Facebook tests new app for prisoner re-integration into society

1 min readUpdated Jun 4, 2025Mar 26, 20217:04 AM

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Some Instagram users have caught on lately that parent company Facebook had something up its sleeve when they started seeing a strange notification in their feed titled “preparing for life after prison with community support.”

It turns out Facebook has been experimenting with a brand new app concept called Re-Entry, whose sole purpose is to facilitate released prisoners’ re-integration into normal society. Although Facebook quickly removed the notification from public view, admitting that it was only meant for internal testing, we know that they are at least considering a potentially useful re-socialization system for ex-prisoners.

This is a product of Facebook’s Equity Team, which was founded last year for the purpose of supporting marginalized communities through the platform and challenging racial bias, among other things. In an ambitious blog post announcement back in September last year, Instagram head Adam Mosseri laid out his hopes for the new team, calling for better inclusivity, algorithm fairness, and eliminating bias, harassment, and hate in Instagram’s future.

The Equity team will focus on creating fair and equitable products. This includes working with Facebook’s Responsible AI team to ensure algorithmic fairness. In addition, they’ll create new features that respond to the needs of underserved communities.

Whether we will ever see Re-Entry published in app stores or not, it’s a commendable initiative on Instagram’s part, as the difficulty of starting a new life in a new community can seem like an insurmountable challenge for many former inmates.

On a side note, we also found out recently that Mosseri is heading the development of an “Instagram for Kids,” following in the footsteps of Facebook’s Messenger Kids created back in 2017. Instagram is certainly pushing lately towards expanding its user base and reaching out to new groups.

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Questions & Answers

What is the primary goal of the new Re-Entry app concept?

The Re-Entry app's sole purpose is to facilitate the re-integration of released prisoners into normal society. Facebook is exploring it as a potentially useful re-socialization system for ex-prisoners.

Which Facebook team is responsible for developing the Re-Entry app?

The Re-Entry app is a product of Facebook’s Equity Team. This team was founded last year to support marginalized communities, challenge racial bias, and create fair and equitable products.

Why did some Instagram users see a notification about the Re-Entry app?

Instagram users saw a notification titled "preparing for life after prison with community support" because Facebook was experimenting with the app. The company admitted it was only meant for internal testing before removing it.

What other initiatives is Instagram pursuing to expand its user base?

Beyond Re-Entry, Instagram's head Adam Mosseri is also leading the development of an "Instagram for Kids." This follows the earlier creation of Facebook’s Messenger Kids in 2017.

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