Pase2
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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
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Experience
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Faith and
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Join us for our
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Miracles!
With Special
Musical Guest
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fenny <M<t ^4<Mie-‘
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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
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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
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