SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Leonardo White got out of prison about four months ago after spending time in prison for domestic battery and before that served part of a 20-year sentence for second-degree murder in 2002.

On Tuesday, the 30-year-old parolee from Springfield was among hundreds of ex-offenders who attended a “one-stop” expo hosted by the Illinois Department of Corrections on the state fairgrounds in Springfield. One of many held each year, the “Summit of Hope” event was aimed at helping former inmates from central Illinois adjust to life outside prison. Currently, almost half of all inmates released from state prison end up back behind bars again, though authorities say the recidivism rate has decreased in recent years.