Your Past
does not determine
Your future
Empowering justice-impacted women to build stable, self-sufficient futures.
Breaking the cycle through opportunity
Our mission is to empower individuals impacted by the justice system to lead successful lives and strengthen communities. We envision a society without barriers that values all people and provides equal access to opportunities.
Arouet is a non-profit empowering women and families impacted by the justice system to build strong communities. We help participants prepare for re-entry, gain meaningful employment, receive financial resources, and create a solid foundation for their lives.
Download your copy of our Fair Chance guidebook
Fair Chance Employment is a Game-changer!
Join Arouet and our community partners at the Arizona Biltmore for the 2025 Fair Chance Employment Symposium!
- Gain valuable knowledge and tools to successfully implement inclusive hiring practices
- Network with local and national business leaders, policy makers, and community influencers
- Make an impact by supporting Arouet’s transformational programming.
Our programs
Preparation
Our re-entry support programs within prisons prepare women for their transition so they have the key information they need on day one.
Release
We help women through their release by providing them with their basic needs such as rides, clothes, housing, and peer support.
Ongoing support
Our Opportunity Center provides wrap-around services to help with employment, financial security, and income support.
Engagement
Our participants become advocates by sharing their stories of success to build awareness around second chance needs.
In 2024, we have worked with our largest number of participants ever both inside prison and within our communities.
Our participants come home and stay home at a drastically larger rate versus the average 3-year recidivism rate of 39%.
The vast majority of our participants secure employment that brings in new income so they can build their future.
Testimonials
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OUr partners
Arouet’s 2025 Fair Chance Employment Symposium Sells Out at the Arizona Biltmore
Arouet Foundation’s 2025 Fair Chance Employment Symposium, presented by JPMorgan Chase, sold out at the Arizona Biltmore. The event united business, policy, and community leaders to advance fair chance hiring and inclusion for justice-impacted individuals. Led by Mayor Kate Gallego and Jessica Pacheco, and emceed by Carey Peña, the program featured keynote speaker Jeff Korzenik, author of Untapped Talent, highlighting the business and social benefits of second-chance employment.
Arouet Receives Governor’s Office Funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Arouet, a local nonprofit that supports currently and formerly incarcerated women on their journey to successful re-entry, is proud and excited to be a recipient of workforce development grant funding from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family (GOYFF).
‘Promote Fair Chance with Your Whole Chest’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The 2023 Symposium featured an informative panel discussion, moderated by Schwab, that included Pipeline AZ Senior Director Katie Belous, Honest Jobs CEO & Founder Harley Blakeman, FWD.us VP of Criminal Justice Campaigns Elissa Johnson, Checkr.org Executive Director Ken Oliver and Arouet CEO Alison Rapping, offering advice on building a fair chance hiring program within any organization or business, big or small.
Expert Lineup for ‘How To’ Panel
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Local and national experts on inclusive hiring practices and the threat that our current labor shortage poses to the economy will engage in an in-depth conversation on Thursday, October 5, at Arouet’s Fair Chance Employment Symposium, sponsored by JPMorgan Chase & Co., at the Arizona Biltmore. The event starts at 8 a.m. The panel discussion, “How to Build a Successful Fair Chance Hiring Program” will present the business case for Fair Chance hiring: Employing people with a conviction history can benefit big and small businesses alike in terms of talent, diversity, retention and social impact. The panel portion of the Symposium begins at 9:45 a.m.
Why I Fight for ‘Fair Chances’ for All
Next month, I’ll be honored as a trailblazer in criminal justice reform by Arouet Foundation, a Phoenix-based nonprofit that’s doing incredible work to empower and transform the lives of formerly incarcerated women. In preparation for that event, I’ve been reflecting on my own journey as the first Mexican-American Jew elected to the Arizona Legislature—a journey that began when I was just 14 years old.
AZ Prisons Director Talks ‘Fair Chance’
If you missed Dr. Thornell’s appearance on AZFamily’s Politics Unplugged on Sunday, Sept. 17, view the interview on our YouTube channel. We’re excited to have Dr. Thornell join us at the Arizona Biltmore for our signature event, the 2023 Fair Chance Employment Symposium!