I think Its a good idea to want inmates to succeed and be the statistics of recidivism. I totally agree with this program because the are opening new doors for these inmates and giving them something beyond committing crimes. I like how they allow some of the inmates who went through the program come back and become mentors to others. This is what taxpayers should be spending money on rather that rehousing re-offending criminals. The more we put inmates in programs like this the greater the chance we would have to rehouse them in jail or prison. the fact that majority of the inmates in this program what better for themselves and what to do more than commit crimes I think it would drop the numbers in the overpopulated prisons and jails. I think this should encourage prisons and jails around the world because the more we get a hand on reducing recidivism we can get may be able to get the crime rates to drop enormously. After reading this article one of the things that stood out to me the most was that on the outskirts of Kewanee they have housed up to 300 juvenile offenders’. 300 juvenile offenders’ blows mind, honestly. I would have never guess for that number to be so high, but some could say that is a low number. It can go either way depending how you look at it. “For some inmates, success hinges on getting help for their complex needs that often were left unmet in the community. Mental health staff at Kewanee provides cognitive behavior therapy and other services.” That is definitely my favorite part of the whole article because they actually provide services for the ones suffering from mental health. Having those programs is a big thing to have. They actually took the time to hire a teach to help the inmates learning how to get a job, finance money, and the process to get a house. To me, Kewanee really cares about their inmates and wants them to better their lives, so when they get released, the inmates will not return to prison. Like Rafael Ortiz, who is 38 years old and has spent more than half of that behind bars in Chicago for committing a murder when he was 18 years old. When he gets out in about four months, from Kewanee, he has plans to start fresh in a new city and to complete his training to be able to become a substance abuse counselor. I was so happy reading this article. This article describes and talks about a program that is available in Kewanee, IL. It is called Life Skills Re-entry Center. It offers vocational and educational counseling for men with less than 4 years to serve on their sentences. All inmates with that amount of time left, regardless of what they were convicted for is welcome to apply; unless they have done a major violation while serving their time up to 6 months before their application was submitted. The inmates have to show genuine interest in this program, filling out the application and an essay on why they want to come to the center. When the program evolves more, they are wanting to accept inmates that are ineligible for release. They want to accept them so they can better themselves inside prison, and also be a mentor for other inmates.
The center used to be a juvy center until 2016, holding up to 300 of them. The plan for the new center though is to hold up to 600 inmates, bunking the beds. Currently they have 89 inmates there. I believe that this is a wonderful opportunity for these inmates. It gives me more hope for them, and also the people that are involved with them and want to be involved. Most people have negative outlooks for the inmates, but with this new program more people want to help; including churches and hundreds of volunteers. I am beyond thrilled to hear about this program. Rugby_456, bears456, TJ456,shark456
I definetly agree with you guys because as I mentioned on another response, some just need a little push or motivation to survive when re-entering society. I dont really understand th struggle of what it is like to not be able to survive without being in the streets but i do not encouragement always makes me go harder in all that I do. Just that fact that someone believes I can do it and succeed in all that I set out to do makes me try to do my very best at it. Im saying all this to say this is exactly what this center is doing. And they're not only doing it but their proving it by giving these people what they need, and making it their issue that they become productive citizens of society. I think if we develop centers like this worldwide, as well as build up a lot more mental facilities. We'd not only reduce recidvism but our nation would be better off. I think the main reason for recidivism is the fact that our government leaders are selfish, and money hungry. It is ridiculous that a comment like that can be made about people who are supposed to be natural born leaders, for change, and building others up. And a lot probably started out on good intensions but let the money get to them once they receive a lump sum of money. I commend this center and those who strived to make it happen, allow it to happen, and keep it going. This is definetly a great start to reforming individuals. McBrightyalife456
I agree with you because I think it was nice to have this program to help the inmates.Not only that it help people who was serving four years or less they even open the doors for people with more serious crimes. Another thing I agree with that was good about this article is letting that guy who spent half of his life in jail for committing a murder when he was 18 years old become a mentor and now he's helping other inmates prepare for job interviews. I also like when you stated that this is what taxers payers should be spending their money on and your're absolutely right about this. We shouldn't be wasting money on offenders who is not getting the proper rehab and they end up back in prison. With this program I think tax payers money is being used the right way. savage-456
I think the center that is provided through the illinois department of corrections is great, and should be implemented in any state. Otherwise I believe we are setting our offenders up for failure as soon as they are released. I also think the fact that an inmates goal was to beat dismal odds of prisoners released is a wonderful start for this center. The Life Skills Re-entry center in Kewanee is setting a good example for our nation, and is already making provisions to lower incarceration rates. The fact that they provide suitability for inmates to succed in careers or occupations that are re-entering society, as well as counseling, is almost enough for an offender to have no reason to relapse depending on their situation and mental health. The 42 year old that was in prison for residential burglary, was one of the first to enter this program says he was using the resources of the center to sharpen his computer, interpersonal, and interviewing skills. I believe he is only a begining product of what they are begining to do. My main theory with reducing recidivism is that if people are more successful upon release, they are less likely to mess that up by committing a crime. A hired teacher for the center stated, Its nice to know that they are helping guys put together plans to be successful in the future. They provide them with skills such as securing a job, house, and handling their finances. I think that this ties in directly to my theory because they'll think twice before comitting a crime. And not due to the fear of getting caught, but simply because they'll loose what they've worked swo hard to build. McBrightyalife456
I definitely agree with this article that hostile prison environments not only make such facilities more dangerous places to work and they also tend to make the surrounding communities less safe once offenders are exposed to fighting, gang relations and other activities that go on inside prisons. I think that it is good to add additional training and more staff into the correction department. I found it interesting that the report is going to be used to try to transform the entire prison environment for inmates and add more programs to help them once they are released. I think that it is important to focus on what type of environment the prison has because the environment the prison has is going to affect the reputation that will go along with it.With a good prison environment this also put the surrounding communities at ease. I do think even though they are inmates that they should protected from undue harm and are being treated fairly and equitably which this report is suggesting. Just because they have made one or two mistakes i think that inmates should not be harmed just because they are in prison. I think that this report is really going to help the future of corrections and making it a safer place for inmates but also a safer place for officers to work and do their job correctly. I think that reports just like this one should be done more often to get better results on how to help corrections. -PizzaLover456, Illini456, NightTrain456
After reading the article I think it is good to see that prisoners are now wanting to turn their lives around and beat the odds of getting locked up again. If we had programs like this in every prison or gave more prisoners the option for this type of program then more inmates would be likely to be reintegrated back into society along with them being taught or trained how to work a certain job and they can also get their GED’s, then when they are released they may be able to go to college and get better more higher paying jobs. This in turn would allow them to be able to take care of their families and make sure that they can learn from their mistakes and also that their children will learn from their mistakes and hopefully not make the same moves as them. Also when reading that the Kewanee facility actually takes time and has staff on hand to take care of mentally ill is great because when we put mentally ill patients in regular prisons and they never are able to get the right treatment then they can never learn how to cope with their disorder and will not know how to take care of themselves. When they say that they take any inmate as long as they have less than four years left for any crime is good, but I think that the inmates who are committing acts of violence against another person should not be able to get into this program. -PizzaLover456, Illini456, NightTrain456
I agree that this is a good article. I also enjoy the fact knowing that there are programs out there that allow inmates to turn their lives around for the better instead of just letting them sit in prison with no rehabilitation. I also believe that if there were more programs available like this, a lot of prisoners would not be locked up again. I also agree that programs like this would land former inmates higher paying jobs and would improve family life. swaggyy456
This was an interesting article, I think there are many prisoners who want to try and turn their lives around for the better but probably don’t know how to reach out for help or don’t believe that they can get the proper treatment they need. It seems like more inmates are starting to step forward and seek the help that they need whether it’s for a drug addiction or some sort of counseling. Many might end up back in prison but there are the few that break the cycle of recidivism. It’s good to see that there are people who care out there and are trying to help inmates to get into some sort of program before they are released from prison to get used to the outside world again and so they have a greater chance of not coming back as stated in the article. I personally think most people have a rough start in life and don’t know how to cope with internal issues and it might take them a few times to get things right but no one is perfect and should not be judged by their past. The state should continue with trying to gain more of these kinds of programs for inmates. I think it’s a good idea to keep them productive while they are serving their time. -PizzaLover456, Illini456, NightTrain456
Part 1 After reading this article, it was good to hear that we have that kind of facility under Illinois Department of Corrections that help inmates to be ready to get back in society once they finish serving their sentence. I like the kind of approach they did by opening a center called Life Skill Re-Entry in Kewanee, IL, where they have a program that offers educational and vocational counseling for men who are serving less than four years remaining on their sentences. Roberto Tejeda, was one of the inmates who got admitted to the center by completing an application with an essay that explains why he wanted to enter the program. I like that he is using the program to better his interpersonal, job interview and computer skills. The center’s approach of thinking outside the box to help the inmates to reenter society as productive civilians was a great idea. One thing that I do not like is about the way of their choosing who qualifies to enter the program. It was kind of odd to me, that they do it by blind draw. I hope that they change the way they choose who enters the program and that those who they see potential to change and improvement should be given the opportunity, not just random. Other than that, I like as the programs evolves, those inmates with life sentences may be given a chance to apply for admission. Given that they will be behind bars for life, once they leave the programs, they could become mentors to the new ones entering the program. -M.Scott456, swaggyy456, CoffeeAddict456
Part 2 After I read this article I felt great because it is a positive article set up for prisoners to succeed for once. I believe the program is a great idea in order to help inmates get back on their feet and back to living normal day to day lives and fitting in society which prisoners typically fail to do when they are released due to lack of rehabilitation while serving time. The Illinois Department of Corrections opened up a facility known as Life Skill Re-Entry which is located in Kewanee, IL which offers rehabilitation for men who are serving four years or less and this facility offers them educational and vocational counseling. Something that bothered me about the program was the fact that it was a blind draw therefore not everyone has the chance to get into this program which I hope they change soon especially if the ones that do enter the program do rehabilitate good and the rate increases positively that everyone will get a chance or majority will get the same chance to better themselves. The rules they have for applicants I do agree with because at the end of the day these are inmates so they need strict structure and punishment therefore the safeguard stating that an inmate can become ineligible if they have a violation within the first six months of turning in their application is realistic to me and makes sure they do not make mistakes which helps with discipline. I believe this entire article seems like a good idea for keeping recidivism rates under control by putting forth the effort to help an inmate get ready and mentally and physically prepared for their release day. I think this is great because sometimes when an inmate is released, scared of reality they end up back in jail due to not being able to handle and return back to their everyday lives and it prevents inmates from returning to their old ways when they are released. -M.Scott456, swaggyy456, CoffeeAddict456
Part 3 This seems to me like a good program that can grow to have an amazing effect on communities nation wide. It seems good idea for dealing with recidivism rates by helping a prisoner get ready for the day that they are released so that they can hit the ground running instead of what we have been doing for years just releasing prisoners worse off then when they got to prison. I also like how this is a late game program that a prisoner can only get into once they have reached the last 4 years of their sentence. This way you know that they have spent some time in prisons experiencing some punishment for the crimes they committed. This is how I think modern prisons should be ran with a good balance of punishment and rehabilitation. I agree with the safeguards they have placed like how a prisoner is ineligible if they have made a major rule violation within six months of their application. I'm not so sure about giving this kind of program as an option for certain violent offenders like Rafael Ortiz who murdered someone because he took someone's life and ended it, thus why should he get to redeem his own life after wiping someone else's life out. To be fair to Ortiz, I do not know the circumstances of the murder and it isn't up to just me if he deserves redemption. Now I don't think all violent offenders should excluded from the program for example a man who has had anger management issues and can't seem to stop himself from beating people up when angered. If all he needs is some proper anger management therapy and this program can supply it then that would be great. -M.Scott456, swaggyy456, CoffeeAddict456
Yes I agree knowing that a state like Illinois has the kind of resources to help prisoners who not only want to get back on track but also want to help support their family and want to change the old statistics. If we start to offer some of the inmates who may not have finished high school the chance to go and get their GED’s and we also give them the opportunity to learn certain job skills we will not have to worry about them re offending and entering back into the system. If we do this for more inmates then hopefully we will see a decrease in the prison population and we can start saving money, because if we do not have as many people in prison we can start spending more money on rehab facilities like the one in Kewanee. Illini456
When I began to read the article, it made me very happy to see that our state is trying to open up programs for inmates. I feel by doing this it makes the inmates feel as if they can be much more successful with their lives when reentering society from being in prison. I think it would be extremely fun to maybe visit this facility in Kewanee, just to see how different it is. I agree that it is a wonderful thing for the state to invest in. It too shows that we are trying to make the inmates that come out of prison more successful in the long run. By some of what the inmates say in the article, it also shows that there are a number of inmates that truly want to turn their lives around when returning to society. I think it is a wonderful idea that the people that are working for the Kewanee facility are engaging in activity with the inmates. By doing this it is helping them prepare to hold a job and many other things as well. I really did enjoy reading this article. It makes me feel better about having prisoners released from many years behind bars after knowing that they know how to interact with the community now days. Thunder456
In this article it covers the incarceration of individuals young and old. The Illinois Department of Corrections has stated to the inmates that “So many people want you to succeed.” If you think on those bolded words of “so many people want you to succeed”, you’ll question it many times. If you question it from someone from society, that question can be answered so many ways. But, if you think on it from an inmate's perspective, the question could be “can I really”? Or “what are my options to succeed?” Roberto Tejeda, an inmate of the Illinois Department of Corrections, is determined to beat the odds of the revolving door method within the three year mark that’s normally known for recidivism. Tejeda, a 42 year old Chicago man, is currently serving a four year sentence for residential burglary. He was transferred to Kewanee, IL to participate in a new program that teaches life skills for his upcoming date of release back into society. Life skills are so important for inmates while serving time but especially for the ones that are soon to be released. Most people that are incarcerated are cut off to the real life world. They can lose time while incarcerated because society is constantly changing over time. Most prisons do not offer education nor do they have an educational program put into place to benefit the prisoners. Kewanee, on the other hand, has both a vocational and an educational program put into place which inmates can ask to be transferred into. Although the program is offered to 60 inmates that have less than four years remaining in their sentence, that’s benefitting 60 inmates that actually need vocational and educational counseling in their lives.
I am very happy after reading this article. It is really good to see that Illinois is taking its first steps towards improving it’s correctional system and trying to help inmates reintegrate back to civilian life. The fact that this is also happening right in our backyard makes it just that more interesting because I would not expect this to happen here in Central Illinois. The program offers vocational and educational counseling for men with less than four years remaining on their sentences. Kewanee inmates will learn the skills they need after their release including how to secure a job, housing, and how to handle their finances. The facility also provides behavior therapy and other mental health services. To get into Kewanee, inmates have to complete an application with a written essay that explains why they are wanting to enter the program. Those who qualify are entered into a blind draw to choose who is allowed to enter it. As the program continues to grow, the state plans to allow inmates with life sentences to apply for admission. The reasoning behind this is that inmates who are ineligible for release could serve as mentors for other inmates that are leaving the program. There is also a lot of support for the program and the inmates from local churches and civic groups that have donated clothing, food for special events and hundreds of volunteer hours to mentor inmates. Henry County and other counties are supporting this and the idea of the facility. - TheTurk456, unknownzeeha456, Xielxs456, Savage456, Country456 (Part 1)
This was a very touching article. When I read the the title “So Many People Want You to Succeed “, I instantly had faith that the the system is going to help the inmates be a better person when returning to society. One of the best thing that was said in this article by Anthony Williams was, “ It’s time for thinking outside the box about how to help former inmates reenter society as productive civilians.” I really like what he said because he’s trying to do something positive to help the inmates back to their civilian life. It’s good to have people like Anthony Williams in your life especially like situations like this who is do whatever it takes to help people back to their regular lives. Kewanee program is very helpful in many ways. They are teaching the inmates the life skills they will need after their release and helping them better their future. A big thing is they also provides mental health to people in need, which is a good thing because they barely get that in prison. Williams also stated that “ We tailor everything to what the population needs”. So basically he was saying that they help the inmates to fit right into the population and know what they will benefit from while in the society. As the Kewanee program continue to evolves, the state is planning to invite inmates to apply for admission. The fact that the their not just trying to help people with just four years or less but they are trying to help others with worst sentencing. Lastly, inmates who are release could serve as a mentor. Rafael Ortiz who spent more than half of his 38 years behind bars for committing a murder at the age of 18 is now a mentor who helping other inmates with job interview skills after being released. After reading this other you do realize that you’re around people who want to see you succeed.
This program is, potentially, a step in the right direction, however, I don’t think it’s a big enough step. Providing inmates with vocational skills and basic everyday life skills like tying a tie is all well and good. The problem though, is that the inmates who were provided as examples within this article committed fairly serious crimes. Not everyone can just burglarize someone’s home. It takes a special lack of restraint and moral understanding to do so, unless propelled by necessity or other reasonable justifications. The article does mention that inmates receive “cognitive behavior therapy and other services”, though it doesn’t state what these therapies and services consist of and how extensive they are. I almost feel as if this is one of those “feel good” articles. Where it appears as if the right thing is being done, and that makes you feel good, but it’s really smoke and mirrors to disguise to continuing lack of reform within the rest of the corrections system. Rather than isolating inmates from the outside world altogether and then training them to work and live in a world that they’re not experiencing, it makes more sense to keep these prisoners mostly integrated into society and then train them. Probation, is what I’m talking about, I think we should expand and enhance probation and phase out incarceration for minor offenders. It makes much more sense and would reduce recidivism rates much more than isolating inmates from society. Why would you remove someone from society because they offended society and you want to teach them how to coexist within society without reoffending?) - TheTurk456, unknownzeeha456, Xielxs456, Savage456, Country456 (Part 2)
Reading this article gave me some type of hope that hopefully in the near future our state will have everything we need to help prisoners reenter society. I do think it’s great that there’s this program in Kewanee that’ll help teach these inmates skills they’ll need to obtain and keep a job, how to manage finances, and other things along those lines. I understand that they offer this program only to people who have four years or less left to serve on their sentence and that they make sure that the inmate hasn’t committed a major rule violation in the six months prior to applying for the program but I’m not sure I agree with allowing any inmate to be eligible despite what crime landed them in prison. What I mean by this is I do think that allowing people who were caught selling drugs, caught snatching purses, or committing another crime like those should be eligible, they’ve more than likely learned their lesson and maybe it was something they did when they were younger, a dumb mistake. But, I don’t think that they should allow someone who raped, murdered, committed armed robbery, or anything like that should be allowed in this program. I understand why they do it, to allow anyone to redeem themselves and to make their life better when they’re released, but I’m not sure I agree with allowing anyone in despite their offense. Overall, I am extremely happy to their Illinois making changes and starting programs like this so hopefully other states will see our recidivism rate decrease, as much as it may, and follow us in changing the correctional system. - TheTurk456, unknownzeeha456, Xielxs456, Savage456, Country456 (Part 3)
While reading this article it really does show that there are people in the law enforcement field that want you to be a better person when coming out from behind bars. Kewanee’s warden for the prison said he wants to think outside of the box so that we can get the people that come out of prison back to the way they were before crime was a part of their life and to be productive citizens of their community. The youth prison closed in 2016 trying to reduce the amount of younger folks going behind bars. Where are these kids going now though? In order to be accepted into Kewanee, the inmates must write an essay explaining why they want to go to that center. The ones that qualify are put into a blind draw to choose who enters the program. As inexperienced staff is hired the number of the inmates will increase drastically. One of the teachers that was hired at the Kewanee center said “It’s nice to know that we are helping these guys put together plans to be successful in the future.” The teaches that work at the Kewanee center are teaching the inmates very beneficial stuff such as ways to hold a job after their releasement. This is giving them the opportunity to get the education that they need. This would leave the hope that they will utilize this education to further grow and possibly go on to get a college education. The guidance they receive here will hopefully will be enough that they will lead a better life that doesn’t include a life crime. Thunder456, ~myhearseisnotafuneralcar456~ krystal456
In this article it states that by giving the prisoners help it is more likely that they will not return to prison. You may see that many inmates are willing to change and most of the time want to change. It's not because one day they just woke up and did not want to rob people again or want to be in a gang. Usually this is because to begin with many inmates did not want to do the crime. As stated before in a earlier blog many of the crimes are considered “survival crime” which means they believe that in order to eat or even get something that they need or want they have to commit these crimes. By giving these inmates the tools they need to be productive in society it will increase the crime rate and also the recidivism rate. Giving these inmates the proper education such as a GED or even by teaching them a trade gives them the confidence they may need to go out there and get a stable job. As stated in the article many people help with the programs. They have gotten clothing donation, food and many other. Feeling like the community is supporting your change and willing to help may be very encouraging to the inmates that are in the programs and will give them the extra push to succeed in trying to better their life for themselves and their family.
Not only are we helping the prisoners rehabilitate we are also helping their families heal .A little girl gets to see her father for her birthday. Not only are we helping someone’s direct family we are helping other individuals family by allowing former prisoners be counselors for those who have addictions. We are also helping the inmates be able to have these types of jobs so they can not only support themselves but their families. They are more likely to be rehabilitated when we can offer them the proper keys to life. They are more likely to be rehabilitated if we can give them a fair chance instead of just throwing them out into the world. Also if an inmate can’t meet the standards of being released or there name didn’t get drawn for the programs of recidivism they still have a chance. They can still help others maybe not outside of prison but on the inside they can be mentors to other inmates. They can help positively guide the other inmates in the right direction to recidivism. They can help them study, control their anger problems, help them educate themselves, or even just help the inmates prepare themselves for their chance of rehabilitation. The road doesn’t come to an end with one person. Look at the 38 yr old man who committed a murder when he was 18. He get s to become a counselor for others he gets to help others. That there is a positive out come of these rehabilitation programs for these inmates here. Thunder456, ~myhearseisnotafuneralcar456~ krystal456 part 2
I think Its a good idea to want inmates to succeed and be the statistics of recidivism. I totally agree with this program because the are opening new doors for these inmates and giving them something beyond committing crimes. I like how they allow some of the inmates who went through the program come back and become mentors to others. This is what taxpayers should be spending money on rather that rehousing re-offending criminals. The more we put inmates in programs like this the greater the chance we would have to rehouse them in jail or prison. the fact that majority of the inmates in this program what better for themselves and what to do more than commit crimes I think it would drop the numbers in the overpopulated prisons and jails. I think this should encourage prisons and jails around the world because the more we get a hand on reducing recidivism we can get may be able to get the crime rates to drop enormously. TJGirl456 After reading this article one of the things that stood out to me the most was that on the outskirts of Kewanee they have housed up to 300 juvenile offenders’. 300 juvenile offenders’ blows mind, honestly. I would have never guess for that number to be so high, but some could say that is a low number. It can go either way depending how you look at it. “For some inmates, success hinges on getting help for their complex needs that often were left unmet in the community. Mental health staff at Kewanee provides cognitive behavior therapy and other services.” That is definitely my favorite part of the whole article because they actually provide services for the ones suffering from mental health. Having those programs is a big thing to have. They actually took the time to hire a teach to help the inmates learning how to get a job, finance money, and the process to get a house. To me, Kewanee really cares about their inmates and wants them to better their lives, so when they get released, the inmates will not return to prison. Like Rafael Ortiz, who is 38 years old and has spent more than half of that behind bars in Chicago for committing a murder when he was 18 years old. When he gets out in about four months, from Kewanee, he has plans to start fresh in a new city and to complete his training to be able to become a substance abuse counselor. Bears456
I noticed in this article that Roberto Tejeda said that half of those released from prison will be behind bars again within three years if they aren’t given proper help. Tejeda was transferred to Life Skills Re-Entry Center in Kewanee, IL, he is serving a four-year sentence for residential burglary, and was one of the first 60 inmates admitted to the program. The program offers vocational and educational counseling for men with less than four years remaining in their sentences. These types of programs need to be spread all around the world for anyone that has 4 or less years on their sentence to help people get ready to go back to the real world instead of just throwing them into the wild and hoping they can survive. Most of the inmates that are released as such end up back in jail because they didn’t get help and are poor so they are forced to do bad things again. If we help inmates before we release them it can cut down on the cost of keeping them in prison and it will help our prison population to decrease. These programs are able to help rehabilitate people from their wrong doings and also get them used to the real world again without just sending them on their own. Also in these programs people with families are able to have visits with them so they can also help guide them back into the family instead of being stuck in the family and not know what has been going on. If these programs spread around the world the amount of people going to prison will decrease because the people released will get proper treatment before they are released. CarlBaconWho456
I think Its a good idea to want inmates to succeed and be the statistics of recidivism. I totally agree with this program because the are opening new doors for these inmates and giving them something beyond committing crimes. I like how they allow some of the inmates who went through the program come back and become mentors to others. This is what taxpayers should be spending money on rather that rehousing re-offending criminals. The more we put inmates in programs like this the greater the chance we would have to rehouse them in jail or prison. the fact that majority of the inmates in this program what better for themselves and what to do more than commit crimes I think it would drop the numbers in the overpopulated prisons and jails. I think this should encourage prisons and jails around the world because the more we get a hand on reducing recidivism we can get may be able to get the crime rates to drop enormously.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article one of the things that stood out to me the most was that on the outskirts of Kewanee they have housed up to 300 juvenile offenders’. 300 juvenile offenders’ blows mind, honestly. I would have never guess for that number to be so high, but some could say that is a low number. It can go either way depending how you look at it. “For some inmates, success hinges on getting help for their complex needs that often were left unmet in the community. Mental health staff at Kewanee provides cognitive behavior therapy and other services.” That is definitely my favorite part of the whole article because they actually provide services for the ones suffering from mental health. Having those programs is a big thing to have. They actually took the time to hire a teach to help the inmates learning how to get a job, finance money, and the process to get a house. To me, Kewanee really cares about their inmates and wants them to better their lives, so when they get released, the inmates will not return to prison. Like Rafael Ortiz, who is 38 years old and has spent more than half of that behind bars in Chicago for committing a murder when he was 18 years old. When he gets out in about four months, from Kewanee, he has plans to start fresh in a new city and to complete his training to be able to become a substance abuse counselor. I was so happy reading this article. This article describes and talks about a program that is available in Kewanee, IL. It is called Life Skills Re-entry Center. It offers vocational and educational counseling for men with less than 4 years to serve on their sentences. All inmates with that amount of time left, regardless of what they were convicted for is welcome to apply; unless they have done a major violation while serving their time up to 6 months before their application was submitted. The inmates have to show genuine interest in this program, filling out the application and an essay on why they want to come to the center. When the program evolves more, they are wanting to accept inmates that are ineligible for release. They want to accept them so they can better themselves inside prison, and also be a mentor for other inmates.
The center used to be a juvy center until 2016, holding up to 300 of them. The plan for the new center though is to hold up to 600 inmates, bunking the beds. Currently they have 89 inmates there. I believe that this is a wonderful opportunity for these inmates. It gives me more hope for them, and also the people that are involved with them and want to be involved. Most people have negative outlooks for the inmates, but with this new program more people want to help; including churches and hundreds of volunteers. I am beyond thrilled to hear about this program. Rugby_456, bears456, TJ456,shark456
I definetly agree with you guys because as I mentioned on another response, some just need a little push or motivation to survive when re-entering society. I dont really understand th struggle of what it is like to not be able to survive without being in the streets but i do not encouragement always makes me go harder in all that I do. Just that fact that someone believes I can do it and succeed in all that I set out to do makes me try to do my very best at it. Im saying all this to say this is exactly what this center is doing. And they're not only doing it but their proving it by giving these people what they need, and making it their issue that they become productive citizens of society. I think if we develop centers like this worldwide, as well as build up a lot more mental facilities. We'd not only reduce recidvism but our nation would be better off. I think the main reason for recidivism is the fact that our government leaders are selfish, and money hungry. It is ridiculous that a comment like that can be made about people who are supposed to be natural born leaders, for change, and building others up. And a lot probably started out on good intensions but let the money get to them once they receive a lump sum of money. I commend this center and those who strived to make it happen, allow it to happen, and keep it going. This is definetly a great start to reforming individuals. McBrightyalife456
DeleteI agree with you because I think it was nice to have this program to help the inmates.Not only that it help people who was serving four years or less they even open the doors for people with more serious crimes. Another thing I agree with that was good about this article is letting that guy who spent half of his life in jail for committing a murder when he was 18 years old become a mentor and now he's helping other inmates prepare for job interviews. I also like when you stated that this is what taxers payers should be spending their money on and your're absolutely right about this. We shouldn't be wasting money on offenders who is not getting the proper rehab and they end up back in prison. With this program I think tax payers money is being used the right way. savage-456
DeleteI think the center that is provided through the illinois department of corrections is great, and should be implemented in any state. Otherwise I believe we are setting our offenders up for failure as soon as they are released. I also think the fact that an inmates goal was to beat dismal odds of prisoners released is a wonderful start for this center. The Life Skills Re-entry center in Kewanee is setting a good example for our nation, and is already making provisions to lower incarceration rates. The fact that they provide suitability for inmates to succed in careers or occupations that are re-entering society, as well as counseling, is almost enough for an offender to have no reason to relapse depending on their situation and mental health. The 42 year old that was in prison for residential burglary, was one of the first to enter this program says he was using the resources of the center to sharpen his computer, interpersonal, and interviewing skills. I believe he is only a begining product of what they are begining to do. My main theory with reducing recidivism is that if people are more successful upon release, they are less likely to mess that up by committing a crime. A hired teacher for the center stated, Its nice to know that they are helping guys put together plans to be successful in the future. They provide them with skills such as securing a job, house, and handling their finances. I think that this ties in directly to my theory because they'll think twice before comitting a crime. And not due to the fear of getting caught, but simply because they'll loose what they've worked swo hard to build. McBrightyalife456
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with this article that hostile prison environments not only make such facilities more dangerous places to work and they also tend to make the surrounding communities less safe once offenders are exposed to fighting, gang relations and other activities that go on inside prisons. I think that it is good to add additional training and more staff into the correction department. I found it interesting that the report is going to be used to try to transform the entire prison environment for inmates and add more programs to help them once they are released. I think that it is important to focus on what type of environment the prison has because the environment the prison has is going to affect the reputation that will go along with it.With a good prison environment this also put the surrounding communities at ease. I do think even though they are inmates that they should protected from undue harm and are being treated fairly and equitably which this report is suggesting. Just because they have made one or two mistakes i think that inmates should not be harmed just because they are in prison. I think that this report is really going to help the future of corrections and making it a safer place for inmates but also a safer place for officers to work and do their job correctly. I think that reports just like this one should be done more often to get better results on how to help corrections.
ReplyDelete-PizzaLover456, Illini456, NightTrain456
After reading the article I think it is good to see that prisoners are now wanting to turn their lives around and beat the odds of getting locked up again. If we had programs like this in every prison or gave more prisoners the option for this type of program then more inmates would be likely to be reintegrated back into society along with them being taught or trained how to work a certain job and they can also get their GED’s, then when they are released they may be able to go to college and get better more higher paying jobs. This in turn would allow them to be able to take care of their families and make sure that they can learn from their mistakes and also that their children will learn from their mistakes and hopefully not make the same moves as them. Also when reading that the Kewanee facility actually takes time and has staff on hand to take care of mentally ill is great because when we put mentally ill patients in regular prisons and they never are able to get the right treatment then they can never learn how to cope with their disorder and will not know how to take care of themselves. When they say that they take any inmate as long as they have less than four years left for any crime is good, but I think that the inmates who are committing acts of violence against another person should not be able to get into this program.
ReplyDelete-PizzaLover456, Illini456, NightTrain456
I agree that this is a good article. I also enjoy the fact knowing that there are programs out there that allow inmates to turn their lives around for the better instead of just letting them sit in prison with no rehabilitation. I also believe that if there were more programs available like this, a lot of prisoners would not be locked up again. I also agree that programs like this would land former inmates higher paying jobs and would improve family life. swaggyy456
DeleteThis was an interesting article, I think there are many prisoners who want to try and turn their lives around for the better but probably don’t know how to reach out for help or don’t believe that they can get the proper treatment they need. It seems like more inmates are starting to step forward and seek the help that they need whether it’s for a drug addiction or some sort of counseling. Many might end up back in prison but there are the few that break the cycle of recidivism. It’s good to see that there are people who care out there and are trying to help inmates to get into some sort of program before they are released from prison to get used to the outside world again and so they have a greater chance of not coming back as stated in the article. I personally think most people have a rough start in life and don’t know how to cope with internal issues and it might take them a few times to get things right but no one is perfect and should not be judged by their past. The state should continue with trying to gain more of these kinds of programs for inmates. I think it’s a good idea to keep them productive while they are serving their time.
ReplyDelete-PizzaLover456, Illini456, NightTrain456
Part 1
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, it was good to hear that we have that kind of facility under Illinois Department of Corrections that help inmates to be ready to get back in society once they finish serving their sentence. I like the kind of approach they did by opening a center called Life Skill Re-Entry in Kewanee, IL, where they have a program that offers educational and vocational counseling for men who are serving less than four years remaining on their sentences. Roberto Tejeda, was one of the inmates who got admitted to the center by completing an application with an essay that explains why he wanted to enter the program. I like that he is using the program to better his interpersonal, job interview and computer skills. The center’s approach of thinking outside the box to help the inmates to reenter society as productive civilians was a great idea. One thing that I do not like is about the way of their choosing who qualifies to enter the program. It was kind of odd to me, that they do it by blind draw. I hope that they change the way they choose who enters the program and that those who they see potential to change and improvement should be given the opportunity, not just random. Other than that, I like as the programs evolves, those inmates with life sentences may be given a chance to apply for admission. Given that they will be behind bars for life, once they leave the programs, they could become mentors to the new ones entering the program. -M.Scott456, swaggyy456, CoffeeAddict456
Part 2
ReplyDeleteAfter I read this article I felt great because it is a positive article set up for prisoners to succeed for once. I believe the program is a great idea in order to help inmates get back on their feet and back to living normal day to day lives and fitting in society which prisoners typically fail to do when they are released due to lack of rehabilitation while serving time. The Illinois Department of Corrections opened up a facility known as Life Skill Re-Entry which is located in Kewanee, IL which offers rehabilitation for men who are serving four years or less and this facility offers them educational and vocational counseling. Something that bothered me about the program was the fact that it was a blind draw therefore not everyone has the chance to get into this program which I hope they change soon especially if the ones that do enter the program do rehabilitate good and the rate increases positively that everyone will get a chance or majority will get the same chance to better themselves. The rules they have for applicants I do agree with because at the end of the day these are inmates so they need strict structure and punishment therefore the safeguard stating that an inmate can become ineligible if they have a violation within the first six months of turning in their application is realistic to me and makes sure they do not make mistakes which helps with discipline. I believe this entire article seems like a good idea for keeping recidivism rates under control by putting forth the effort to help an inmate get ready and mentally and physically prepared for their release day. I think this is great because sometimes when an inmate is released, scared of reality they end up back in jail due to not being able to handle and return back to their everyday lives and it prevents inmates from returning to their old ways when they are released. -M.Scott456, swaggyy456, CoffeeAddict456
Part 3
ReplyDeleteThis seems to me like a good program that can grow to have an amazing effect on communities nation wide. It seems good idea for dealing with recidivism rates by helping a prisoner get ready for the day that they are released so that they can hit the ground running instead of what we have been doing for years just releasing prisoners worse off then when they got to prison. I also like how this is a late game program that a prisoner can only get into once they have reached the last 4 years of their sentence. This way you know that they have spent some time in prisons experiencing some punishment for the crimes they committed. This is how I think modern prisons should be ran with a good balance of punishment and rehabilitation. I agree with the safeguards they have placed like how a prisoner is ineligible if they have made a major rule violation within six months of their application. I'm not so sure about giving this kind of program as an option for certain violent offenders like Rafael Ortiz who murdered someone because he took someone's life and ended it, thus why should he get to redeem his own life after wiping someone else's life out. To be fair to Ortiz, I do not know the circumstances of the murder and it isn't up to just me if he deserves redemption. Now I don't think all violent offenders should excluded from the program for example a man who has had anger management issues and can't seem to stop himself from beating people up when angered. If all he needs is some proper anger management therapy and this program can supply it then that would be great. -M.Scott456, swaggyy456, CoffeeAddict456
Yes I agree knowing that a state like Illinois has the kind of resources to help prisoners who not only want to get back on track but also want to help support their family and want to change the old statistics. If we start to offer some of the inmates who may not have finished high school the chance to go and get their GED’s and we also give them the opportunity to learn certain job skills we will not have to worry about them re offending and entering back into the system. If we do this for more inmates then hopefully we will see a decrease in the prison population and we can start saving money, because if we do not have as many people in prison we can start spending more money on rehab facilities like the one in Kewanee.
DeleteIllini456
When I began to read the article, it made me very happy to see that our state is trying to open up programs for inmates. I feel by doing this it makes the inmates feel as if they can be much more successful with their lives when reentering society from being in prison. I think it would be extremely fun to maybe visit this facility in Kewanee, just to see how different it is. I agree that it is a wonderful thing for the state to invest in. It too shows that we are trying to make the inmates that come out of prison more successful in the long run. By some of what the inmates say in the article, it also shows that there are a number of inmates that truly want to turn their lives around when returning to society. I think it is a wonderful idea that the people that are working for the Kewanee facility are engaging in activity with the inmates. By doing this it is helping them prepare to hold a job and many other things as well. I really did enjoy reading this article. It makes me feel better about having prisoners released from many years behind bars after knowing that they know how to interact with the community now days. Thunder456
DeleteIn this article it covers the incarceration of individuals young and old. The Illinois Department of Corrections has stated to the inmates that “So many people want you to succeed.” If you think on those bolded words of “so many people want you to succeed”, you’ll question it many times. If you question it from someone from society, that question can be answered so many ways. But, if you think on it from an inmate's perspective, the question could be “can I really”? Or “what are my options to succeed?” Roberto Tejeda, an inmate of the Illinois Department of Corrections, is determined to beat the odds of the revolving door method within the three year mark that’s normally known for recidivism. Tejeda, a 42 year old Chicago man, is currently serving a four year sentence for residential burglary. He was transferred to Kewanee, IL to participate in a new program that teaches life skills for his upcoming date of release back into society. Life skills are so important for inmates while serving time but especially for the ones that are soon to be released. Most people that are incarcerated are cut off to the real life world. They can lose time while incarcerated because society is constantly changing over time. Most prisons do not offer education nor do they have an educational program put into place to benefit the prisoners. Kewanee, on the other hand, has both a vocational and an educational program put into place which inmates can ask to be transferred into. Although the program is offered to 60 inmates that have less than four years remaining in their sentence, that’s benefitting 60 inmates that actually need vocational and educational counseling in their lives.
ReplyDeleteI am very happy after reading this article. It is really good to see that Illinois is taking its first steps towards improving it’s correctional system and trying to help inmates reintegrate back to civilian life. The fact that this is also happening right in our backyard makes it just that more interesting because I would not expect this to happen here in Central Illinois. The program offers vocational and educational counseling for men with less than four years remaining on their sentences. Kewanee inmates will learn the skills they need after their release including how to secure a job, housing, and how to handle their finances. The facility also provides behavior therapy and other mental health services. To get into Kewanee, inmates have to complete an application with a written essay that explains why they are wanting to enter the program. Those who qualify are entered into a blind draw to choose who is allowed to enter it. As the program continues to grow, the state plans to allow inmates with life sentences to apply for admission. The reasoning behind this is that inmates who are ineligible for release could serve as mentors for other inmates that are leaving the program. There is also a lot of support for the program and the inmates from local churches and civic groups that have donated clothing, food for special events and hundreds of volunteer hours to mentor inmates. Henry County and other counties are supporting this and the idea of the facility. - TheTurk456, unknownzeeha456, Xielxs456, Savage456, Country456 (Part 1)
This was a very touching article. When I read the the title “So Many People Want You to Succeed “, I instantly had faith that the the system is going to help the inmates be a better person when returning to society. One of the best thing that was said in this article by Anthony Williams was, “ It’s time for thinking outside the box about how to help former inmates reenter society as productive civilians.” I really like what he said because he’s trying to do something positive to help the inmates back to their civilian life. It’s good to have people like Anthony Williams in your life especially like situations like this who is do whatever it takes to help people back to their regular lives. Kewanee program is very helpful in many ways. They are teaching the inmates the life skills they will need after their release and helping them better their future. A big thing is they also provides mental health to people in need, which is a good thing because they barely get that in prison. Williams also stated that “ We tailor everything to what the population needs”. So basically he was saying that they help the inmates to fit right into the population and know what they will benefit from while in the society. As the Kewanee program continue to evolves, the state is planning to invite inmates to apply for admission. The fact that the their not just trying to help people with just four years or less but they are trying to help others with worst sentencing. Lastly, inmates who are release could serve as a mentor. Rafael Ortiz who spent more than half of his 38 years behind bars for committing a murder at the age of 18 is now a mentor who helping other inmates with job interview skills after being released. After reading this other you do realize that you’re around people who want to see you succeed.
DeleteThis program is, potentially, a step in the right direction, however, I don’t think it’s a big enough step. Providing inmates with vocational skills and basic everyday life skills like tying a tie is all well and good. The problem though, is that the inmates who were provided as examples within this article committed fairly serious crimes. Not everyone can just burglarize someone’s home. It takes a special lack of restraint and moral understanding to do so, unless propelled by necessity or other reasonable justifications. The article does mention that inmates receive “cognitive behavior therapy and other services”, though it doesn’t state what these therapies and services consist of and how extensive they are. I almost feel as if this is one of those “feel good” articles. Where it appears as if the right thing is being done, and that makes you feel good, but it’s really smoke and mirrors to disguise to continuing lack of reform within the rest of the corrections system. Rather than isolating inmates from the outside world altogether and then training them to work and live in a world that they’re not experiencing, it makes more sense to keep these prisoners mostly integrated into society and then train them. Probation, is what I’m talking about, I think we should expand and enhance probation and phase out incarceration for minor offenders. It makes much more sense and would reduce recidivism rates much more than isolating inmates from society. Why would you remove someone from society because they offended society and you want to teach them how to coexist within society without reoffending?) - TheTurk456, unknownzeeha456, Xielxs456, Savage456, Country456 (Part 2)
Reading this article gave me some type of hope that hopefully in the near future our state will have everything we need to help prisoners reenter society. I do think it’s great that there’s this program in Kewanee that’ll help teach these inmates skills they’ll need to obtain and keep a job, how to manage finances, and other things along those lines. I understand that they offer this program only to people who have four years or less left to serve on their sentence and that they make sure that the inmate hasn’t committed a major rule violation in the six months prior to applying for the program but I’m not sure I agree with allowing any inmate to be eligible despite what crime landed them in prison. What I mean by this is I do think that allowing people who were caught selling drugs, caught snatching purses, or committing another crime like those should be eligible, they’ve more than likely learned their lesson and maybe it was something they did when they were younger, a dumb mistake. But, I don’t think that they should allow someone who raped, murdered, committed armed robbery, or anything like that should be allowed in this program. I understand why they do it, to allow anyone to redeem themselves and to make their life better when they’re released, but I’m not sure I agree with allowing anyone in despite their offense. Overall, I am extremely happy to their Illinois making changes and starting programs like this so hopefully other states will see our recidivism rate decrease, as much as it may, and follow us in changing the correctional system. - TheTurk456, unknownzeeha456, Xielxs456, Savage456, Country456 (Part 3)
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this article it really does show that there are people in the law enforcement field that want you to be a better person when coming out from behind bars. Kewanee’s warden for the prison said he wants to think outside of the box so that we can get the people that come out of prison back to the way they were before crime was a part of their life and to be productive citizens of their community. The youth prison closed in 2016 trying to reduce the amount of younger folks going behind bars. Where are these kids going now though? In order to be accepted into Kewanee, the inmates must write an essay explaining why they want to go to that center. The ones that qualify are put into a blind draw to choose who enters the program. As inexperienced staff is hired the number of the inmates will increase drastically. One of the teachers that was hired at the Kewanee center said “It’s nice to know that we are helping these guys put together plans to be successful in the future.” The teaches that work at the Kewanee center are teaching the inmates very beneficial stuff such as ways to hold a job after their releasement. This is giving them the opportunity to get the education that they need. This would leave the hope that they will utilize this education to further grow and possibly go on to get a college education. The guidance they receive here will hopefully will be enough that they will lead a better life that doesn’t include a life crime. Thunder456, ~myhearseisnotafuneralcar456~ krystal456
ReplyDeleteIn this article it states that by giving the prisoners help it is more likely that they will not return to prison. You may see that many inmates are willing to change and most of the time want to change. It's not because one day they just woke up and did not want to rob people again or want to be in a gang. Usually this is because to begin with many inmates did not want to do the crime. As stated before in a earlier blog many of the crimes are considered “survival crime” which means they believe that in order to eat or even get something that they need or want they have to commit these crimes. By giving these inmates the tools they need to be productive in society it will increase the crime rate and also the recidivism rate. Giving these inmates the proper education such as a GED or even by teaching them a trade gives them the confidence they may need to go out there and get a stable job. As stated in the article many people help with the programs. They have gotten clothing donation, food and many other. Feeling like the community is supporting your change and willing to help may be very encouraging to the inmates that are in the programs and will give them the extra push to succeed in trying to better their life for themselves and their family.
ReplyDeleteNot only are we helping the prisoners rehabilitate we are also helping their families heal .A little girl gets to see her father for her birthday. Not only are we helping someone’s direct family we are helping other individuals family by allowing former prisoners be counselors for those who have addictions. We are also helping the inmates be able to have these types of jobs so they can not only support themselves but their families. They are more likely to be rehabilitated when we can offer them the proper keys to life. They are more likely to be rehabilitated if we can give them a fair chance instead of just throwing them out into the world. Also if an inmate can’t meet the standards of being released or there name didn’t get drawn for the programs of recidivism they still have a chance. They can still help others maybe not outside of prison but on the inside they can be mentors to other inmates. They can help positively guide the other inmates in the right direction to recidivism. They can help them study, control their anger problems, help them educate themselves, or even just help the inmates prepare themselves for their chance of rehabilitation. The road doesn’t come to an end with one person. Look at the 38 yr old man who committed a murder when he was 18. He get s to become a counselor for others he gets to help others. That there is a positive out come of these rehabilitation programs for these inmates here. Thunder456, ~myhearseisnotafuneralcar456~ krystal456 part 2
I think Its a good idea to want inmates to succeed and be the statistics of recidivism. I totally agree with this program because the are opening new doors for these inmates and giving them something beyond committing crimes. I like how they allow some of the inmates who went through the program come back and become mentors to others. This is what taxpayers should be spending money on rather that rehousing re-offending criminals. The more we put inmates in programs like this the greater the chance we would have to rehouse them in jail or prison. the fact that majority of the inmates in this program what better for themselves and what to do more than commit crimes I think it would drop the numbers in the overpopulated prisons and jails. I think this should encourage prisons and jails around the world because the more we get a hand on reducing recidivism we can get may be able to get the crime rates to drop enormously.
ReplyDeleteTJGirl456
After reading this article one of the things that stood out to me the most was that on the outskirts of Kewanee they have housed up to 300 juvenile offenders’. 300 juvenile offenders’ blows mind, honestly. I would have never guess for that number to be so high, but some could say that is a low number. It can go either way depending how you look at it. “For some inmates, success hinges on getting help for their complex needs that often were left unmet in the community. Mental health staff at Kewanee provides cognitive behavior therapy and other services.” That is definitely my favorite part of the whole article because they actually provide services for the ones suffering from mental health. Having those programs is a big thing to have. They actually took the time to hire a teach to help the inmates learning how to get a job, finance money, and the process to get a house. To me, Kewanee really cares about their inmates and wants them to better their lives, so when they get released, the inmates will not return to prison. Like Rafael Ortiz, who is 38 years old and has spent more than half of that behind bars in Chicago for committing a murder when he was 18 years old. When he gets out in about four months, from Kewanee, he has plans to start fresh in a new city and to complete his training to be able to become a substance abuse counselor.
Bears456
I noticed in this article that Roberto Tejeda said that half of those released from prison will be behind bars again within three years if they aren’t given proper help. Tejeda was transferred to Life Skills Re-Entry Center in Kewanee, IL, he is serving a four-year sentence for residential burglary, and was one of the first 60 inmates admitted to the program. The program offers vocational and educational counseling for men with less than four years remaining in their sentences. These types of programs need to be spread all around the world for anyone that has 4 or less years on their sentence to help people get ready to go back to the real world instead of just throwing them into the wild and hoping they can survive. Most of the inmates that are released as such end up back in jail because they didn’t get help and are poor so they are forced to do bad things again. If we help inmates before we release them it can cut down on the cost of keeping them in prison and it will help our prison population to decrease. These programs are able to help rehabilitate people from their wrong doings and also get them used to the real world again without just sending them on their own. Also in these programs people with families are able to have visits with them so they can also help guide them back into the family instead of being stuck in the family and not know what has been going on. If these programs spread around the world the amount of people going to prison will decrease because the people released will get proper treatment before they are released.
ReplyDeleteCarlBaconWho456