The process of helping a prisoner return to everyday life is complicated.
But Jessica Willis of Networks Northwest and Chuck Welch of the Department of Corrections told Rotarians on Tuesday why their work is important to the safety and well-being of the rest of the population.
“Just in terms of fiscal responsibility alone, it costs an average of $34,000 to keep one person in prison for a year,” she said. “The average cost to serve one parolee in Northwest Michigan for one year is $1,000.”
Welch agreed. “Helping to rehabilitate a prisoner is both a matter of accountability and public safety,” he said. “Our parolees report to their parole agents and they try to help steer them back to a life where they contribute to society.”
There are three phases to the reentry program, they said – 1) Getting ready to return to society; 2) Going home and 3) Staying home.
The key is finding stability at home, socially and through work. It can be, they said, an uneasy balancing act. But the results in Michigan have been encouraging.
“The bottom line,” said Rotarian, prosecuting attorney and program host Bob Cooney, “is to protect public safety.”
Jessica Willis - Quality Coordinator, Networks Northwest - Jessica is a licensed master social worker and has been with Networks Northwest for over nine years. She has been working with Prisoner Reentry since 2006 and has had direct oversight of the program for the past four years.
Chuck Welch - Field Supervisor Michigan Department of Corrections - Chuck has been with the MDOC for 19 years, starting as a probation agent in Traverse City. He has also supervised parolees, served as the sex offender agent and was the initial Institutional Parole Agent for the Prisoner Reentry program. He currently supervises the probation and parole offices, and staff, in Antrim, Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Chuck Downey .jpg)
Kids Free Fishing Day on June 20
Rotary Club of Traverse City