JBC Members Tour Prison

CANON CITY - State legislators with the Joint Budget Committee and Department of Corrections officials discussed the almighty dollar and the elusive answer to recidivism during a tour of four state prisons Wednesday.

"When we talk about the recidivism rate, we have all failures - basically it is not easy to get into here (the Department of Corrections) - there has to be a pattern of behavior," said Ari Zavaras, DOC executive director. "When we come to you for money for programs that will help reduce the percentage of inmates coming back to prison we would like to tell you here are the probable results.

"I don't blame you for wanting to know the results and we need to be able to say to you, as funders, what we can do with the money. It's human behavior we are dealing with, so it may not be exact, but probable," Zavaras said.

Zavaras's plan is to shift more funds to education and programs that will focus on keeping inmates out of prison and on the streets. For example, 30 percent of inmates need General Education Development classes, while others need life skills classes and anger management.

"We have 10 offenders in the Lamar Junior College Equestrian Management program which is paid for by a Colorado Youth Offender College federal grant for inmates under age 25, floral design, even associate degree courses through Adams State College. We are literally out of space for programs, which is great, that was my goal," said Dave Linam, education program director at Arrowhead, a minimum-restricted security prison.

Linam told several of the six JBC members in attendance, including Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo, Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Mesa, and Sen. Moe Keller, D-Jefferson County, that another measure the prison is taking to help reduce recidivism is to host job fairs.

The last job fair brought 13 employers to the prison to take applications from more than 100 inmates in attendance and another job fair is planned for December, he said.

The lawmakers also got a look into Arrowhead's unique Crossroads to Freedom Therapeutic Community Program which helps inmates with drug and alcohol addictions or sex offenses to turn their lives around and become successful members of society. The percent of therapeutic community inmates who succeed in leaving prison and not coming back is 89 percent.

Two of the inmates spoke to lawmakers about their experience in the cutting-edge program.

Pueblo Chieftain