Our client Integrity House welcomed President Obama through their doors on November 2. President Obama met with key leaders of the organization and discussed the benefits and success of substance abuse treatment and recovery for non-violent offenders, as opposed to mandatory incarceration as a part of his overall criminal justice reform initiative.

While at Integrity House, President Obama applauded the good work being done in Newark to reintegrate formerly incarcerated people back into the community, saying Integrity House is “a model for the good work that’s being done sporadically around the nation.”

Our team handled Integrity House’s public relations efforts in support of the President’s visit, which included pre-event publicity and media coverage, day-of-event coordination, including an exclusive one-on-one interview of the President with Lester Holt of NBC Nightly News in Integrity House’s Foundation Room, and extensive follow-up interviews and coverage for Integrity House’s CEO, Robert Budsock. Some of our coverage is listed below.

The New York Times — Obama Takes Steps to Help Former Inmates Find Jobs and Homes
PIX 11 — Integrity House CEO talks Obama’s Visit and Success of Integration Program 
NJ.com — Obama Visit Spotlights Integrity House’s 50-Year Fight Against Addiction
ABC News — Touring Rehab, Obama Calls for 2nd Chances After Prison
TIME — Obama Urges Nation to Break Cycle of Incarceration in Newark Speech
NJTV — President Obama “Proud” of What Newark’s Doing for Criminal Justice Reform
USA Today — In Visit to  Newark Halfway House, Obama To Campaign For Second Chances