Reforged is not just a curriculum—it is a blueprint for transformation. Built on stoic principles of discipline, virtue, and self-mastery, Reforged is designed to strip away destructive habits and rebuild individuals into focused, resilient citizens ready to reenter society.
Unlike temporary programs that treat symptoms, Reforged addresses the root of recidivism: disordered thinking, lack of structure, and absence of mentorship. Through practical exercises, structured reflection, and accountability-based guidance, participants learn to govern themselves with strength, clarity, and consistency.
Our alignment with the 2030 Reimagine Corrections Initiative ensures that Reforged is part of a nationwide movement to redefine success beyond recidivism. Where traditional systems measure failure, we measure growth—in employment, housing stability, mental health, and social reintegration.
Every prison in the United States should align with Reforged because the stakes are too high to ignore. Reentry is not a local challenge; it is a national economic, social, and public safety priority. By distributing Reforged to citizens reentering society, correctional systems will reduce costs, lower recidivism, and cultivate individuals who return not as liabilities, but as assets to their families, communities, and the economy.
Reforged is more than reentry—it is reinvention.
A Partnership Forged for Transformation
At the heart of true reentry transformation is collaboration. The RISE Group, founded by Christian Buze, and Life Skills 4 Success, led by Michaesha Hinton, have united under a shared mission: to end recidivism by equipping justice-impacted individuals with the tools to rebuild their lives with discipline, purpose, and opportunity.
The RISE Group brings groundbreaking curriculum through Reforged, a Stoic-inspired reentry framework rooted in mentorship, mental clarity, and accountability. With three transitional living homes across the Valley, The RISE Group provides stability, structure, and real pathways to freedom.
Life Skills 4 Success expands this impact with three valley-wide centers, offering youth and adults life coaching, mental health support, and skill-building programs designed to break generational cycles and prepare individuals for lasting success.
Together, we align with the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry (AZDCRR) and the national 2030 Reimagine Corrections Initiative, redefining what successful reentry looks like. Our partnership builds a continuum of care—from incarceration to community reintegration—focused on housing, employment, mentorship, and mental health.
This is more than a partnership. It is a movement to reforge individuals, restore families, and rebuild communities.
Christian Buze is an Arizona native, transformational mentor, and founder of The Rise Group, a pioneering organization dedicated to ending recidivism through comprehensive reintegration support. As the architect of systemic change in Arizona's approach to reentry, Christian has built a movement that transforms not just individual lives, but entire communities.
Christian developed Reforged, a groundbreaking reentry framework that revolutionizes how justice-impacted individuals approach their transformation. This stoic-inspired curriculum goes beyond traditional programming by:
The Reforged methodology represents a paradigm shift from punishment-focused models to transformation-centered approaches that address root causes of justice involvement.
Michaesha Hinton brings over a decade of transformative experience in behavioral health, trauma recovery, and family systems support to The Rise Group's mission of breaking cycles of incarceration and rebuilding communities. As CEO of Life Skills 4 Success and the Life Coaching 4 Kids Center, she has dedicated her career to empowering individuals and families to overcome systemic challenges and achieve lasting change.
As CEO of Life Skills 4 Success, Michaesha leads three valley-wide centers that provide comprehensive life coaching, mental health support, and skill-building programs specifically designed to break generational cycles. Her organization's alignment with The Rise Group creates a powerful continuum of care from incarceration to community reintegration, addressing the complex needs of justice-impacted individuals and their families.
Charisse Richards brings over 25 years of infrastructure and operations excellence to The Rise Group, where her expertise in systems transformation and organizational development directly supports the mission of creating sustainable pathways out of incarceration. Her proven ability to modernize complex systems and drive institutional change makes her invaluable in scaling reintegration programs and ensuring operational sustainability.
Charisse's recent work consulting with the Arizona Department of Economic Security on their Client Portal and Modernization initiative demonstrates her ability to transform how government agencies serve vulnerable populations. This experience directly translates to supporting justice-impacted individuals who must navigate complex systems during reintegration.
Her tenure as Chief Information Officer for the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County provides unique insight into the criminal justice system from an operational perspective. This rare combination of technical expertise and justice system knowledge positions her to identify inefficiencies and create solutions that improve outcomes for justice-impacted individuals.
Portia White-Buze brings over 25 years of dedicated experience in education and community empowerment, with a deep commitment to supporting at-risk and underserved populations. Her career has been defined by her ability to work with the most challenging and diverse student populations, making her uniquely qualified to support justice-impacted individuals in their reintegration journey.
White-Buze has served as a classroom teacher since 1999, working across multiple grade levels (K-6) in Title 1 schools and internationally in the UAE. Throughout her career, she has consistently been entrusted with the most challenging and diverse students, developing expertise in creating safe, inclusive learning environments that address complex needs and circumstances.
For over 25 years, she has mentored students from Arizona State University and other institutions through various programs, student teaching, and internships, demonstrating her commitment to developing the next generation of educators and change-makers.
