Help after prison or jail in Delaware
We've found 13 places in Delaware for people after prison or jail, mostly in Wilmington and Dover, and 11 that serve the whole state. Our volunteers haven't confirmed these yet, so a quick call ahead is worth it. Most of them help with shelter & housing (5), legal help (5) and health & medication (4).
Places in Delaware
Delaware 211
Free, confidential information and referral line for the whole state covering shelter, food, utilities, mental health, substance use, legal help, and transportation. Dial 2-1-1 or text your ZIP code to 898-211.
Delaware Correctional Reentry Commission / DOC Office of Planning, Research, and Reentry
The DOC's reentry arm and the state Reentry Commission site, which collects housing, employment, ID and birth certificate, expungement, and probation guidance for people coming home from Delaware prisons. The site routes shelter requests to Centralized Intake (1-833-346-3233) and lists each housing authority.
Delaware Hope Line / Help is Here Delaware
State-run 24/7 line offering free coaching and connection to addiction treatment, mental health care, and crisis services, plus a searchable list of state-vetted treatment providers that accept patients with or without insurance. Also arranges free naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and transportation to treatment.
Centralized Intake / Homeless Helpline
Delaware's coordinated entry point for emergency shelter; most shelters in the state accept referrals only through this line. Call or text 1-833-FIND-BED, call early in the day, and call back daily if no bed opens.
Sunday Breakfast Mission
Wilmington's long-running emergency shelter with separate men's and women-with-children shelters, an evening community meal, monthly food boxes, a medical clinic, and the long-term New Life recovery program. Overnight Guests complete a registration form and follow shelter policies.
Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing
Central Delaware shelter operator running the Walt Bagley Men's Shelter and the Interfaith Pathway Women & Children's Shelter in Dover, with support toward self-sufficiency. Call the men's shelter at 302-380-0331 or the women's shelter at 302-736-3600.
Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI)
Delaware's oldest civil legal aid firm, free to people with low incomes, people with disabilities, adults 60+, and victims of violence and crime. Units handle housing, domestic violence, immigration, public benefits, family, disability, and elder law; no criminal or personal injury cases.
Legal Services Corporation of Delaware
Nonprofit law firm for low-income Delaware families focused on landlord-tenant and eviction defense, consumer debt, and unemployment matters. Call the county intake number to find out if you qualify.
Delaware Center for Justice
Wilmington nonprofit offering reintegration, restoration, and victim services for justice-impacted adults alongside policy advocacy on sentencing and collateral consequences. No walk-ins; call to be referred into a program.
Delaware ASSIST – Apply for Benefits
Delaware's online application and screening tool for Medicaid, SNAP (Food Supplement Program), TANF cash assistance, child care, LIHEAP, WIC, and long-term care. Create an account to apply, check status, report changes, or renew.
Office of Vital Statistics
Issues Delaware birth, death, and marriage certificates at walk-in offices in Newark, Dover, and Georgetown or by mail to the Dover office. Online orders go through VitalChek or GoCertificates for an added fee.
Identification Cards
State ID card for Delaware residents, valid eight years from the next birthday, issued at the Wilmington, Delaware City, Dover, and Georgetown DMV offices. Applicants must present documents from the DMV Required Documentation Table.
ContactLifeline Crisis Helpline
Delaware's 24/7 crisis helpline for depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and other emotional crises, plus counseling for sexual assault survivors and their families.
National lines that work in Delaware
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 for any mental health or substance use crisis. Available to anyone in any program.
Lifeline free phone program
Free or discounted phone and service for people on Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or low income. Apply online or through a carrier.