Hope Hustlers faces funding issues INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Hope Hustlers Outreach helps former inmates re-enter society, and the group may lose its funding over confusion with the city government’s spending from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The group can help former inmates get driver’s licenses and, in some cases, can also expunge criminal charges from their records. On Thursday, Hope Hustlers Outreach had a packed outreach event to demonstrate the serious need in the community. Linda Johnson had 32 felony charges expunged from her record in 2022, and she credits Hope Hustlers for the life she has now. “I’m a supervisor deputy security guard now. I like working and I’m just glad that the judge gave me another chance with my life to be somebody in life.” Hope Hustlers Outreach is part of a nonprofit called Thomas Ridley’s I Like Me. The city government awarded Hope Hustlers Outreach a one-time reimbursement grant of $2.6 million during the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, created during the pandemic, provided federal funding for local governments, businesses and other organizations in a hope to stimulate the stagnant economy. In some cases, the money was provided with the understanding it would be repaid. Hope Hustlers Outreach members and the people it’s helped say if the full amount is not obligated by the end of this year, the money has to be returned to Washington. The city government says funds are “obligated” if there is “an order placed for property, services, entry into contracts, subawards, and similar transactions that require payment.” Lahny Silva is an attorney who works with Hope Hustlers Outreach. She says a communication breakdown happened over the process of obligating funds. “I’m not sure that it’s been communicated about the ability of some of these groups to obligate the funding past Dec. 31, 2024.” Silva says getting driver’s licenses and having criminal charges expunged can help people gain employment. “Employment cuts recidivism in half and, people being able to get in their car, drive to an interview and get a job is going to cut the recidivism rate in half.” That’s why Thomas Ridley’s I Like Me agreed to return $800,000 to the city government. All returned funds can be reobligated before the end of 2024. In a City-County Council committee meeting on Wednesday night, Democrat Council Member Jessica McCormick asked City Controller Sarah Riordan if Hope Hustlers Outreach remains eligible for the funds. Riordan said Wednedsay that the group remained eligible because it received American Rescue Plan Act funds when the grant was originally written. That initial determination was made before Riordan became controller. “It was originally an eligible expense when the grant was originally allocated,” Riordan said. She did not guarantee the group would get the money back. The 2025 city government budget excludes funding for Hope Hustlers; Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears says he wants the group to get permanent funding in 2025. His office partners with Hope Hustlers Outreach to help reduce the number of former criminals returning to jail, known as the recidivism rate. Mears says the prosecutor’s office cannot directly help or represent people formerly incarcerated, but Hope Hustlers Outreach can. The Democrat prosecutor said, “Hope Hustlers is incredibly important for us in terms of us being able to fulfill our mission, and we can’t do it unless groups like that are willing to step up and help us help as many people as possible.”