National Offender Re-Entry Association

The Association that help you STOP the revolving jail door.

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Who Are We 

Meet The People Behind The Vision


Executive Board 

Beatrice Settles is the President of GI Apprentice  Inc and the Executive Director of National Offender Re-Entry Association (NORA) formerly A Hand Up Not A Hand Out. She has worked with re entry clients for over 10 years. Providing clients with jobs, housing, transportation and even childcare assistance or referrals to resources they need to effectively transition successfully. Ms Settles knows the struggles of reentry as she was given her chance to transition back into the community in 2007. She has not only assisted in creating a successful pathway for reentry individuals but she has also accomplished her successful transition back into society by becoming a leader as well as a mentor in the  transition of returning offenders.   

Advisory Board 

Jermaine Johnson is  the Senior IT Specialist at TechnoLogyx specializing in desktop application support to expert level network infrastructure layout, IT governance, and overall IT business consulting, allowing him to address a gamut of issues pertaining to Information Technology. 

Mr. Johnson joined the Board of Advisors in 2012 but has been apart of the vision and mission since it's inception as A Hand Up Not A Hand Out.  

Apprenticeship Employment Coordinatior 

Mrs. Zandria Wells-Giden  is N.O.R.A.'s backbone connecting Sponsor/Employers and Job Seekers to the right agent to ensure successful working relationships merge efficiently to help with a timely working process.  Mrs. Giden is a rising example of who N.O.R.A. represents.  After rearing 10 children (2 of which was spent most of their early twenties incarcerated) alone and working over 3 years in the hospitality and manufacturing industries Mrs. Giden returned to school and graduated from Bridges USA in 2009 with a strong determination to succeed.  Without her dependability, trustworthiness, responsible attitude, and flexibility N.O.R.A. 'S day to day operations would not run as smoothly.      

                                                                                                                                  Overview

           At National Offender Re-Entry Association (NORA) we are focused on providing  re-entry services with the highest levels of customer satisfaction – we will do everything we can to meet your expectations.

With a variety of offerings to choose from, we’re sure you’ll be happy working with us. Look around our website and if you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact us. We hope to assist you in your re-entry process! Check back later for new updates to our website. There’s much more to come!


One of the most frequently cited and dispiriting statistics about the American criminal justice system is that more than half of state prisoners end up returning to prison within five years of their release. Don't be the next statistic. 

                                                                                                                                  Objective
The purpose of this Association is to assist returning re-entry offenders  with the tools and resources needed to become productive and successful; while maintaining a crime free life.
The Association believes that apprenticeship is the key to most ex-offenders financially stability. Apprenticeship in most cases has no background. You can and will while learning; earn a living wage that you and your family can survive on.You can take your skill anywhere and get a job, if not start your own company after you receive your 
national certification from Department of Labor.

  • Reduce recidivism by coordinating re-entry clients ,non-profits, potential employers, county and state agencies to better serve common goals of accessible services and strong communities
  • Exchange progress among members and offer opportunities for dialogue and cooperation 
  • Educate NORA members in legislation, funding opportunities, local programs and best practices
  • Aggregate our experience and speak with a united voice to inform policy and administrative decisions at the city, county and state levels
    • The main purpose of this Association is to assist returning re-entry offenders  with the tools and resources needed to become productive and successful; while maintaining a crime free life.
    The Association believes that apprenticeship is the key to most ex-offenders financially stability. Apprenticeship in most cases has no background. You can and will while learning; earn a living wage that you and your family can survive on.You can take your skill anywhere and get a job, if not start your own company after you receive your 
    national certification from Department of Labor.

  • Reduce recidivism by coordinating re-entry clients ,non-profits, potential employers, Federal City and State agencies to better serve common goals of accessible services and strong communities
  • Exchange progress among members and offer opportunities for dialogue and cooperation 
  • Educate NORA members in legislation, funding opportunities, local programs and best practices
    • For more information, please join our email list
    NORA maintains an email list for announcements of NORA meetings and other opportunities. To join the NORA email list, please enter your name in the box on the left.

    With any of these web email services, you can unsubscribe at any time. We do not share or sell our member list with anyone. 

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