Returning Home

What Returning Home does

Returning Home, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) prison ministry and reentry services nonprofit headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, founded by CEO Nick Robbins in 2008 and operating across Northwest Arkansas. The organization's core function is providing transitional housing, case management, counseling, and employment preparation services for individuals impacted by incarceration, with the explicit goal of reducing recidivism and reunifying families. Its primary programs include the Community Alternative Program (CAP), a 120-day diversionary transitional living program operating 24-32 beds at a 14-acre rural property in Huntsville, AR; the Community Rebuilding Initiative (CRI), a Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program for Washington County Jail inmates; and the planned Aftercare Program, a six-month residential extension for CAP graduates. Supporting services include Freedom Baskets (release-day necessities), Fatherhood Fire (parenting program with UAMS), and Healing the Wounds of Trauma (faith-based counseling).

Returning Home does not operate proprietary technology; service delivery is built on an evidence-based clinical curriculum (Trauma-Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, CBT, Thinking for a Change) delivered through a network of on-site partner organizations including Arkansas Community Corrections, Phoenix Recovery, TCIY Counseling, and Goodwill. The business model is entirely donor-driven: Returning Home receives individual and organizational donations, stock gifts, and limited government contracts (notably from Washington County for the CAP pilot and a three-year extension). Services are provided free of charge to clients. The go-to-market motion is community-led, with clients referred through the CAP referral system by partnering supervision officers, attorneys, and courts in Washington, Benton, and Madison counties. All programming is delivered through the Huntsville residential facility and the Fayetteville CRI site.

Name

Returning Home

Legal name

Returning Home, Inc.

Website

https://returninghomenwa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Returning Home is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit prison ministry in Northwest Arkansas providing 120-day transitional housing, counseling, substance abuse treatment, and employment support for men impacted by incarceration in Washington, Benton, and Madison counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reentry and Prison Ministry Services

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232), Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (62322), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Reentry, Rehabilitation & Reintegration Programs (Education, Vocational, Case Management) (BPAKANAH)

Keywords

• Reentry services
• Prison ministry
• Transitional housing
• Substance abuse treatment
• Recidivism reduction

Headquarters

HQ city

Springdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Returning Home is a donor-driven ministry and nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that relies on donations from individuals and organizations to provide services for men in Northwest Arkansas. Funding comes from individual donors, organizational sponsors, and special initiatives such as stock donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Returning Home provides reentry, transitional housing, and support services for people impacted by incarceration in Northwest Arkansas. The organization's core offerings include the Community Alternative Program (CAP), a 120-day diversionary transitional living program providing housing, food, counseling, employment preparation, and substance abuse support; the Community Rebuilding Initiative (CRI), a residential substance abuse treatment program for Washington County Jail; and supporting services such as Freedom Baskets, Fatherhood Fire parenting program, and Healing the Wounds of Trauma counseling.

Product overview

Returning Home is a non-profit prison ministry offering a portfolio of reentry and transitional living programs for individuals in Northwest Arkansas. The core offerings include the Community Alternative Program (CAP), a 120-day diversionary transitional living program providing housing, counseling, and employment support; the Community Rebuilding Initiative (CRI), a residential substance abuse treatment program for Washington County Jail inmates; and the Aftercare Program, a six-month program for CAP and reentry graduates. Supporting services include Freedom Baskets (basic necessities for released individuals), Fatherhood Fire (parenting classes with UAMS), and Healing the Wounds of Trauma (faith-based trauma counseling). The organization operates a 14-acre property in Huntsville, AR with a total of 32 beds for CAP.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Alternative Program (CAP) A 120-day diversionary transitional living program for men facing incarceration due to probation violations or new charges, primarily serving Washington and Benton County residents with nonviolent nonsexual offenses. Provides safe and sober housing, food security, hygiene kits, clothing, case management, mental health counseling, employment preparedness, job placement assistance, financial education, medication management, and recovery support, alongside an evidence-based curriculum designed to reduce recidivism.
• Community Rebuilding Initiative (CRI) A Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program for Washington County Jail, providing a comprehensive pre-adjudication program designed to empower men from the Washington County Jail with rehabilitation, skill development, and community reintegration support.
• Aftercare Program A six-month residential program for men who have graduated the Community Alternative Program and State Reentry Programs, providing living units where participants continue addressing trauma through weekly counseling to support sustained sobriety, gainful employment, and savings for sustainable housing.
• Freedom Baskets Baskets provided to clients upon release from jail or prison, containing basic necessities such as towels, clothes, hygiene products, literature, plates, and more to help individuals focus on more pressing issues. 178 Freedom Baskets were distributed to residential clients in 2021.
• Fatherhood Fire A 6-week national program hosted by Returning Home staff and UAMS that provides men with tools to reenter their children's lives, covering child support, visitation, emotional regulation, age-appropriate behavior techniques, budgeting, housing, ethics, partnerships, and relationships.
• Healing the Wounds of Trauma A Scripturally-based series of sessions addressing wounds of trauma from a Biblical perspective, designed to give participants a better understanding of God's unconditional love and opportunity for immediate healing through the Word of God.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11% increase in clients served year-over-year (2019-2020)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Washington CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington County provides one year of funding to start a ten-bed pilot of the Community Alternative Program (CAP). County endorsed the program with support from the Sheriff's Office, Judicial System, and unanimous Quorum Court vote.
• Washington County Sheriff's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsed the CAP program as evidence-based and outcome-driven, supporting the goal of reducing harm to the community caused by crime.
• Benton County Drug CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAP expanded to Benton County with partnership with the drug court and judicial system.
• Arkansas Community CorrectionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing services during the pandemic, adapting programming to serve clients while maintaining health protocols.
• Phoenix RecoverymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing recovery services, adapted during pandemic to continue client support.
• TCIY CounselingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing counseling services, adapted during pandemic to serve clients.
• GoodwillmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing employment and job training services, adapted during pandemic to continue supporting clients.
• UAMS (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Returning Home to host the national Fatherhood Fire 6-week program, providing tools for fathers reentering their children's lives.
• Northwest Arkansas Community Correction CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivic board member representation, serving as a key partner in the regional correctional ecosystem.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Fortune Society: New York-based nonprofit providing comprehensive reentry services including housing, counseling, employment, and case management for people impacted by incarceration. Comparable service breadth to Returning Home's CAP model.
• Prison Fellowship: National faith-based prison ministry and reentry services organization. Highly comparable to Returning Home's Christian reentry model; Returning Home's CEO Nick Robbins previously held a pivotal role at Prison Fellowship.
• Homeboy Industries: Faith-informed reentry program offering transitional housing, counseling, employment, and wraparound services to formerly incarcerated individuals. Directly comparable to Returning Home's CAP/CRI continuum of services, though at significantly larger scale.
• Center for Employment Opportunities: National reentry organization focused on employment preparation and job placement for people returning from incarceration. Directly comparable to Returning Home's employment-readiness component within CAP.
• Exodus Ministries: Faith-based reentry program in Texas providing transitional housing, counseling, and post-release support. Comparable Christian-ministry approach to reentry and similar target population of justice-involved men.
• The Doe Fund: Nonprofit providing transitional housing, workforce development, and reentry support. Directly comparable to Returning Home's combined transitional housing + employment/case-management model.

Regional players

• Phoenix Recovery Center: Arkansas-based recovery services provider and named partner of Returning Home for addiction support within CAP/CRI. Comparable substance-abuse recovery focus, though operates in a different (residential recovery) niche.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit providing employment and job training services, including for justice-involved individuals (Goodwill is a named partner of Returning Home for employment placement). Broadly comparable employment-readiness component.
• Volunteers of America: Large national nonprofit with reentry, transitional housing, and correctional services across many states. Comparable service categories but at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint than Returning Home.

Emerging players

• A New Way of Life: Reentry services nonprofit focused on housing and support for formerly incarcerated individuals (notably women in Los Angeles). Comparable housing-and-reentry model, but focused on a different demographic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Returninghomenwa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/returning-home-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Returning Home