According to a recent report on homelessness by J.B. Wogan, while national data indicates that overall homelessness is trending downward, several cities, one county and one state, have declared State of Emergencies due to rising homelessness.

For many of us, this documentary film, which premieres tonight on PBS, hits close to home. The stories of rocky recovery and tenuous returning loved ones are familiar; our own families' highs and lows echo though every scene.

I'd heard that it's hard for those who have served time to find work, but I was confident because I thought I had the skills I needed to get my life back on track and become a productive member of my community. I had no idea that the job market is barricaded against people like me.

While Hollywood loves a good redemption story, and as a society we say we believe in second chances, our behavior towards ex-offenders tends to be contradictory. Barriers like the criminal felon box on job applications and the inability to get a basic bank loan or a driver's license make a smooth re-entry back into society nearly impossible.

After being gone for so long, you need support to transition back into society. You need information. You need a network. You need people around you who actually have access to the services that will help you. And you need those right away if you want to earn money and sustain yourself.