E.W. Keener got out of jail on a Friday. It only took a few hours for him to find trouble again.
Staff Photo by Dan Henry
It’s a pattern in the 48-year-old’s life. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native has been in and out of the penal system since 1979 for everything from manslaughter to writing bad checks.
He came to North Georgia a few years ago to visit his sister, but trouble came with him. His sister was supposed to provide him a supportive place to get his life on track. But she smoked crack, too, he said. Eventually, their drug use forced them to move from place to place when the money ran out. But they never stopped doing drugs.
“It’s easy to do bad. It’s hard to do good,” said Mr. Keener.
Feeling cornered, he approached his parole officer, who helped him find emergency shelter and got him to the doctor, where he was diagnosed as bipolar and manic depressive. He landed at House of Refuge, Chattanooga’s only halfway house facility, about seven months ago.
Mr. Keener is convinced the structured environment, halfway between prison and community living, finally will help him break the cycle.
“I knew: ‘If I don’t go do what I’m supposed to do on top, I’ll mess up,’” he recalled. “But I started smoking crack again on Saturday night.”
“This program saved my life,” said Mr. Keener, who will be on parole until 2012 and then will have 10 years on probation after that. “If I wasn’t here, I’d be homeless. I’d probably be on the street, doing the same things I was doing before.”
A COMMUNITY PROBLEM
Last year, 437 people from Hamilton County were sentenced to state prisons. But at the same time, more than 500 convicts were released back into the community, according to Tennessee Department of Correction statistics. And according to a recent Tennessee Bureau of Investigation study, about 335 of them will reoffend within three years if steps aren’t taken to help them re-adjust to society and break their bad habits.
Tim Dempsey, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Chattanooga Endeavors Inc., which helps convicted felons find jobs, believes it is past time for the community to take action.
“The state’s prisons are busting at the seams, and there’s not the space or money to keep them so full, so (many prisoners) are going to be released,” Mr. Dempsey said. “The question is what we’re going to do about it.”
For a long time, he said, the answer to that question was nothing, and Chattanooga suffered for it.
David Eichenthal, president and chief executive officer of the Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies in Chattanooga, said a recent Ochs study shows that the largest concentrations of crime in Chattanooga overlap for the most part with the areas that have the largest number of offenders coming back from prison.
“Solving the re-entry problem is a real component of any solution to the crime problem in Chattanooga and Hamilton County,” he said.
Unfortunately, said Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole member Yusuf Hakeem, community members have been either ignorant or unwilling to accept that re-entry services are necessary.
“We feel there needs to be an educational process for our community because these people are coming back, and we would rather have them integrated into the community in a positive way,” said Mr. Hakeem, a native of Chattanooga and a former city councilman.
Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield believes it is time to take action, according to his spokesman, Richard Beeland.
“Any kind of assistance that could be provided for prisoners re-entering the community would be welcomed,” Mr. Beeland said.
But Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey says funding is an issue. Though he and other county officials are behind the re-entry concept, he said, there’s little point in trying to do anything during a recession.
“It’s logical (to find a solution to the problem),” Mr. Ramsey said. “But we don’t have any money right now.”
THE HALFWAY HOUSE SITUATION
The lack of halfway houses may be the biggest indicator of Chattanooga’s attitude toward ex-prisoners, Mr. Dempsey said. Compared to the Nashville area’s 55 halfway houses, the Knoxville area’s 10 and Memphis area’s nine, Chattanooga has only the House of Refuge.
That troubles state officials, said Gale Reed, deputy district director of the Chattanooga Probation and Parole Office, because the best outcomes for former inmates tend to occur in that type of environment.
Although Chattanooga has resources such as the Council for Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services in North Chattanooga — which has an effective residential treatment program, she said — offenders “are not necessarily paroled directly to those places” as they would be with halfway houses, and they have to actively seek out such programs on their own.
But most offenders come from the highly structured environment behind bars, where they’re conditioned to follow directions from others rather than make decisions themselves, she said. When left to their own devices, they tend to fall back into old habits, which don’t include seeking help.
the state’s role
State officials have worked hard over the past five years developing special programs to help inmates’ re-entry into society, said Jim Cosby, assistant commissioner of rehabilitative services for the Tennessee Department of Correction.
The success of these programs — which include everything from therapy to vocational skill development — already is reflected in lower recidivism rates, according to TDOC spokeswoman Dorinda Carter. Generally, she said, 42 percent of inmates will return permanently to the state system after being released. But those who participate in pre-release programming have a recidivism rate of only 32 percent.
State Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, said the state’s rehabilitative programming still needs to expand. During this legislative session, Sen. Berke said, he plans to continue an initiative he began last year to require the state to complete a re-entry plan for each inmate exiting the system.
“If we can reduce the number of people who go back into the system, it saves our state dollars, it makes people’s lives better and it helps our state in immeasurable ways,” he said.
But it’s not only up to state leaders, Mr. Cosby pointed out, and communities must step up as well.
That’s where halfway houses come in, Ms. Reed said. The Board of Probation and Parole can approve existing facilities for parolee housing but can’t license, fund or create any new ones, she said. It’s up to community members to create and run nonprofit organizations on their own.
Next Steps
But more than just new facilities, Chattanooga needs a more cooperative effort to address prisoner re-entry, Mr. Dempsey said. To achieve that goal, Mr. Dempsey, Mr. Hakeem and a few other community members are working to secure federal money to help local re-entry programs coordinate their various services.
“The idea is that (released prisoners) would be able to regain their place in society a little bit more quickly, with the added hope that they would be under better monitoring so if they failed, we would be able to intervene more rapidly to the point of incarceration,” Mr. Dempsey said.
Mr. Eichenthal’s only concern is that the programming be carefully constructed, he said.
“There’s no question that a really poorly designed re-entry program won’t be very effective, so there’s a little bit of the devil in the details,” he said. “If we figure out ways to get people the support they need to keep away from engaging in additional criminal activity, that’s a pretty hard concept to argue with.”
Read the second part of this series online at www.timesfreepress.com or read Sunday's Chattanooga Times Free Press.
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Whine, whine, whine; gripe, gripe, gripe.
The answer is simple and staring you in the face.
It is called the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Arizona VERY successfully run by Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Visit its website at http://www.mcso.org/.
Sheriff Joe has been elected and re-elected an unprecedented four times [16 years] and has FULL support of the voters on his crime-reducing/preventing actions. Costs to the country and the voters has dropped drastically.
VERY few people go back into HIS jails...and THAT is the purpose of punishment. [He has the only accredited high school in any American jail, to boot.]
START PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY, CHATTANOOGA!
Open letter to Chattanooga's State Sen. Andy Berke:
The ONLY sure way to stop repeat criminals is to make them NOT want to go back into jail.
Nationally and internationally known Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona does just that. And he does it CHEAPLY.
Sheriff Joe's court-tested measures and actions have resulted in so many ACLU court losses they no longer mess with him...he cuts down repeat offenders. And that is a good thing.
Sheriff Joe's methods WORK and REDUCE costs. Meals at 15 CENTS each and they pay for their own; no salt or pepper [$20,000/year saved]; no smoking, no coffee, no porn, no in-cell TV; tent city living [just like our troops in 110 degree Iraq]; and a rogue's gallery of booking photos for the previous three days.
The list of savings and anti-comeback actions goes on and on. See http://www.mcso.org for details.
Get off the stick, Senator, and do something for the taxpayers for a change...
Rolando, I don’t really understand your point. You make Maricopa sound like the early shock incarceration experiments that have little support left because they have little evidence of success. In actuality, Sheriff Arpaio has an aggressive program division which publically proffers the value of using jail time for productive self development. Just look at the program section on the webpage you cite yourself. Not only is his facility loaded with programs, many, such as his diversion program for mentally ill inmates, have been sited for innovation and effectiveness http://reentrypolicy.org/program_example....
On a more general note, the article is addressing the problem of returning prisoners (not jail inmates) where too little opportunity is fueling too much crime. In America, we instinctively believe in second chances but are reluctant to give them. It’s a Catch-22 for many prisoners returning home who have to prove they deserve a chance before they they’re given one. This “not in my backyard” attitude seriously restricts where former offenders are able to live, work, play, worship and even seek help (as many public and community service agencies also resist assisting people with felony convictions).
Our research demonstrates that nearly 9 in 10 people believe that former offenders can change but less than 2 in 10 will offer them a job…and it might be lower than that. Just do the math! Job seekers with a felony conviction have to apply 5 times more than job seekers without a felony conviction. If it takes 20 application under ordinary circumstances to find a job, for a former offender it can take up to 100 applications. No wonder so many are unemployed and walking a thin line between civil society and the penitentiary.
Thank you for pointing out the good work of Sheriff Arpaio and the impact his programs are having on public safety in Maricopa.
Tim Dempsey
www.chattanoogaendeavors.com
Excellent points about problems ex-offenders face, Mr. Dempsey. Improving all aftercare is essential. I would also ask for more information about how inmates spend their time while INSIDE... while incarcerated and while under supervision, what kind of programs are offered and not simply offered, but REQUIRED. Like most areas of industry, the better outcomes are usually a product of evidence based curriculum and programming which usually evolves out of competitive environments. The core of Tennessee's programming comes from two sources: The A&D field and the Cognitive Behavioral oriented / classroom-taught curriculum known as Thinking for a Change. Of course, we know the value of addiction and recovery work, yet, the T4C program's value is still unknown. I have not seen evidence based support for it yet it remains correction's baby. For instance, there are other avenues for getting education across to individuals (many of whom have learning disabilities) other than the typcial classroom-esque (the Greek teaching model). There are other forms of therapy that when mixed with Cognitive Behavioral garner powerful responses and results. I would like to see professionals from the psychological and academic communities asked to bring in and try other kinds of evidence based therapeutic interventions and approaches. The doors could open up to allow for this kind of improvement which stem from competition of services.
Prisoner re-entry issues are a complicated and multi level community issue. Obviously, as stated by the first comment, supporting those who will be returning home, while in jail is important. After these men and women get back into the community, continued support and encouragement is also critical. Recognizing the real needs of people who have been incarcerated and are returning to our community and providing the support that gives these men and women a second chance to make themselves productive members of our community, not only acts as a net tax break, but also is the ethical thing to do.
Mr Dempsey: I am and was familiar with mcso.org and the programs it has to assist prisoners. As I said, Sheriff Joe does good work. For whatever reason, the bulk of his prisoners do not come back; if they choose to continue their criminal ways, they go elsewhere where jail time is sweeter.
Then again, Sheriff Joe only deals with lesser offenders; hardcore criminals are sentenced to state and federal prisons, inmates with a much higher repeat offender stats.
As to recidivism [repeat offenders], halfway houses may help the first-time offenders; they have the best chance of overcoming their past mistakes, needing a safe place to stay while getting themselves together. Almost always it is the fear of punishment that straightens them out.
As you said, once someone has proven themselves unworthy of trust it is not easily given again, particularly by employers. That is part of the price of doing the crime.
Many local communities complain about the criminals, once release, moving into their neighborhoods. However, we must remember, it was during the 1980s and 1990s at the height of WAR ON DRUGS and TAKING A BITE OUT OF CRIME these people already living in these communities were purposely targeted to give the appearance of effectiveness. In a sense, these individuals aren't simply moving into the communities. At one time they resided there. Many of their families still live there. Therefore, they are simply returning. Many families were broken and the damage done will take a long time to repair. And I agree with Mr. Demsey. The prisons are bursting at the seams with otherwise able bodied young men and women who do have potential if given the chance. Will some fail? Of course! But remember, America was built on giving people a second and some third and fourth chance. It isn't that people break more laws today than in the past. The only difference is the punishment is more permanent as America becomes less and less forgiving. I see a lot of upstanding citizens walking around today whom others speak highly of. However, they weren't perfect back in the day. Some far less perfect than some of these young men and women sitting behind bars today. But the laws were different then. And there was always someone, some judge, someone willing to give that person another chance and the benefit of the doubt.
Too many in the field got greedy with their private prison stock options and saw an opportunity they couldn't pass up.
I'd like to address "annonymous" and Sen. Barke:
Az and the Sheriff have a good thing going...they have good programs to help these men to get rehabilitation. It isn't all about the punishment and not wanting to go back to jail...it's about teaching, guiding, mentoring these men and women to make better choices in their future. Punishment is NOT the answer! Discipline appied with corrective measures is the ANSWER!
It bothers me when people say comments and don't really have their facts. Go into prison with me sometime...see the women who have NEVER had proper guiding. They are thristy to absorb the principles of making the right choices. Through a great mentor who is willing to give her time to teach and mold, she will not return. I have had the honor to see this first hand everyday for 6 years. Would you like to see it? I'll get you cleared to go in sometime...it will change your attitude.
Vicki Harvey www.leavingthecocoon.net