DE Probation and Parole hosts reentry workshop for housing opportunities
GEORGETOWN, Del. – In Georgetown, incarcerated individuals are being set up for success upon their release from prison.
At Sussex Correctional Institution, Probation and Parole led a workshop that inmates say isn’t just helping them get back on their feet.
“We are facing a lot of difficulty finding housing for people being released. We are also struggling with people that are losing housing on the street,” Senior Probation Officer at SCI said.
Wednesday’s workshop focused on safe and healthy housing opportunities. “With us trying to have a more trauma-informed approach in the state of Delaware, mental illness does creep up when it comes to homelessness that’s a very traumatic experience for people,” Jeffrey Curtis, a CPS Reentry Case Worker for DHSS said.
Inmates in the workshop, Robert Knox serving 18 months and William Drummond serving 2 years agreed that mental health resources need to be in place before walking out the gate. “For me personally a therapist is the main thing. I feel like mental health is important that’s the biggest part of the transition back into society,” Robert Knox said.
“That mental health is a big thing in this program. I’m going to need to work on that myself,” William Drummond added.
Knox is waiting to be released in August. He says that individuals who come to jail lose many basic necessities, which may motivate them to turn to old ways. “A lot of people came to jail and they lost everything, so just the substance abuse treatment, helping with housing, and everything like that it’s a good thing,” Knox emphasized.
“More people, more positive people giving more good information, so that I won’t be back in the same situation,” Terence Wise added.
Probation and Parole’s Kevin Cooper led the workshop and says it’s important to get on board early to lessen the chance of re-offending. “You don’t want to be the person that is being released and that’s it. You want to have things put in place for you, you want to take advantage of all of the services,” Cooper explained.
This was the fourth of six sessions. The next session will cover family. Probation and Parole are also working with the Delaware Center of Justice.
Jeffrey Curtis with Delaware Health and Social Services says the department is working toward finding a more nuanced approach to solving the housing crisis.
They’re aiming to provide secure jobs for those recently released from prison. Individuals will get set up with their Delaware personal credential card, which pays for their state ID.
