The Florida state legislature recently passed a bill creating a new reentry program – a needed step in reducing Florida’s large prison population and high recidivism rate.
According to the bill, non-violent drug offenders who have served at least half of their sentence would be eligible for the program, which would provide counseling and treatment in community centers across the state. The Florida Department of Corrections estimates that 337 current inmates would be eligible when and if the bill is signed by governor Rick Scott.
An editorial in the South Florida Sun Sentinel hails the program as a good start to reducing prison costs, as well as increasing the chances that prisoners develop into productive members of society. However, it also points out a major problem with the plan – that reduced budgets threaten to undermine the effectiveness of the program before it has a chance to get started.
This is why the presence of committed volunteers is so vital to assisting prisoners as they prepare to reenter society. Programs like the InnerChange Freedom Initiative have proven effective at reducing recidivism at no cost to taxpayers – and even offer a residual savings to the state when these former prisoners are able to stay out of prison.
Visit https://www.www.www.prisonfellowship.org/get-involved find out how you can be a part of the solution.