Program helps inmates get back to life

There are close to 2,000 people who are currently on probation in Carbon County.

Some of them have drug problems, some are addicted to alcohol and some are struggling with mental health issues.

The problems they face once their sentence is completed are employment and housing issues due to their criminal background and addictions; finding treatment options; and having someone show them that help is available after incarceration.

That’s where the Carbon County Re-entry Coalition steps in.

This group, which began in 2015, has been working to create a network of services that can help someone get back on their feet after being released from prison, while also reducing the recidivism rate in the county prison.

On Thursday, the Carbon County Commissioners signed a resolution naming April as Second Chance Month because “every human is endowed with human dignity and value.”

In 2017, 1,551 inmates were released from the county correctional facility and of that, 90 percent of those released struggle to find employment “because of both societal and legal barriers which are often not directly related to the offense committed or any proven public safety benefit,” the resolution states.

“These are individuals who have truly made mistakes,” Rick Parsons, chief adult probation officer and head of the re-entry coalition, said, adding that these mistakes shouldn’t define them as a person.

He said that is where the re-entry coalition begins.

The coalition is made up of various county, state, federal and community agencies who can provide different levels of services to people being released from prison in the hopes of getting them integrated back into society and away from the cycle of crime.

Over the past two years, the coalition developed a comprehensive strategic plan that focuses on employment, cognitive behavioral programming and data collection; created a group inside the jail that focuses on high risk female inmates; secured grants for data sharing programs between the prison and probation office; trained staff to help develop programs for employers and offenders about educating them on benefits of employment; and developed a resource guide and informational session to educate offenders on resources available in the county.

“We are a coalition of people who are working together to try and remove some of these barriers so we can stop this revolving door of crime and begin reducing recidivism,” Parsons said.

The commissioners thanked the re-entry coalition for its efforts because the county has worked trying to find ways to reduce the number of people incarcerated for years.