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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 2011)
Pase2 _______________ ®»» ^lortlanò (Pbseruer Transitioning Futures co n tin u ed fr o m fr o n t A lthough several w om en w ho have been in and out o f the system w ant to find jo b s, housing and begin a healthy life, W edge said there are not enough resources available throughout the city to support them . “ W e have seen a lot o f w om en w ho w ant to change their lives, but have to put it on hold because they have no place to live,” she said. T he organization, w hich provides peer m entoring and counseling for individuals during tim es o f transition, said the shortage o f housing com es at a tim e w hen the num ber o f w om en going to prison is at an all tim e high. “T here is a serious need for housing for w om en,” said Felton H ow ard Jr., a navigator at M ercy C orps N o rth w est’s R eentry T ran sition C enter. “ W e ’ve noticed a great in crease in ju s t the last tw o years.” By w orking w ith a netw ork o f public and private organizations, H A R R P has served over 30 form erly incarcerated people since July 2010 on a m ission to better the c lie n t’s chances o f success outside o f prison, in crease public safety, and strengthen fam ily and com m unity. M ore than often those w ho have been to prison have an increased level o f challenges to find a healthy safe place to stay, said W edge. “ A nd they d o n ’t alw ays have any one they can talk to about their stru g g les.” photo by M indy C ooper / T he P ortland O bserver Louise Wedge is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor and peer mentor for the Highland Access Recovery and Reentry Program. C o m e a n d Experience my f a t h e r s L J V W y* B Faith and M I N I S T Join us for our R I E S Miracles! With Special Musical Guest W- fenny <M<t ^4<Mie-‘ i Z £ Friday, December 23rd at 7pm N e w S o n g C o m m u n it y C e n t e r 2511 NE M IK Blvd * PorUamt, OR 97212 Comer of NE MLK Blvd and Russell Street Doors open at 6pm for every service. For directions or more information, call 503-488-5481 or log on to w w w . m f h m p o r t la n d . c o m G unnar B row ning, correctional rehabilita tion m anager at the C offee C reek C o rrec tional Facility, w ho supervises the co u n se lors w ho w ork w ith fem ale intakes, said one o f the m ain goals is to reduce the n um ber o f inm ates w ho return to prison. “ So w e teach them the skills they need to m ake them m ore successful so they can stay out o f p riso n ,” he said. “ W e do case m an ag e m ent and assessm en ts to see w here their area o f needs are, and then m atch them up w ith the appropriate program s in the facil ity.” A ccording to B row ning, C offee C reek was created in 2001 to provide w om en inm ates several program s and services, including correctional program s, alcohol and drug coun seling, w ork-based education program s, and basic cognitive program s. A w ide-range o f transition program s are aim ed to help in m ates find em ploym ent, have financial re sponsibility ,find housing once they are re leased, and begin their transition back into society. “ From m y know ledge o f w orking w ith fem ales an d c o u n se lo rs, w e d o n ’t have enough transitional type housing fo r the need that is out th ere,” he said. “So w hat we w ant to do is teach them skills so they w o n ’t have to com e back to p riso n .” A lthough solid program m ing exists to help inm ates elim inate their old habits and b eh av iors w hile w ithin the correctional facility, W edge explained how w om en on the outside still need a com m unity that supports them . He said the need for m ore resources and facilities for w om en cannot be ignored. “ W om en are suffering,” said W edge. Even w ith all the preparation for life on the outside, if you have been in prison, it is hard to find a place to stay, she said. W aynette D odson, a certified co u n selo r and also a m entor for H A R R P, said she c o u ld n ’t agree m ore, calling H A R R P ’s tran- November 30, 2011 sitional housing unit “long ov erdue.” W edge recalled the story o f one o f her clien ts w ho attended m eetings everyday, but c o u ld n ’t find a hom e to live in after she w as released from prison. “ She clearly d id n ’t w ant to get back into the drug and alcohol life,” said W edge, w ho added that the w om an signed herself into a second treatm ent program ju s t to get h o u s ing. “ She had to, and that is said ,” said W edge. “ In ord er to stay clean, this is w hat she had to do, w hen she should be starting her life o v er.” A ccording to B row ning, a successful life after serving tim e really depends on the e x o ffen d e r’s w illingness to change. “ It all depends on how w ell they are pre pared in regards to old habits and old b eh av io rs,” he said. “T hat is really the key.” B row ning said w ith solid program m ing, the w ork o f parole officers and a good w ork ing relationship w ith county services, the support for the inm ate and their transition is the m ain priority. W edge agrees, and she is d eterm ined to help as m any w om en as possible, like others helped her, by providing individuals space to begin their lives anew . “ W e ’ 11 have 12-step m eetings. H ighland’s C o u n selin g C en ter and church all w ithin a few steps o f the resid en ce,” said H A R R P d irecto r Larry Johnson. “ H A R R P w ill be an asset to the com m unity, and a place o f peace fo r w om en w ho have a desire to change.” W edge said she has seen too m any w om en w ho w ant to change their lives and put it on hold because they had no w here to begin. “P eople have a tendency to think that people on the streets w ant to be there. That m ay be true for som e, but som e are trapped,” she said. “W e w ant to touch the w om en w ho are trapped, and help reunite them w ith their loved o n es.” ■■■■■■■NM M M M HHM I TLWeek ¡n The Review Jackson’s Doctor Sentenced Dr. C onrad M urray, the physician found guilty o f in v o lu n tary m an slau g h te r in the 2009 death o f M ichael Jackson, w as sentenced T u e s day to four-years in prison, the maxi m um he w as fac in g f o r m a n slaughter. A ju ry found M urray guilty three w eeks ago. Prison Guard Killed A Pendleton prison guard driving to w ork in E astern O regon w as k illed after he stopped to help a m an stranded by a car crash. A u thorities said the suspect Jo sh u a C harles W eeks, 22, o f M ultnom ah C ounty is being held on one co u n t o f m urder. Egypt Votes Begin A fter unexpectedly large crow ds turned out on M onday to cast th eir votes in E gypt's first parliam entary election since the reign o f H osni M ubarak, polls opened for a second day on T uesday. T he success o f the initial voting cam e as a surprise to even voters them selves, m any o f w hom said they cast their ballots out o f a sense o f duty and defiance. Northeast Market Robbed Portland Police B ureau responded to a ro b bery call on Saturday, N ov. 26 from Y ongs M arket, located in the 2600 blo ck o f N o rth east D ekum , w here a cu sto m er found an injured clerk. T he entire cash register was gone once police arrived on the scene. Portland Child Kidnapped A 2-year-old w as taken into protective c u s tody Sunday after police found the child in the arm s o f a w om an w ho suffers from m ental and drug issues. L isa Lee K em per, 30, is ch arg ed w ith kidnapping the young boy from his N orth M ississippi N eighborhood yard. Cain Reassesses Role H erm an C ain is "reassess ing" his R epublican presi dential cam paign in the w ake o f a w om an's claim that she and C ain had e n gaged in a 13-year rela tionship, a senior staffer to the cam paign told C BS N ew s and the N ational Journal T uesday. Archeologists Find Pits A n international archaeological survey team has d iscovered tw o new pits at S tonehenge, w here ev id en ce suggests they w ere once used as a place o f sun w orship before the stones w ere erected. T he team is using g e o physical im aging techniques to investigate the site.