For many leaving state prison, the idea of having newfound freedom in a world beyond the cell doors can be daunting.

They're faced with many things, including readjusting to technology, paying bills and finding a job.

Now the Reentry Center, a program managed by a Cocoa ministry and several other organizations, is expanding its ongoing mission to help ex-felons returning to society navigate the struggles that might hamper success.

“We want to give them what they need so they can be successful,” said Pastor Jarvis Wash, a Cocoa minister and ex-offender, who has made it a personal goal to help those who served time find stability in their lives after prison.

“What this does is show them that there is someone who cares," he said. "It also eliminates excuses: you can't make anyone change but you can give the person the tools they need to make (the change)."

Wash heads My Community Cares and has advocated on behalf of ex-felons getting their voting rights restored.

He and others with the Reentry Task Force of Brevard will gather Friday for the grand opening of the Reentry Center of Brevard.

The facility at 825 Temple St. in Cocoa has been in operation since October, and was allocated $500,000 from the state last year.

Already, the facility has a goal of assisting up to 200 people a year who return to Brevard County after being released from prison.

Brevard County ranks 11th in the state for ex-felons returning from prison, center organizers said.

"We have people who go into the prisons 90 days before they get out. We talk with them to see what they will need when they leave. We have reached out to every inmate and there is a huge need here," said Susan Kowalsky, the Reentry Center coordinator.

The center is not only trying to provide a transition, she said. It is helping with a transformation.

"We're not just handing out clothes or providing phones; we're working with them to help change the way they think," she said.

To do that, the Reentry Center has each inmate complete an assessment that reviews their history, any substance abuse, and other needs.

The center also requires participants to keep a job log.

"We identify any issue in the risk needs assessment. There is accountability," Kowalsky said.

The biggest fear that some have before leaving prison is whether they will have adequate housing, Kowalsky said, adding that the center works to find transitional housing for its clients.

"It's hard to deal with everything else if you don't have stable, affordable housing. That's the biggest worry, whether they will have somewhere to lay their heads. Fortunately, we have money for transitional housing for three or four months," she said.

The Reentry Center also assists with helping some of the former inmates with obtaining drivers' licenses or taking courses to develop skill sets while honing up their interviewing skills and resumes. There also are GED courses to provide the clients with a chance to complete their high school education.

"Just think of it as a one-stop-shop," Kowalsky said.

For Wash, the state funding is crucial to helping people who once ran afoul of the law find a path back to becoming productive citizens again.

"This gives them a jump," Wash said. "It gives them hope."

Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641, jdgallop@floridatoday.com and Twitter @JDGallop