We Have to Figure Out Something New

The road to prison is one that starts in the community. We have to prioritize our funding in such a way that we are connecting with people who's lives are in a shambles, which of course can often be measured by their arrest record. Dedicating funds to community-based programs is the most long-term cost effective way to find out what people need in order to be successful, or we will continue to allocate funds to jails and prisons that do nothing but warehouse and recycle.

We are starting on the right direction with the new One-Stop Re-Entry Center that will begin operations within the next 30 days or so. The sub-committee on re-entry met last week and we are now gearing up for a start date. The focus for the Re-Entry Center is to help people who are Denver County Jail on misdemeanor crimes, and may need some assistance getting back on their feet. The One-Stop will be located at the Bo Matthews Center at 3030 Downing St. We will keep you updated on when the actual start date will be.

Colorado Springs Gazette