The inspiration for our organization was realized when our founder, George Miller, was incarcerated in North Carolina for almost two years. Upon release, Miller was amazed at all of the resources suddenly available to him. Transportation, clothing, housing assistance, furniture, and even a case worker to help with regaining employment were all provided.
During his incarceration, Miller met hundreds of young men who were all living the same experience: living with a substance abuse disorder and facing time for nonviolent misdemeanor charges, like petty larceny, simple possession, or even trespassing.
According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, the daily average cost of corrections per inmate is $103. North Carolina currently houses over 100 thousand inmates. What if these hundreds of thousands of dollars were allocated elsewhere? What if the wealth of post-incarceration resources were allocated toward prevention prior to conviction?
The Lemonade Project was formed to target just that. We want to address over-incarceration and unbalanced sentencing by providing job training and certification for juveniles and non-violent offenders.
“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”
-Nelson Mandela
Our Goals and Objectives
Our goal is to be a pillar in our community, where we will offer a resource center for juveniles and nonviolent offenders to connect to educational and vocational skills. We envision The Lemonade Project expanding beyond Wake County to all of North Carolina. Our ultimate goal is to depopulate the jails and dramatically reduce recidivism in North Carolina.
Our Values
Trust
Integrity, transparency, and diversity are the heart of our organization’s culture. These attributes are reflected in who we are and what we do.
Teamwork
We consider it an honor and a privilege to partner with our clients on their journey to make lemonade out of the lemons in their lives.
Innovation
With creativity, passion, and determination, we can help our clients address any issues that arise on their journey.
Goal
We believe that education and job training will transform our clients’ lives, and ultimately, reduce the rate of recidivism.