The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe (PGST) is a resilient sovereign nation with thousands of years of history on the Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound. In 2023, PGST was awarded a Second Chance Act grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to expand the Road to New Beginnings Program, a culturally responsive re-entry model developed for Tribal members returning home from Kitsap County Jail or state prison facilities.
In 2023, PGST partnered with MEF Associates to conduct an evaluation of this grant. The study team conducted a mixed-methods descriptive evaluation, pairing quantitative data with Indigenous research practices of storytelling, ceremony, and talking circles. The evaluation approach drew on the Indigenous Evaluation Framework, Collaborative Storytelling, and Community-Based Participatory Research principles. The study team also collaborated with a PGST Elder who served as the project’s Knowledge Gatherer, guiding and shaping every stage of the evaluation.
With the support and approval of the Knowledge Gatherer and program staff, the MEF team developed a Canoe Journey Framework (see image below) that serves as an organizing framework for the report. Throughout the report, this framework is used to represent participants’ paths toward healing, recovery, and reintegration.
Among the many experiences and insights shared by participants, program staff, and community members, one particular finding stands out in this report: Program success is achieved through a commitment to the holistic view of healing for the person, centered firmly within the community.
