Clark County NewStart Program Offers Hope to Newly Released Inmates
Wednesday, February 5th, 2020 -- 11:05 AM
-The Clark County NewStart Committee was able to receive some thoughts and ideas on the program during a meeting Tuesday afternoon.Started in 2017, the NewStart program helps newly released convicts get started on the right path to a crime free life. Their mission statement is they are “committed to help successfully transition post-incarcerated individuals back into the community and install hope in their future.” Their overall hope is that they’ll give the former inmates a better start when they leave the jail. When an inmate is released, many of them are released with nothing but the clothes on their back, which even that can be inadequate if they were arrested in shorts and a t-shirt in July and are being released in January. The Clark County Jail is able to provide some help with warmer clothing, but they are limited on what they can do. When an inmate is released, they’re given fellowship, coffee and a safe environment. From there, they are provided with clothes if needed; they’re given food from the area food pantries if needed; they’re able to sign up for Job Readiness Classes through Workforce Resource, which also opens them up to other programs Workforce provides like Food Share Employment Training and others; and they are provided a long list of resources to help them.
NewStart’s goal, when a newly released inmate comes to them, is to have him or her ready with a plan when they go to their probation officer the day of their release. The goal is to also keep inmates from falling back into their old habits. If they feel they have nowhere to turn, many inmates will fall in with the same crowd and into the same habits that put them in jail in the first place. That leads to them ending up back in jail down the road. Committee members said that loneliness can play a big factor in former inmates falling back into their old habits. They have no one to connect to in their new life, so they return to their old one. Typically, within 3 months, former inmates will have fallen back into their old habits and return to jail.
This job isn’t always easy because the inmate must want to change their life. NewStart can’t force them to partake in any of these opportunities. There are challenges to NewStart’s goal and the meeting on Tuesday provided them with some feedback, thoughts and ideas on what they could do to improve the program and give former inmates a better change. The NewStart Committee is always looking for feedback as their program is fairly new. They are also in need of volunteers and donations. You can contact the Clark County Workforce Center for more information on the program and their volunteer and donation needs.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.