Closing the revolving door of incarceration
It stands to reason that if offenders can get jobs once they get out from behind bars, they stand a better chance of not offending again.
Sure, there are a constellation of other needs that must be met – housing and remedying issues surrounding substance abuse or mental health are also crucially important – but having a job not only provides a paycheck but also a routine, a form of discipline and dignity.
As we reported last week, Washington City Mission is on the verge of launching a program that could help low-level offenders at the Washington County jail gain employment and avoid a trip back to the lockup. Starting next Monday, the job-readiness program Bridge the Gap will get underway and will offer tips to inmates who have been approved for work release on how they can get and keep a job.
“We want to close the revolving door,” said Michael Kasula, the alternate sentencing coordinator at the jail. “Some come out and have no employment, no source of income, and they may go back to the crime that (got them incarcerated).”
Participants in Bridge the Gap will spend three weeks in classes, running almost eight hours per day. They’ll find out about résumé writing, get advice on job-seeking and be linked to job opportunities.
The program came into being thanks to Cathy Zuback, the vocational services manager at Washington City Mission. She saw the need for the program and ran it past Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan in the fall. We can be glad she was able to assemble the program so quickly and hope it will prevent some inmates from returning to jail.