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Thursday, September 04, 2008
Ind. Courts - "LaPorte County re-entry court judged positive"
From a story by Laurie Wink in the Michigan City News-Dispatch:
After five months in operation, the re-entry court established by Superior Court 1 Judge Kathleen Lang is getting a positive response from both returning felons and community support agencies.Lang and Lyn Swanson, chief probation officer for Superior Courts 1 and 2, have been meeting twice a month in courtroom sessions with those just released from prison, in addition to their regular probation meetings.
Officials started the re-entry court in an effort to help offenders improve their lives so they won't revert to a life of crime. Lang and Swanson take a problem-solving approach to creating a support system tailored to each person's needs.
Frequently, Swanson said, after being incarcerated for 10 or more years, they come into the community with no place to stay, no job, no money and no identification.
"To get an ID, they need a Social Security card and to get a Social Security card, they need a birth certificate," Swanson said.
"They don't know where to begin."
Lang and Swanson have been meeting with as many community organizations as they can to find out what resources are available and where to make referrals. Swanson develops one-page forms for each resource and eventually wants to put them into a manual.
Lang said the courtroom meetings have been positively received by the offenders because they are informal and don't involve lawyers.
"They're used to seeing the judge when they've done something wrong," she said. She keeps records of the individual's backgrounds, offenses and issues, such as substance abuse, which is a common problem for ex-cons, she said.
Through the re-entry court, returning offenders get help for addictions or mental health issues. Other referrals could be to faith-based mentoring programs and employment agencies, although Lang said finding jobs for offenders is a big problem. She is working with an advisory committee to identify more employment options.
"It's hard enough for anyone to get a job right now but, for those with A or B felonies, it's hard to get a job period," she said. "If they can't find a job, they will go back to their old ways of dealing drugs to make money fast."
Ultimately, as re-entering offenders establish themselves as productive members of the community, Lang expects to see less crime in the city and improved public safety.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 4, 2008 03:21 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts