Before he took the oath of office Mayor John F. Street had already impaneled a committee to study the issue of ex-offender recidivism. Armed with the knowledge that nearly two-thirds of released prisoners are expected to be rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within three years of release; and, seventy to eighty percent of offenders re-entering the communities have histories of substance abuse, health, and mental health problems, Mayor Street committed his administration to effectuating significant and positive change in these areas.

Mayor Street appointed a steering committee, led by former Mayor, Reverend Dr. W. Wilson Goode to identify ways and means to reduce ex-offender recidivism. The steering committee quickly became known as the Consensus Group and was comprised of area stakeholders who dedicated their efforts towards the reshaping of the way that Philadelphia approached the release and return of prisoners into society. "They're Coming Back" (2002) a thirty page booklet was published outlining the observations, highlights, and directives of the Consensus Group including: Prison time could be positively used to address the underlying issues that actually lead to the offense; "'Re-entry'...refers to the process of leaving prison...every prisoner undergoes reentry, not all are successfully reintegrated; Philadelphia's Prison System would return to society over 35,000 released prisoners annually.

In February of 2005, during Philadelphia's City Council Hearings on Ex-offender Reentry, there was a resounding call by the community at large for the establishment of a Reentry Office that would serve to implement the recommendations of the Consensus Group; while striving to increase efforts that would promote the successful reintegration of adjudicated offenders into the community.

In June of 2005, Mayor John F. Street established the Mayor's Office for the Reentry of Ex-offenders under the leadership of Nick Taliaferro, Deputy Managing Director; Harriett T. Spencer, Director of Planning and Administration; and Malik Aziz, Assistant Director of Outreach and Programs.

Nick Taliaferro and Harriett T. Spencer also serve respectively as Chair and Vice-chair of the group formerly known as the Consensus Group.