All-Inclusive Support Services (AISS) was created in August 1996, the first program of its kind in the United States. The program launched at the old York Street Jail and comprised four staff serving 234 ex-offenders. Since then, AISS has grown by leaps and bounds. In December 2007, the AISS program moved to the W.W. Johnson Life Center at 736 State Street in Springfield, Massachusetts. AISS now has more than two dozen available staff, and each year serves more than 2,000 ex-offenders, 60 percent of them voluntary (without parole or probation stipulations). Never static, the program is always evolving to better meet the challenges of offender reentry as a vital area of impact on public safety.
AISS assists formerly incarcerated people in all aspects of their lives as they transition from incarceration into the community. Many of them face a range of issues such as addiction, mental health problems, lack of identifying documents, employment obstacles, financial concerns, limited education, poor housing situations (or lack of housing), etc. They also cope with a lack of familial support, poor self-esteem, fear of failure and a constant temptation to return to the criminal lifestyle.
AISS is the bridge that carries the positive momentum begun during incarceration forward and assists individuals in the reentry process. And since 2019, AISS and its services have been made available to any member of the public who needs a hand up.
As of Fiscal Year 2021, 32,465 ex-offenders have actively participated in and received community-based services from AISS since the program’s inception in 1996.
Drop-in hours for registration:
8 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Monday-Friday, and 12:30-2 p.m. on Mondays
How to become a member:
Come to AISS during our drop-in registration hours. Call (413) 781-2050, if you have any questions.