For many people, being released from prison may be worse than being inside.
If your clothes are evidence, you may be wearing a flimsy uniform.
I received a check for a few dollars, but I may not have the ID to cash it. Even if I had a phone, it was probably out of order so I couldn’t call someone to pick me up.
Whatever issue got you in jail in the first place got you out. If released at night or in the snow, it was called double evil.
For those incarcerated at Coconino County Jail in Flagstaff, community pathway Everything has changed.
Community Pathways is a win-win-win
I was a firm believer in the good and the bad in everything, so when I toured the detention facility this month, I was a little upset. I did not find any negative aspects of this program.
This is decades later, including crisis response with law enforcement, news reporting, and now non-profit work.
The pilot program seems like a win-win-win, worth replicating elsewhere in Arizona and across the country.
Established with state grants, Community Pathways uses existing resources in a concierge format.
Once in prison, each inmate is screened to identify problems they can solve.
From addictions to unpaid warrants, lack of housing to dental care, these are on record, so when inmates leave, one of Community Pathways’ workers is right there. lead to solution.
The program addresses immediate and long-term issues
After an inmate is released from Coconino County Jail, real work begins to improve his or her life. If you need shoes, winter clothing, and food for your trip, you’re here.
Now let’s deal with more complicated problems. With both defense attorneys and county prosecutors on the scene, some will not only be with someone at their next appearance, but will work with them to process old bench warrants. It doesn’t mean we will be back anytime soon.
If you don’t have a phone, you will be provided with one (but a second phone will not be automatically issued if you come back in two weeks).
How to solve it:Pinal County has a DUI problem, officials say
Then the deepest dive: Do you need live-in care? Do you need a place to live? do you want a job?
Are you a veteran who needs help getting service? Some representatives link directly to the Automotive Department to obtain a new ID.
Other communities should try to do the same
The program is only six months old, so recidivism statistics aren’t readily available, but the early numbers are promising. Also, the Community Pathways-linked live-in Exodus addiction treatment program has a success rate of approximately 70%.
Of course, getting help requires a willingness to accept help.
Sheriff Jim Driscoll says most inmates roam the rooms without taking advantage of the help provided when they get out of jail. they have this they’re done.
Same for the second time. Often it’s the third or fourth time she’s used the system and then realizes there’s insanity in the same behavior while expecting a different outcome.
All communities have different structures, so a one-size-fits-all community pathway model is not possible.
But just as running the 4-minute mile was once considered impossible, when records were broken, more followed. This could be a template for improving many lives in many places.
We know that the way we’ve been doing things doesn’t work.
This is the new method. And it’s working better. It deserves our support.
Lisa Schnebly Heidinger works for the Health First Foundation Northern Arizona. The foundation funds programs that support the mental, physical, and emotional health of her five counties in northern Arizona.contact her lschnebly@healthfirstforall.org.
