POSTED June 26, 2009

SUPPORT PROGRAMS MORE PRESSING IN DOWN ECONOMY

In the world of adult corrections, the current economic situation makes the need for innovative rehabilitation methods even more pressing.  The social and monetary costs of incarcerating an individual are immense, and they continue to grow.  Besides the incalculable social costs incurred by the individual's family and community, the annual monetary cost to incarcerate a person can range from 30,000, to over 80,000 dollars.  Recidivists or repeat offenders, currently make up over 30 percent of the state's prisoners, largely because they leave prison in a dysfunctional state, with little hope of making ends meet for themselves or their family.  We must seek new ways to break this cycle and alleviate the socioeconomic burdens on society; if government programs cannot do so, then good people must step forward to help.

In a Star Tribune editorial last May, George Latimer, a professor at Macalester College in St. Paul, praised the effectiveness of prisoner support programs, specifically citing The Network for Better Futures.  He described it as "a business partnership seeking to improve outcomes for these individuals through quick access to housing, jobs, health care, and coaching."  What's most notable is, programs like the one Mr. Latimer mentions are working, and lawmakers are taking notice.  He writes:

Participants are exhibiting lower prison return rates that nonparticipants.  They are all employed, paying taxes, making child-support payments, and accessing critical health, behavioral health, and education services.  And these individuals have a positive community to hold them accountable and help them stay on track.

While he is focusing on collaborative efforts that began just two years ago, Latimer is correct to assert that these alternative efforts are consistently proving their value.  In 1995 Parenting With Purpose began providing parenting education to incarcerated moms and dads, support  and coaching programs for the families with an incarcerated loved one and providing mentors for children of prisoners.  Since inception, PWP has worked with over 2,600 families in the metro area to break the cycle of crime.

• 94 percent of released parents that are coached by PWP remain crime free
• 92 percent of PWP's released moms and dads acquire employment within one year of their release
• 96 percent of kids mentored by PWP remain crime free

Criminal rehabilitation programs cannot continue operating on their current trajectory.  We need to reevaluate the system and take the steps necessary to move away from a culture of incarceration, and toward a culture of rehabilitation and healing.

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