Damascus has yet to find another organization available 24/7 to hammer out the challenges, change policy and process, meet human needs when they arise or create solutions that positively affect both individuals and entire organizations.

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WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED.