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Posted on August 22, 2011 by admin

This is a thrilling day for the ReEntry Coalition, for we just launched this blog for our members to use to share information they glean from the community about issues that matter to us. There have been a plethora of issues brought up that are all about reconstructive thinking around the financial costs of our current penal system, and how we can take steps to redirect this energy towards positive and constructive economics. Some of the key issues we are working on right now include:

Developing the ReStoreALife Center – to promote functional literacy in the ReEntry University, job reskilling and a wellness center for recovery.
Washington State Offender Badges – we want people released with Washington State ID instead.
Choices & Consequences – this is an educational platform we developed for supporting teens to make conscious choices, for the beginning of all reform starts with prevention.
Redirecting mentally ill people out of the prison platform and into a place where they can be as functional as possible given their illness, rather than just locking them up into a recycling system that doesn’t solve the problem and is expensive to the taxpayers.
Discovering restorative justice and looking for ways we could spark a movement from Bellingham to start examining how we could implement it here.

Enjoy the blog…and let’s get re-educated!

Cost Comparison: Incarceration vs. Restorative Justice

Posted on September 27, 2011 by admin

Incarceration vs. Restorative Justice Comparison Chart

Costs	Mo.1	Mo.2	Mo.3	Mo.4	Mo.5	Mo.6	Mo.7	Mo.8	Mo.9	Totals
	Current Punitive- Incarceration Model
Incarceration	$3,000	6,000	9,000	12,000	15,000	18,000	21,000	24,000	27,000	$36,000/yrper person
	“ReStore A Life” Startup Model
Housing	$500	1,000	1,500							$1,500
ReEntryUniversity(Case mgmt, Edu, Employment)	$300	600	900	1,200	1,500	1,800	2,100	2,400	2,700	$3,600$5,100/yr per person
June 2011	This is a net gain/savings of approximately $30,900 per person.

Packet: Gov. Chris Gregoire, July 18, 2011

Posted on September 19, 2011 by admin

July 18, 2011

The Honorable Governor Christine Gregoire
Office of the Governor
PO Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504-0002

RE: Compound costs and liability of not correcting a systemic flaw
in issuing proper ID to our newly released inmates/citizens.

Dear Governor Gregoire,

As your time as governor comes to a close, we are hoping to have you once again provide leadership for a sensible bureaucratic innovation that will plug the leak of Washington State funds caused by inadvertent recidivism of inmates who receive a Department of Corrections (DOC) “OFFENDER” badge immediately upon release, rather than a legal Washington State ID.

The time gap between release from prison and getting a legal ID can take days or weeks, or never happen, causing people to recidivate due to unrealistic expectations set up by an ineffective system.

As you may know, this glitch in their identification at this critical point in re-entry makes it hard for them to integrate into normal daily life. Proper ID is necessary to do any kind of business whether to simply cash their $40 release check, to buy medications, apply for any kind of housing or employment, to get food or assistance of any kind. (See the attached Problem/Solution Document and some testimonials that illustrate the difficulty people have experienced.)

Here is an economic idea that we have been working on for months.
Why not turn a $34,000 administrative investment in computer programming at the Department of Licensing (DOL) into a cost saving of roughly $2.4 million dollars annually? The $2.4 million dollars is actually a conservative estimate – we are using a 1% failure rate on 7746 inmates released in 2010. This is 77 people x $36,000 per year cost of re-incarceration. The DOL is working to calculate the real failure rate – which could be closer to 20% or more.

To save this money and to solve this problem takes the coordination between two state agencies that are financially stressed. This funding will need budget allocation by the legislature (which was requested by the DOL in July 2011). However, while it is requested, there is no guarantee that this money will be appropriated, and even if it is, it will take no less than 2 years to implement. In the meantime, the state is potentially losing tens of millions of dollars in leakage caused by a hidden systems flaw.

We’ve discussed this with the DOL. They indicate they can adapt and issue authentic Washington State ID at the time of release through the DOC if provided proper documentation by the Department of Corrections. The DOC is willing to provide the documentation, and according to a spokesperson at the DOL, it would cost $34,000 to create the computer programming to be able to achieve this.

Going through current channels, even if it is appropriated next session, the costs of waiting are high, and the number of people returning to prison continues to add up. If instead you could help find an administrative solution (perhaps with a small appropriation between departments), this problem could be solved. The DOL could do the programming in approximately 6 months, saving the state an unexpected tens of millions of dollars.

For every month the state delays, the taxpayers are paying the price in unseen hidden expenses in the state and local courts, prison and enforcement budgets. Note that this $34,000 cost is recovered if only one person does not recidivate because they can do necessary personal business tasks upon release. This is not only respectful of our free citizens it is smart economics.

We have been working with Senator Carroll and other legislators, as well as your staff to solve this problem for over a year, and have attached some background information and some of your prior correspondence with us.

We are hoping to meet with you and your aides when you come to Bellingham for the City Club meeting on July 25 to discuss this idea further and enlist your help. We are available to talk at your convenience before or after your talk with City Club.

We will call Thursday, July 21, to set that appointment with your office staff.

Sincerely,

Joy Gilfilen, President Irene R. Morgan, Founder/Secretary

P.S. We will be sending you an invitation to participate in the 1st Community Opportunities Conference we are sponsoring with the YES! Magazine and UnitingCreatives.com on October 1, 2011 also in Bellingham. This conference seems to fit your progressive views on change. See the flyer and position paper we have attached as well.

Attachments:
• Attachment 1: Paper on “ReEntering Citizens Face Challenges without Proper ID”
(with a picture of the DOC Badge and two letters from offenders discussing their challenges)
• Attachment 2: Summary of What Happened Regarding Proper ID
Copy of prior letter to DOC Secretary Vail
Copy of prior letter to Governor Gregoire
Copy of prior letter to Senator Carrell
• Attachment 3: Proposal for Senator Carrell, the legislators, DOL, DOC from the ReEntry Coalition

cc:
Mike Carrell, Senator
Doug Ericksen, Senator
Dale Brandland, Senator
Debbie Regala, Senator
Vincent Buys, State Representative
Jason Overstreet, State Representative
Barbara Sandahl, DOL Legislative Director
Doron Maniece , DOL
Bernie Warner, DOC Secretary
Scott Russell, Associate Superintendant, WCC
Candy Curl, DOC Reentry Administrator
Charles Wend, DOC
Pete Kremen, Whatcom County Executive
Bill Elfo, Whatcom County Sheriff
Dan Pike, Bellingham Mayor
Kelly Linville, former State Representative
Don Kirchner, Return to Honor

Attachment 1

ReEntering Citizens Face Challenges without Proper ID

Currently this state is releasing people from prison with a brand new Washington State Offender Badge (see picture attached). This is useful and intended only for use by the DOL (when matched up with an e-letter) once the inmate hand-carries it to a State DOL office during working hours – so they can then issue an official Washington State ID Card (not to be confused with a Drivers License).

Specific Problem:
Notice that this DOC Offender badge was designed for one purpose: To identify them as an offender between the Department of Corrections and the Department of Licensing. It does not work for the citizen as an ID to cash checks or to identify them in any way to do other personal business (although most do not understand this). This means that technically, once released and until they are successful in obtaining their ID from the Dept. of Licensing, they are not legally identifiable.

This is not only a safety risk to our State; it creates barriers for those striving to reenter society. Even though they are free technically, not having an official ID means they cannot do normal things like apply for a job, rent a home, legally identify themselves, or do anything that a normal person must do to live in America.

When they are forced to show this as their only piece of ID, it is humiliating and a real stumbling block for the former inmate, and sets them up for abuse, ridicule and failure.

While the idea of doing licensing this way may sound workable to staff, this doesn’t serve anyone in the real world. The consequences each time that even one person fails, the repercussions are expensive. The person loses their freedom, and it costs taxpayers $36,000 on average to return them to prison. The ripple effects go through our legal and social structures, public safety is compromised, other agencies end up involved which increases costs, and the consequences compound. Liability to the state increases.

The Challenges they face through ‘Their Eyes’:
When people are released from prison after having been in prison for years, perhaps decades, they are often disoriented and feel ‘shell shocked’:

• They have been working in a closed system for months, years. They have been programmed to not fight the system, nor to disagree with anyone. They have not been allowed to stand up for themselves, and often cannot even open doors without fear, etc. Often, they don’t understand cell phones, computers, new identification needs and more.

• They have not taken care of themselves, done any planning, nor were they responsible to do anything other than what they have been directed to do moment by moment in this very controlled environment.

• Often there is no training or reentry process to prepare them to reenter society, nor to deal with the new complexities of the Patriot Act or our banking systems and economy. Society has in fact changed, and they come out of prison unprepared to deal with the realities. Suddenly they are vulnerable to a new world, and have no ID and must show an ‘offender badge’ to anyone who questions them.

• They have no home, no job, no food, no resources to help them stand on their own two feet, and typically no transportation to get back to their families, even if they have them. Typically they receive a $40 check that they need a legal ID to cash.

Probability of Failure
Is it any wonder they are often not in a position to do such an apparently simple task?

If we only use the very low estimate of 1% the cost of last years failure was $2.78 M. How do we calculate this? Last year Washington State released 7746 inmates. If only 1% fail it is 77 people. Multiply those people X $36,000 – the average cost of incarceration in the state.

While it is hard to prove a direct failure rate, some of our ex-offenders estimate that this 1% is actually closer to 25% of the people who are released. If that is true, then the estimates would skyrocket: 25% of 7746 inmates released is 1,937 x $36,000 or $70 million per year in losses!

Sample of Offender Badge that inmates receive upon release as free citizens. This does not support them with re-entry and is more likely to increase the probability they will recidivate.

Attachment 2

Whatcom Country ReEntry Coalition
Summary of What’s Happened Regarding Proper ID

1) July 2010 spoke with Secretary Vail in his office about proper ‘mainstream ID’ for releasing citizens from incarceration, and realized we had a problem.

2) August 6, 2010 wrote letter to Secretary Vail asking for his collaboration in removing the blocks for ID issuance. No result.

3) September 2010 talked with Superintendant Waddington and Assistant Superintendant Scott Russell, WCC and discovered more about the challenges between the DOL and DOC in issuing ID.

4) October 25, 2010 wrote letter to Governor Gregoire with cc’s to Sec.Vail, Super. Scott Russell – WCC, Belinda Stewart, DOC, Charles Wend DOC, Candy Curl – DOC, Rep. Kelli Linville. Sen. Dale Brandland, Sen. Debbie Regala, Sen. Mike Carrell, Whatcom Co. Exec. Pete Kremen, Don Kirchner – Return to Honor. Senator Carrell responded to this correspondence with an email expressing a willingness to discuss the matter deeper.

5) December 8, 2010, talked by phone with Senator Carrell to discuss in depth ‘the problem’, which helped us identify the State’s challenges with funding and cutbacks at a whole new level, and to discover still more about the confusion and challenges around this issue.

6) December 9, 2010, sent letter to Senator Carrell as requested with a copy of “Offender ID’ so he had a better understanding of the size of the problem.

7) February 22, 2011 met with Senator Carrell, in Olympia with two DOL employees, Rep. Buys, and representatives from Sen. Ericksen, Rep. Overstreet offices. Note: No one was present from DOC. We presented our solutions to the group asking that the problem be resolved. Senator Carrell agreed, and asked that we meet again in 2 weeks, and requested that the heads of DOL and DOC actually work to resolve the matter and to come back with a solution.

March 14, 2011 meeting in Olympia with Senator Carrell, Doron Maniece and Barbara Sandahl from DOL, Candy Curl and another gentleman from the DOC, Rep. Buys and representatives from Sen. Ericksen, Rep. Overstreet offices. At this meeting we got a closer and better idea of the size of the problem, the true impact of the problem, and both the DOL and the DOC made a commitment to find out what it would cost to actually solve the problem.

9) We have been in contact with IT directors and staff at both the DOC and DOL to work out the solution to this issue, with the result that an appropriations request was submitted to the legislature for the next session by the DOL for $34,000. The information from the DOC indicates that there would be little cost to implement from their side, once the

programming is done. DOL indicates that there will be at least a 6 month turn around time from the time the money is allocated, depending on the urgency of other work flow and financial constraints in their office. They estimated that it would be no less than 2 years since it has to go through legislative appropriation, then be appropriated, then go in to the DOL production line, then into actual programming.

10) We have realized that even though all parties agree the solution needs to be implemented – the systems block expeditious action. Only recently did we actually look at the bigger picture and the broader financial tax implications of people failing to get their ID – and how this ripples out to implode our State economy. When we have so many cutbacks, perhaps it would be smarter to stop losses at their source.

11) July 18, 2011 – We have written to Governor Gregoire to draw her attention to the size and magnitude of this problem as a systems issue for the State of Washington. It is a new way of understanding the implications of not issuing legal ID – from $2.8 million to $70 million as a potential loss. This problem is big enough to warrant the Governor’s attention. This is outside the box thinking, this is innovative business awareness, this is the kind of project that could help us revitalize how we do business and handle economic challenges in our state, to help reduce cutbacks in social services or in higher education. It is also the most humane action we can take to help people and families rebuild themselves after incarceration.

Letter: Gov. Chris Gregoire, Oct. 25, 2010

Posted on September 19, 2011 by admin

Whatcom County Re-Entry Coalition
P. O. Box 31026
Bellingham, WA 98228
www.whatcomrec.org

October 25, 2010

Governor Christine Gregoire
Office of the Governor
PO Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504-0002

Dear Governor Gregoire:

I am the founder of the Whatcom County Re-Entry Coalition and an active citizen in helping prisoners return to and become functional members of our society.

In this work I have encountered many people, ideas and issues, mainly about what is NOT working in our systems.

I met with Secretary Eldon Vail in late July and stated my concerns regarding releasing prisoners and their lack of mainstream ID. In early August I sent a letter stating the same concerns. In September, I received a response as requested by Secretary Vail from his staff. While the explanation was thorough I feel my concerns were not addressed and solutions not forthcoming.

When I attended the annual Pow Wow in Shelton, September 12, I spoke with Superintendent Doug Waddington and expressed the same concern. I suggested that every person released should have in their possession a Washington State Identification card. He said he was willing to do that but that the Department of Licensing would not work with them at Shelton.

My question to you Governor is this: Why are your departments NOT working together in a more supportive way for the success of our returning citizens? The 2008 Interagency Agreement regarding the DOC Offenders Badge is not enough! The following are the reasons why:
My concern is that without ‘mainstream’ identification they are:
• immediately identified as former felons (they are already self-conscious and unsure of themselves)
• unable to get ~ a drivers license (if prison counselors have not forwarded the info)
~ housing
~ employment
~ enroll in school
~ DSHS assistance
~ prescription medication

Without this vital linkup with our societal systems it is a setup for failure for people who have not made any decisions for themselves since their sentences began. To expect people to be fully functional upon release is unrealistic. The cost of providing ID’s upon release would be a cost savings. When people are faced with immediate barriers they often go back to old familiar habits as our recidivism rates confirm.

Another question I have is, why are people released from prison with prison ID when they are no longer wards of the state? They were just released – they are FREE! Why do they still have to be identified as felons?

I look forward to working with you and your staff to effect a more successful transition into community for our returning citizens from incarceration.

Sincerely,

Irene R. Morgan, Founder/Secretary
WCREC

CC:
Eldon Vail, Secretary DOC
Scott Russell, Associate Superintendent, WCC
Belinda Stewart, Communications and Outreach Director
Charles Wend, DOC Regional Administrator
Candy Curl, DOC Re-Entry Manager
Kelli Linville, State Representative 42nd District
Dale Brandland, Senator 42nd District
Debbie Regala, Senator 27th District
Mike Carrell, Senator 28th District
Pete Kremen, Whatcom County Executive
Don Kirchner, Return to Honor Society

Letter: Sec. Eldon Vail, Dept of Corrections

Posted on September 19, 2011 by admin

Whatcom County Re-Entry Coalition
P. O. Box 31026
Bellingham, WA 98228
www.whatcomrec.org

August 6, 2010

Secretary Eldon Vail, DOC
Post Office Box 41100, Mail Stop 41100
Olympia, WA 98504-1100

Dear Secretary Vail,

This letter is written in appreciation of your willingness to meet with Don Kirchner, Karen Stanwood and myself regarding the pilot program Don hopes to implement in our state’s prisons. Your job is a difficult one especially in light of the current economic conditions. We are encouraged by your willingness to listen to others who are also concerned with the effectiveness and efficiencies of our prisons.

It is in this vein that I continue. We have been an organization for only three and a half years in Bellingham, but we all have been working individually for decades, knowing there is a need for change.

As we receive letters from prisoners asking for assistance we see the same issues arise over and over. A partial list follows:
• No current identification (drivers license, state ID, birth certificate)
• No way to cash their check (some don’t even get it upon release but mailed to them!)
• No medication or prescription for medication
• Medically or mentally fragile released homeless (is DOC our mental health facility?)
• No books or materials for resume writing and job preparation
• No job search opportunities
• Resource lists that lead nowhere – usually to more resource lists
• No direction for information regarding fines, restitution, child support, etc.
• GED, reading, writing, math classes not available
• Lacking treatment opportunities, life skills classes, etc.
• And there is much more

As citizens and tax payers we are frustrated by how expensive and ineffective our system is. The public expects its’ newly released, formerly incarcerated citizens to be successful but do not recognize the barriers and challenges they face upon release. They have paid their debt to society with little hope to be successful as there is minor or no deliberate preparation during their sentence. Often the reason they failed originally is that basics like the above were not learned. If we don’t prepare them in prison to come back to society and be useful, how will they gain those skills and knowledge? Many of the items mentioned are a set-up for failure as is obvious with our worsening recidivism rates.

We must break the cycle. One of the most effective actions would be for everyone exiting our prison system to have a current, mainstream ID. It is vital for everything they must do: seek housing, employment, education, banking, state assistance, etc. We do realize that some issues are being addressed and more needs to be done. The more tools they have in place upon re-entry the more likely their success.

Over the last three years, we have seen how success is possible. As more of our ‘clients’ complete our program, our community grows healthier. It is our premise that to accelerate change we must collaborate and share our ideas with those of you who are in the position to implement change.

We welcome any suggestions or ideas you may have for us as well. Please see this as a two-way process: we want to help make your job easier, and we are eager to do whatever we can to help implement strategies for our returning citizens.

Again, thank you for your time and attention last week. I am honored to have had the opportunity to speak with you directly.

Sincerely,

Irene R. Morgan
WCREC Founder, Secretary

Jim Cozad, Executive Director
Joy Gilfilen, President
Chene’ Harding, Re-Entry Advocate

Aside

Rather than doing punitive, retributive or restraint based punishment, the restorative justice model looks at how to restore the people involved back to wellness, even as the violator learns what the impact of their actions really was, and how to repair the damages that came from their actions.

Overview: Whatcom County Re-Entry Coalition

Posted on September 13, 2011 by admin

Whatcom County Re-Entry Coalition Overview

Irene Morgan, Founder
Jim Cozad, Executive Director
Joy Gilfilen, President
whatcomrec.org ~ 360-354-3653

Who Are We? A volunteer 501(C) (3) non-profit organization that provides a support network of preventive, restorative and regenerative assistance for citizens reentering our community after incarceration, those homeless and others at risk in Whatcom County.

Why is the Coalition Necessary? To rebuild social vitality at the root of the systems failures, rather than continuing to support codependency habits. It has been shown that our punitive systems and financial penalties are failing to achieve their purpose, the economic costs are destroying the middle class, and it is stagnating human potential and free enterprise. Restorative justice, building functional literacy, putting people to work, restoring honor and human dignity, dealing progressively with addiction, homelessness, and abuse are far more productive and have a better return on investment to the community. Statistics are staggering:

80% of the people in our local jail are illiterate, addicted, or mentally ill.
Currently 70% of theWhatcomCountytax budget is spent on law and justice services alone.
It takes 12 or more working taxpayers to pay the average $30,000 to $50,000 bill for each person who returns to prison for one year. This doesn’t include litigation and other expenses.

Our systems have become implosive and self-destructive, not only to those incarcerated and their families, but to our communities, and to those who are paying the taxes.

What Have we Done? The Coalition has helped dozens of people coming out of prison find their way through getting their ID, housing, food, a resume, legal issues, to deal with emotional fear, abuse, and rebuilding their hope. We have helped them navigate through probation and parole and helped them get a job even with a record. For early intervention, prevention, public safety and recidivism we produced the Choices and Consequences program for youth, developed theRe-EntryUniversity education platform, written hundreds of letters to inmates, held public forums, and worked with officials to establish a way for prisoners to receive a WA state ID upon release. We’ve worked on employment projects and have spent many hours educating legislators, mayors, police chiefs and other officials and the public about the systemic problems we are facing in our communities as economic problems increase. We have gained supporters because we are providing solutionary ideas and projects that can be implemented at a net cost savings that is substantial.

Vision for the Next 2-3 years? Complete the Washington State ID project, establish the Re-Entry University in a facility that can handle 30 or more people at a time, have a self sustaining training and employment services component, establish restorative justice models in our legal system, develop an alternative solution for supporting the homeless and mentally ill, develop healthy alternative therapies for addiction and intervention. Develop a sustainable living community where indigent people and those at risk can learn how to work, grow their own food, and contribute to their community.

All these actions make fiscal sense. Why are we spending $30,000 or more on reinforcing incarceration and codependency? It is a far better investment to spend $5,000 a year or less to help people become working taxpayers and to correct whatever put them in prison in the first place. In fact, 97% of all people in prison will be released, and they have paid their debt to society, yet often do not have the tools necessary to get a job. So they go back to prison. It is much safer for our children and our communities to put them to work ASAP when they are released. It is a smarter use of taxpayers money. It is far more humane for the people and their families.

What’s next? We are intending to create a facility to house theRestore-A-LifeCenter (business plan is in development, estimated to be $750,000 to several million). This center will include three main projects:

The Re-EntryUniversityhousing and education project (estimated cost $250,000),
TheRegenerationCenterfor alternative addiction therapy (estimated cost $250,000);
The JobRe-Skilling & EmploymentCenterto launch multiple businesses that will hire felons and displaced people to do jobs that rebuild our community – like recycling, sustainability, organic food production, scrapping of metals, mechanical repair, maintenance and construction, furniture restoration and more. (Costs could range from $250,000 up to several million depending on the scope and impact of the projects that qualify.)

What’s the Impact? ThisRestore-A-LifeCenter will become self-sustaining, and will produce a high ROI to the community, for it will become a revitalizing force through its multiplier effect. Prisoners on average have 1.9 children, and have left an incomplete and often unemployed family behind. The loss of human potential is great, the scars greater. The costs to the community taxpayers compound. The ripple effect, and residual impact on the community is immeasurable on many levels. Prevention makes better sense.

Incarceration vs. Restorative Justice Comparison Chart

Costs	Mo.1	Mo.2	Mo.3	Mo.4	Mo.5	Mo.6	Mo.7	Mo.8	Mo.9	Totals
	Current Punitive- Incarceration Model
Incarceration	$3,000	6,000	9,000	12,000	15,000	18,000	21,000	24,000	27,000	$36,000/yrper person
	“ReStore A Life” Startup Model
Housing	$500	1,000	1,500							$1,500
ReEntryUniversity(Case mgmt, Edu, Employment)	$300	600	900	1,200	1,500	1,800	2,100	2,400	2,700	$3,600$5,100/yr per person
June 2011	This is a net gain/savings of approximately $30,900 per person.

How Can We Help?

1) Get educated, volunteer time. Call 360-354-3653 to get more information.

2) Invest in your community’s future by donating money to fund the Coalition’s projects.

3) Sponsor and/or attend the upcoming Community Opportunities Conference and Conscious Music Fundraiser Oct 1, 2011. This 2-day conference includes an evening fundraiser. The conference is slated to have 10-15 different professionals facilitating interactive discussions about the issues, trends and opportunities for new paradigm thinking and pioneering solutions. Plus, we will be masterminding proposed projects.

Discussions may include the following: Systemic Economic Challenges, Employment issues facing DUI offenders, felons and others. Teenagers and their future. High Tech opportunities. Homelessness. Is Prison our Vision? Restorative Justice. Creative Leadership. New Enterprise Choices and more.

We would love to have several $1500 (or more) sponsors who would receive a booth at the event along with considerable publicity in exchange for their contribution. Other donations are welcomed, and if anyone wishes to volunteer time for the conference, or to give an item that could be used for fundraising, that is also welcomed.

Re-Entry University – Training and Reskilling for Success

Posted on September 12, 2011 by admin

Whatcom County Re-Entry University

“Returning to Honor & Beyond”

Mission Statement: To provide an efficient and supportive network of assistance for citizens re-entering our community after incarceration, those homeless and others at-risk in Whatcom County.

Outcome Based Training Program that may include housing assistance, career/employment preparation, life skill training, and accessing existing community agencies/programs to develop an individualized Re-Entry Plan to

pursue a successful and prosperous future.

Included Requirements:

Weekly 2 hour University Meeting
Weekly Re-Entry Support Group and individualized coaching/case management session
If receiving housing assistance, a weekly house meeting
Monthly county community Re-Entry Coalition Meeting

***(4^th Thursday of Month – 5:00 pm at St. Lukes Ed Center)***

The Completion of Outcome Based Performance Objectives

A Whatcom County Re-Entry University diploma will be awarded at completion of the program. Employment and permanent housing may also be achieved.

Program may last from 3-6 months

Released Prisoners Face Challenges Without Proper ID

Posted on September 10, 2011 by admin

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Guest Opinion by Irene R. Morgan

Again, this letter is to educate, because I am aware of how few citizens know how our prison, court and police systems work and the growing tax burden for all of us. The systemic failure is very expensive and ineffective. Former prisoners do not magically return ‘fixed’ and ready to ‘be’ the functional citizens our public expect them to be, and are often less prepared.

The disappointment I feel regarding our ‘justice system’ is immeasurable after learning of Wayne Groen’s sentencing in Federal court recently. He is a solid citizen, business and family man who will be forever impacted by this federal felony. Mr. Groen will not experience the ID issue I will explain below as his sentence is quite short in comparison to many.

Most people are uninformed about our sentencing laws and imprisonment. When folks are released from prison the barriers faced are often insurmountable. The largest barrier I have identified while working with this population is the lack of proper, mainstream ID. Most of us take for granted our ability to show our ID whenever asked. Consider the difficulty you might have maneuvering within society without it.

I have learned there are three different types of incarceration within our system: Whatcom County jail (usually under one year), Washington State prison system – Department of Corrections (DOC), and our Federal system, Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

When a person is convicted of a crime, serves their sentence, paid their debt to society and is releasing as a free citizen from our state DOC prison system, the majority are released without proper identification. They are released with a ‘Department of Corrections (DOC) Offender Badge’ that has their DOC number printed on it. The single function of this badge is to ‘identify’ them to the Department of Licensing (DOL) when they can find their way to the proper office to purchase their Washington State ID. There also must be an e-letter on file from DOC. (Many cannot get their drivers license due to fines or restrictions.)

Consider the conditions when it is NOT clear to the releasing citizen that this DOC Badge is NOT a form of identification to be used in their transition. When they try to use it, they are mostly denied plus they are being forced to identify themselves as though they are still incarcerated!

When folks can identify themselves, their success in cashing their $40 release check increases, they can purchase medications, rent a home or apartment, enter school, find employment, etc. Without an ID, I believe they are hand cuffed and set up for failure.

It became clear to me after hearing the same story multiple times that the problem needed to be addressed at the time of release.

I have been working on this for over a year – several of us have traveled to Olympia to meet with our legislators, staff of DOC and DOL to find a solution. Both departments have worked on and found that solution. The one-time cost is $35,000 to develop the computer program that would allow all those without current Washington State ID’s releasing from our States prisons to have them ‘in their possession’ upon release. (This does not include Federal facilities.)

We have contacted the Governor’s office again with the hope this plan can be put into practice in the next 6 months. With only 77 (1% of 7746 releases) people being successful in their return to society, the savings to the state is $2.8 million per year (at $36,000 per person).

We estimate that just $5,000 per person can educate, train and make functional, folks who don’t have the skills to be the citizens we expect them to be. It’s a far better investment of your tax dollars than the $36 to $50,000 per person, per year, just to warehouse them.

Some would say I am ‘soft on crime’. I see it as sound financial management.

Lynden Tribune Opinion Piece in Response to US/Canada Border Incident

Posted on September 10, 2011 by admin

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Guest Opinion by Irene R. Morgan

This is a letter of true support for Mr. Groen. It also is an educational tool. The facts around and the circumstances in which Mr. Groen finds himself embroiled after shining his spotlight on the Border Patrol helicopter are all too familiar in our society of late: a good upstanding citizen, taxpayer, functional adult and family man jailed, fined and incapacitated (possibly incarcerated) for a time, set up by our “justice” system.

What most of you may not know is that over the last 30 years while our population has grown by 35 percent, our prison population has increased by 293 percent. Does it surprise you that a situation such as Mr. Groen’s has gone to the lengths where we find it today – with him facing possibly a sentence of 36 to 51 months for something that should have been taken care of with dialogue in a meeting of the two parties, namely Restorative Justice.

Are you also aware of the cost of incarceration — $35,000 to 50,000 per year per prisoner? Does it make more sense to be proactive and restore calm and harmony or confront with force and legalities? If Mr. Groen were to make it to a prison, he will forever be branded as a felon by our society with many challenges that are often insurmountable. This, I believe, is how our Criminal Industrial Complex is fed and why there has been a 300 percent increase in the number of federal, state and private prisons built in our communities since the 1980s. And, by the way, pisons are continuing to be built today. Consider the proposed 2,400-bed facility near Slater Road with your tax dollars that has been temporarily stopped by Whatcom County citizens.

There are at least two brand-new facilities being built in our state. One is on tribal land in Pierce County. Also, the Department of Corrections, for some reason, feels we need a new Receiving Center for everyone entering our system. This puzzles me, as for several years our crime rate has been diminishing. So why are we still investing in prisons when we are cutting back in every other segment of our societal systems?

There are many alternatives to prison. There are Re-Entry and Aftercare programs across our nation that are very successful. Are you aware of Delancy Street in San Francisco? Mimi has been running this program on a full city block for 30-plus years, with housing, education, employment, life skills, and a network of businesses that support all it takes to be successful in living life. She has an 85 percent success rate and people are fully functional and tax-paying citizens.

If Mr. Groen were to be imprisoned, who would suffer along with him? Will it be the 14 taxpayers it takes to pay the tax bill for one year? Will it be his family who will not be intact with his absence? Will it be the community that is bitter and not understanding our system? Will it be our system when he is not working and paying taxes as he always has? The repercussions of this insanity are countless.

If all these questions leave you with more questions, I invite you to go to our website, www.whatcomrec.org or call me to find out how you can help to bring some common sense into the way we do business in our police, legal, court and prison systems. We are pressing forward on many fronts and would ask that you join us and focus your confusion, anger or frustration in a positive way and choose a segment of our program that can help us in our cause.

Irene Morgan is the founder and current secretary of the Whatcom County Re-Entry Coalition. She is a longtime Pole Road resident where she and her husband Gary ran a custom meat business. Now her passion is “to educate and inform on a very unpopular subject, though one that eats away at our tax budget,” she said.

Irene Morgan is the founder and current secretary of the Whatcom
County Re-Entry Coalition. She is a longtime Pole Road resident where
she and her husband Gary ran a custom meat business. Now her passion
is “to educate and inform on a very unpopular subject, though one
that eats away at our tax budget,” she said.

Perspectives behind the Community Opportunities Mastermind Visionary Conference Oct.1

Posted on August 24, 2011 by admin

This highlights the issues we will be addressing in the October 1, 2011 Community Opportunities Visionary Mastermind Conference! This conference is sponsored by the Coalition in tandem with UnitingCreatives.com and YES! Magazine, and is endorsed by the Whatcom County Council, the Bellingham City Council among many others. Please read the information in the Conference section of this website.

IT IS NO LONGER “BUSINESS AS USUAL”
An article reprinted from an insert written by Joy Gilfilen for Whatcom Watch

In today’s market we need heart, ingenuity and community to build a future that works.

1) Technology has changed how society works!

It took 38 years for Radio to reach 50 million people, TV only 13 yrs. Then the Internet 4 yrs, iPod 3 yrs, and Facebook 2 yrs. (Google+ will take 3 months.) The top ten ‘in demand’ jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004. The US Dept of Labor says that today students will have 10-14 jobs by the time they are 38 yrs old. (It used to be 1 to 3 jobs). Tech information is doubling every 2 years – so college freshman expect a refresh in their junior year.

How is this affecting our civic dialogue? How is this changing our political, social and structural patterns? How is this changing science, business, and more?

2) Our global economy has changed our financial world, business, jobs and entire industries.
Eighteen million people are unemployed. Millions more are unemployable and have given up finding a job. Displaced from the market, they end up homeless, standing in food bank lines, or in jail/prison. Oddly, many jobs are left empty – for our workers are not prepared for the new economy. Employers are going offshore to fill the gap. China is becoming the largest English speaking nation.

What’s the real emerging opportunity for educators, entrepreneurs, our community to fill the gaps? How can we reconstruct?

3) Ecological challenges demand new ideas.

The Dept of Economic and Social Affairs 2011 stats say that about half of the earth’s forests are gone, groundwater resources are being depleted and contaminated. Enormous losses in biodiversity have already occurred, and climate change threatens the stability of all ecosystems.

They say that over the next 40 years, $1.9 trillion per year will be needed for incremental investments in green technologies. Where is the real opportunity of the future for business, for jobs, for sustainable economies, for social transformation?

4) Our penal system is unsustainable and not achieving life-enhancing results.

Our tax dollars are not working in the way that most taxpayers believe they are. YES! Magazine reports that in the past 30 years the US population grew by 35% – yet our incarceration rate was 293%. How is that logical when it takes 12-14 taxpayers to pay the $36,000/yr bill to incarcerate one person? The shrinking middle class and economic problems are cutting revenue to government – so budget cuts have slashed virtually all life-enhancing alternatives. When we cutback education and social services, we get more homelessness, addiction, stress, abuse, joblessness. Non-profits are challenged. Ultimately people end up recycling through the punitive prison system.

Whatcom County is already spending 70% of its budget on law and justice (up from 64% last year). 80% of the people in jail are illiterate, homeless, mentally ill or dealing with alcohol or other addiction issues and end up using a disproportionate amount of the tax dollars. St. Joes Hospital writes off roughly $20 Million dollars a year for Charity Care.

How can we redirect money to get a better return on investment, to rebuild our community so we expand lives rather than constrict them? What about restorative justice, mental health courts, job-reskilling, trauma therapy?

5) Diverse local independent entrepreneurs, activists, innovators, farmers and organizations are pioneering new solutions. For example, last year’s Transition Whatcom Conference gathered over 800 people to discuss transitioning to a lower footprint society. Sustainable Connections has 650 green business members, 4^h Corner Exchange is spawning economic alternatives, and the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies hosted their international conference here. We have three institutions of higher education that are doing remarkable work in technology, environment and leadership. We have leaders in recycling, organic foods production, science and the healing arts. We have more volunteers and non-profits than virtually anywhere in the country. Bottomline, we have the potential to harness outstanding intellectual capital to deal with the challenges ahead.

Let’s join together in building bridges to our collective future! Working side by side with passion, we can set the pace for healthy change. We can blaze all new trails and establish Whatcom County as a caring innovative community that is leaving a legacy of vitality, strength and sustainability to our children.

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This article was written by Joy Gilfilen, President of the Whatcom County ReEntry Coalition and Founder of UnitingCreatives.com a co-sponsor of the Community Opportunities Conference to be held Oct. 1, 2011 in Bellingham, WA. The Whatcom County ReEntry Coalition is a 501C3 organization that serves people at risk in Whatcom County. Joy can be reached at 360-739-7493 if you would like to participate in the event as a sponsor, exhibitor, panelist or attendee. Read more about the conference and buy Tickets at WhatcomREC.org.