After Orange Filed for its non-profit status in September of 2020 but the project started back in 2013 when Cassandra Hein started documenting women leaving Florence McClure Correctional Facility, a women’s prison in Northern Las Vegas.  Cassandra’s sister Jamie was serving her 6th year in prison at the time and couldn’t help but notice the volume of women who were getting out, just to get in trouble and end back in the prison again.  It was a revolving door.  While in visitation, the two would discuss why it was so hard for these women to stay out of trouble once released and how interesting following people the moment they left that place would be.  Where would they go, what would they do?  It was 2013 and Orange Is The New Black premiered about three months after they came up with this idea.  Cassandra thought other people might be open to seeing what really happens when you leave prison too.  It wasn’t something you would know about unless you had a loved one in prison. 

 

Cassandra lived in Los Angeles at the time, working as a freelance producer.  With a background in news, she considered herself a compassionate journalist.  She was not detached from this population.  These women coming out were people her sister knew and helped on the inside.  Although objective, the passion project grew into a very personal higher purpose for Cassandra.  To educate the public about what was really happening on the ground level.

 

So, Cassandra began documenting and interviewing as many women as she could, along with other programs and people in the community trying to help this indigent population.  After interviewing dozens of people in her qualitative research, Cassandra concluded that the answer to her burning question was the housing problem.  A sketchy housing situation always led to a sketchy situation.  Period.  Jobs, state of mind and getting your business in order was among the things that could not be accomplished if the housing situation was not in order.  Not having a program and tools to apply and work towards is a recipe for old behavior.  

 

In conjunction with her interviews, Cassandra was studying dozens of success strategies in her own life, learning from some of the most prominent thought leaders in personal development and achievement in the country.  Cassandra had started her own company in 2014, training and producing television hosts to be confident and camera ready.  

 

Cassandra decided that she would take the documentation process further and open a transitional home.  Luckily, she had a family friend interested in helping and she was able to access a nice home to implement her program and document the process.  She called the house ‘After Orange: Halfway Home”.  The program consisted of implementing organizational tools, stress management, self realization, life coping and stress reduction techniques and community service and outreach.  

 

Unfortunately, the home was not eligible to be licensed, which meant that she could not get the women who were up for parole directly out of prison.  When Jamie was released in 2017 she convinced Cassandra to pull the plug and close the home.  The scope of the project was too large for them at that time.

In 2019, Cassandra re-connected with the first woman she followed out of prison, Brittany Dodd-Santiago.  The two decided they wanted to continue working to get a licensed home for women in the Las Vegas area.  Not long after, they reconnected with Caanen Clegg, another very good friend that Jamie served time with at FMWCC.  They all shared the common passion for the cause and incorporated After Orange as a non-profit organization at the end of 2020.

 

We are driven by a single goal; to do our part in making our communities a better place for all.

 

Our mission is to provide education, social services and harm reduction initiatives to people whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system. Helping ex-offenders assimilate back into society and live their best lives. This includes criminal justice initiatives and reform; Re-entry services, housing, rehabilitation services, education and helping ex-offenders assimilate back into society; public outreach, awareness, inclusion, transformation and community service. 

 

After Orange is a community based program.  It’s a culture of collaboration to transform non-beneficial thought patterns and systems into thriving ones.  Our actions are inspired for the greater good of all involved and an ‘everyone wins’ attitude.  We  believe everyone is brilliant beyond their imagination and we are committed to helping those who want to live their absolute best lives.  Personal growth takes courage, organization and micro commitments and we believe everyone has a purpose.  We have tools to help them find it.

 

Our program provides life planning strategies, mind mapping tools, daily accountability meetings, community support with access to Behavioral Health and Social Services, professional skill assessment and training, and access to Nevada Job Connect.  Our process is as follows:

 

1. Safe, Sober and Secure Housing 

2. Access to basic needs like clothing, food, hygienes and a supportive community

3. Access to attaining ID, social services, and behavioral health services

4. Life Planning Strategies, including life purpose, three year plan, one year plan, three month plan, one month plan, Weekly plan and daily plan 

5. Daily Accountability Meetings to cross reference goals and tasks

6. Education, Job and training (computer classes, communication skills, resume building and refinement)

7. Family reunification opportunities to reunite in a safe, healthy environment

8. Refine and redefine the process until they gain confidence and independence

9. The subject remains in the After Orange Community if they want

 

We document every step of this process, which:

1. Creates an environment of self reflexion and awareness 

2. Accountability for all parties involved

3. Understanding and inclusion into the community at large

4. Education for the public

 

Any special details about the organization’s structure, leadership, programs, expertise. 

Recent awards or accomplishments

 

The organization is built on a foundation of good faith.  Our terms and conditions require that the individuals we work with do the same.  Our leadership is a combination of individuals with different backgrounds.  We invite diversity of thought, background, gender, age, and experience.  We are a collective of social learners and social teachers, all with the same purpose.  

 

We serve those whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system, primarily those leaving the institution.  However, our program requires our residents to spearhead community service initiatives for our partner organizations: WHIP, Inc. (Women Helping Indigent People), Fishing For Hearts (dedicated to risk reduction initiatives for troubled youth, and NV Cure (who works on legally helping those currently incarcerated with grievances).  We also document our program on camera to educate the public and create more opportunities for inclusion.