Making every second of our second chance count.
Who We Are
OUR PEOPLE
The Returning Citizens Support Group (RCSG) was founded by Edwin "Chino" Ortiz, Carmelo "Melo" Ortiz, and Al Tariq Witcher. Both Chino and Melo served decades for a decision they made in their twenties. While serving their sentences, both saw men reenter prison one, two, three, and sometimes four times. Neither understand why some returned in less than six months.
Upon release, Chino and Carmelo didn’t have the necessary supports, making their reentry journey challenging not to just their resilience but their trust in themselves. This experience, in addition to witnessing the common occurrence or men returning to the prison, led them to create RCSG. It was clear that the missing piece for many formerly incarcerated people was proper support systems.
Together Chino. Melo and Al Tariq Witcher work to ensure that other formerly incarcerated individuals don’t experience the harshness the brothers experienced when acclimating to their return home.
Our Board Members
Robin Dougherty, Retired Director of the Greater Newark Conservancy
Mark Amadin, M&T Bank Manager
Mary Baker, Accountant
Chris Napierela, Executive Director of the nonprofit SEED
Cuqui Rivera, Latino Action Network