OUR BEYOND BARS PROGRAM

Re-entry is not just a return; it’s a rebirth - a chance to reclaim purpose, rebuild self-worth, and rewrite the future with hope.

Crack in orange concrete with green moss and small pink flowers growing from it.

. . . a peer-informed initiative that uplifts and strengthens reentry support systems across Vermont. Rather than offering direct services, VAMHAR works alongside community agencies and advocates to support individuals transitioning from the carceral system back into their communities. This includes addressing key areas such as stable housing, employment, mental health, and recovery from addiction.


At the heart of Beyond Bars is the belief in the power of lived experience. We collaborate with peer mentors who have themselves navigated the challenges of reentry and recovery. Their insights shape our advocacy efforts and help inform best practices statewide, centering dignity, belonging, and hope.
Through this work, VAMHAR advances its mission to reduce stigma around mental health and addiction, and to promote policy change rooted in evidence, equity, and community wisdom.

Beyond Bars serves as a model for addressing systemic barriers through peer-led, recovery-informed solutions—contributing to a more just and supportive Vermont for all.

Beyond Bars is …

  • "We do not rely on formulaic techniques or strategies in working with our participants. We recognize that each of us is a unique individual with very particular strengths and needs, and that all of us respond best when treated in ways that honor this uniqueness."

    PEER MENTOR

  • "Like any dynamic and healthy relationship, this one has many elements. We begin with kindness, respect, and careful attention to each participant’s individual needs."

    PEER MENTOR

  • "Isolation, mistrust and disenfranchisement are inherent in the experience of incarceration. In the Beyond Bars program, we know from experience that establishing healthy connections, first and foremost within ourselves, and then with other members of our community, is essential to our successful reintegration. "

    PEER MENTOR

  • "Whether we are conscious of it or not, when you have been to prison, there is a level of wariness that develops with anyone you talk to, so the informal peer structure of this program can allow participants to trust and open up in ways they might not commonly experience."

    PEER MENTOR