Borrowed from the Justice Center.
The Daily News Journal
By: Nancy De Gennaro
Although the average recidivism rate for inmates in the state system hovers around 70 percent, local organizations are working together to reduce the number who return to incarceration.
Doors of Hope has teamed up with the Tennessee Department of Correction, the Rutherford County Correctional Work Center and the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office to get inmates career-planning assistance, a huge part of reducing recidivism.
“There are community organizations out here that help (inmates) find skills needed to re-enter society,” says Amy Jaramillo, a volunteer with the nonprofit Doors of Hope, an organization that does just that, offering mentorship, guidance and encouragement for ex-offenders. “We want a safer community and one way to have a safer community is (helping) these folks who have served their time … reintegrate back into society.”
Part of the solution is provided by TDOC, which has a mobile Career Coach that travels to various locations to offer resume and job-search assistance. Most recently, the Career Coach has visited the Correctional Work Center. The bus is equipped with about a dozen computers, Internet access and help from job coaches who assist people in searching for employment and creating resumes.
“My main job responsibility is … to assist with reintegrating (inmates) into the work world,” says Stephen Darrow, an employment specialist with TDOC who travels with the Career Coach.
Stumbling blocks can seem insurmountable when an individual is released, Jaramillo says.
“They come out in debt. They come out maybe without a driver’s license — some of the simple things most of us take for granted, and so Doors of Hope along with the (Tennessee Department of Correction) are trying to find ways to reach these felons and misdemeanants and say, ‘Hey, this is what you need to do,’” Jaramillo says.
Although misdemeanors can make finding employment difficult, many companies won’t even look at resumes from those with felony convictions. And many times, felonies and misdemeanors “run hand in hand,” Darrow says.
Another part of Darrow’s job is creating partnerships with local businesses in order to “break down barriers” and stigma regarding employment of those who have been incarcerated.
“There are myths that a person with a felony background is not going to be a good worker. That’s a misconception,” Darrow says.
Hiring ex-offenders can be a win-win situation for both the business and individuals.
“There are tax credits and there’s the federal bonding program, which is an insurance policy by the federal government to any business that hires a person with a felony background … to give offenders a second chance,” Darrow says.
Giving ex-offenders hope is a key element to cutting the recidivism rate, says Kim Robertson, who is over the programs at the Rutherford County Correctional Work Center.
“Individuals that come through here … they don’t have the (knowledge) of how to get started. … The most important thing they get out of (Career Coach) is there is help out there and not to give up,” Robertson says. “If they’re going to get turned down at one place, they’re going to get irritated and think, ‘I’m not going to keep trying,’ and therefore they’re going to re-offend. They need to learn to take another route.”
If ex-offenders are employed, “They’re paying their bills, paying into their Social Security and they’re not out committing crimes,” Darrow says. “I’ve seen it happen … they get a steady paycheck. They get more confident in themselves, they start believing in themselves and they’re formulating an idea of what they want to do as a career. They are on a stepping block to doing something more.”
For more information about Doors of Hope classes and programs, call 615-653-5501.
