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“When I started here at the jail, there was one General Education Development program,\u201d he said. \u201cThere were no other evidence-based programs. Nothing was really helping to prepare inmates for release.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recidivism is defined by the State Department of Corrections as a new felony committed within 24 months of release or a return to state custody based on a technical violation of supervision, according to the department. Harmon\u2019s determination to reduce recidivism rates and provide inmates with opportunities for a better future led him to pitch the idea of Moral Recognition Therapy and other life skills programs for the Warren County Jail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOnce I got in office and figured out, you know, what the job was and how many things that I was responsible for,\u201d he said, \u201cI started putting the plan in motion for some reentry efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, the jail offers six or seven evidence-based programs that get inmates time off their sentence and, more importantly, prepare them for reentry. Classes like anger management and parenting, moral recognition therapy, and new direction classes give them life skills to succeed outside of the confines of the correctional facility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe talk about barriers a lot \u2014 housing, employment, substance abuse, mental health, supportive or non-supportive family,\u201d Harmon said. \u201cWe try to reduce the amount of those barriers as they make plans A, B, and C for reentering society. So that’s kind of what our mission is for reentry: to eliminate barriers that would bring you back into an incarcerated setting.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that the state\u2019s recidivism rate dropped to 27.15% \u2014 a historic\u00a0low. Now, over 1-in-4 people released from prison are committing new crimes. The reoffending rate back in 2017 was 44.56%, or almost 1-in-2.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Our inmates come from all different life stories, and some of them are pretty tragic and horrific,\u201d Harmon said. \u201cObviously, we have to keep them safe and secure while they’re here, but another responsibility of ours is to try and prepare them to be successful outside of these walls.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most vital programs introduced by Harmon in 2017 was the inmate ID program, the first of its kind in Kentucky. The program has partnered with the circuit court clerk to provide inmates with identification documents, such as IDs, social security cards, and birth certificates. These documents may seem trivial to some, but they are critical tools for obtaining employment, housing, and societal stability for the formerly incarcerated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll those life documents that you and I take for granted, these folks may not have,\u201d Harmon said. \u201cThese are things you have to have to be employed \u2014 you have to rent a place and try and purchase a car.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harmon actively pursued partnerships with second-chance employers, allowing eligible inmates to work in the community during the day and save money through a structured contract. This approach provides practical job experience and a source of income and instills a sense of responsibility and accountability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Several inmates have been hired by second-chance employers and go to work in the community during the day. They have a contract requiring them to save money and are drug tested. They even partner with the bank to help them build savings accounts. Some inmates who aren\u2019t work-eligible yet work in the facility\u2019s laundry room or kitchen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With the support of a dedicated team, Harmon and the Warren County Jail are actively transforming lives, one step at a time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “It takes a lot of folks to make this place run, and certainly, I couldn’t do anything without a great staff,” Harmon said. “All of them together were able to make some big strides.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Governor Beshear highlighted that this year, the employment rate among those released from state incarceration has reached 57%, compared to 49% four years ago. Harmon’s emphasis on equipping inmates with life skills and providing them with second-chance employment opportunities has contributed to that shift. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “In our business, sometimes you have to dig for the positive,\u201d Harmon said. \u201c You have to dig a little deeper than in some other professions to find what keeps you going and motivating you. For me, I find it in the reentry efforts.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" FOR DECADES, the mentality around jails and criminal justice was \u201ccome in, serve your time, have \u2018three hots and a cot,\u2019\u201d according to Warren County jailer Stephen Harmon. When it was time for an inmate\u2019s release, regardless of what kind of financial, community, or family support they had, they were kicked out the door and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":20823,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/bowling-green\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/10\/2-1024x683.png\")
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