The Department of Corrections has expanded housing offerings and points to data showing fewer people are stuck in prison due to lack of housing, but prison reform advocates say the state should be doing more.
Jim Kenyon: Out of jail, they have to go somewhere
Modified: 7/24/2021 9:53:55 PM
Part of Kym Anderson’s job is to find affordable apartments for people in need, which even under ordinary circumstances can be virtually impossible in the housing-deficient Upper Valley.
But when your clients are felons who have done time?
Anderson, the reentry program coordinator at the Orange County Restorative Justice Center in Chelsea, can only hope that landlords and the public in general are willing to keep an open mind.
“People are going to be coming out of jail whether we support them or not,” she said, referring to U.S. Justice Department statistics that indicate 95% of inmates are released from prison at some point. “For people to put their best selves forward, they need security.”
In Vermont, restorative justice under statute may not lead to equitable services concordmonitor.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from concordmonitor.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In Granite State, data not the top priority
Police have wide discretion in how they resolve situations. Diversion programs are one alternative to arrest. Bill Gnade
Published: 4/20/2021 6:00:20 PM
Court diversion advocates across the country say diversion saves money and reduces crime. But in New Hampshire, and nationally, the data to support this claim is hard to find.
Without more data collection and analysis, experts warn that it will be difficult to prove to funders and the public that diversion is as effective as advocates say.
Data not a top priority
How many adults and juveniles go through New Hampshire’s court diversion programs each year, and how effective are these programs at reducing crime? Even though New Hampshire’s first diversion program was started more than 40 years ago, these questions are still difficult to answer.