Former Warden Presses Congress For Parolee Resources
A former prison warden now working in parolee rehabiliation has asked Congress to provide those coming out of prison with resources for jobs, housing, substance abuse treatment and mental health.
More than 7.65 million people annually are released from U.S. prisons and jails. Nearly two- thirds of them will re-offend and return to prison or jail, according to Alpha USA, an organization that works with released prisoners.
"I can tell you that parole systems are now, for the most part, geared solely toward the surveillance of parolees and not toward their reintegration back into their communities," says Jack Cowley, 59, director of Prison and Re-Entry programs for Alpha USA.
Cowley recently testified at hearing of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorismand Homeland Security to support the Second Chance Act, federal legislation that aims to reduce recidivism and help states and communities better address the growing population of prisoners returning to communities.
Cowley served as a warden for 25 years.
"I saw firsthand on the faces of inmates about to be released the sincerity of their commitment to remain crime free," he says. "I can attest to the fact that they really did not want to return to prison. However, I have learned that wanting something to be so doesn't always make it so. There are some people who must be helped, who must be nurtured into being what they want to be."
On average, inmates who participate in the Alpha course and prison re-entry program have a recidivism rate of less than 10 percent, according to Alpha USA.
"The Second Chance Act is not a rehabilitation tool. It has nothing to do with being soft on crime," Cowley says. "It is, in fact, a bill that promotes public safety, as it will assuredly reduce the number of future crime victims."
Bookmark http://onthehillblog.blogspot.com/ and drop back in for more news from the nation's capital.
More than 7.65 million people annually are released from U.S. prisons and jails. Nearly two- thirds of them will re-offend and return to prison or jail, according to Alpha USA, an organization that works with released prisoners.
"I can tell you that parole systems are now, for the most part, geared solely toward the surveillance of parolees and not toward their reintegration back into their communities," says Jack Cowley, 59, director of Prison and Re-Entry programs for Alpha USA.
Cowley recently testified at hearing of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorismand Homeland Security to support the Second Chance Act, federal legislation that aims to reduce recidivism and help states and communities better address the growing population of prisoners returning to communities.
Cowley served as a warden for 25 years.
"I saw firsthand on the faces of inmates about to be released the sincerity of their commitment to remain crime free," he says. "I can attest to the fact that they really did not want to return to prison. However, I have learned that wanting something to be so doesn't always make it so. There are some people who must be helped, who must be nurtured into being what they want to be."
On average, inmates who participate in the Alpha course and prison re-entry program have a recidivism rate of less than 10 percent, according to Alpha USA.
"The Second Chance Act is not a rehabilitation tool. It has nothing to do with being soft on crime," Cowley says. "It is, in fact, a bill that promotes public safety, as it will assuredly reduce the number of future crime victims."
Bookmark http://onthehillblog.blogspot.com/ and drop back in for more news from the nation's capital.
Labels: crime, jobs, Judiciary, parole, prison, recidivism, rehabilitation, Second Chance Act, warden
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