Program would help ex-inmates

NAMPA, Idaho – Idaho inmates who are released from prison face tough odds – at least a third of them end up back behind bars, according to the Idaho Department of Corrections.

But some community groups are hoping to improve inmates’ chances through a new mentoring program.

Healthy Families-Nampa, a coalition of religious, civic, education and business leaders, is working with local churches and other groups to pair released inmates with volunteer mentors. Officials hope the mentors will help the offenders adjust to changes in society and reunite with their families.

“When they’re in (prison), the world changes and a lot of them coming back are ill-equipped to handle those changes,” said Mark Donnellan, a program specialist with the Corrections Department.

Mentors will begin visiting soon-to-be-released offenders while they are still at the Nampa Correctional Work Center. They will maintain a relationship with the offender for six months.

“We know that their children have a high risk of being offenders themselves,” said Tammy Payne of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. “If you’ve got a healthy mom and dad, hopefully you’ve got a healthy family unit.”

Without intervention, one third of offenders who spend nine months or more at a work center before their release end up back in prison, Corrections Department statistics show. Inmates released without spending time in a work center have a 45 percent recidivism rate.

Offenders must be screened to qualify for the program, and those with a violent past or a history of pedophilia will be barred.