The First 72+ is, at its core, a community of people who first showed up to get help, but then turned right back around to be there for the people they grew up with, the people they did time with. THE FIRST 72+ WAS FOUNDED ON ONE GUIDING PRINCIPLE – “US HELPING US.” With over 100 years of collective experience in prison on the founding team, the First 72+ builds off of the experiences of Formerly Incarcerated People (FIP) to help others transition out of prison and build for the future. Founded by six men who have all personally experienced the criminal justice system and helped one another upon release, our organization aims to stop the cycle of incarceration that has lead Louisiana to having the highest per capita prison population in the world. According to statistics compiled by the Louisiana Department of Corrections one out of every two people released from prison in Louisiana will return within five years. There are currently more people returning to prison than entering for the first time, and although there are 15,000 people released annually there are very few re-entry services across the state of Louisiana – and a particularly limited number of services in New Orleans. Most people being released depend heavily on friends and family, but many people coming home do not have the family and friends they need for necessary support.