arts & entertainment
Artists Perform to Support Better People
By Helen Silvis
Of The Skanner News
L
inda
Hornbuckle,
Portland Police Chief
Michael Reese and
Deputy Director of Human
Services, Margaret Carter:
What do these very different
people have in common?
All three will be performing
next Saturday evening at
Irvington Covenant Church.
The event is Jazzy
Evening, a benefit for Better
People, the nonprofit that
helps ex-felons become pro-
ductive members of society.
Hornbuckle will perform
with her band, featuring
pianist Janice Scroggins.
While former Sen. Carter
will sing and Chief Reese
will play guitar. Also on the
playbill are: duo Barb
Galloway
and
Donna
Luckett; Lee Anthoney Orr
and comedy from Portland
Police
Sgt.
Willie
Halliburton.
“This is going to be a
wonderful event and we
encourage everyone to
come along and enjoy them-
selves,” says Clariner
Boston, executive director
of Better People. “And they
ly groups that use a special
technique called Moral
Reconation Therapy. MRT
is a type of therapy that
focuses on choosing ethical
and
moral
behavior.
According to the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration,
Boston and her small staff run
a program designed to help
former inmates find and keep
employment
will also be able to support a
good cause at the same
time.”
Boston and her small staff
run a program designed to
help former inmates find
and keep employment. The
program offers twice-week-
Page 6 The Portland Skanner
studies show that the thera-
py significantly reduces
recidivism.
“We do not refer to our
clients by any derogatory
names,” Boston told The
Skanner News. “We treat
everyone with respect and
when we talk about their
histories,
we refer to
clients’ past legal issues.”
A felony conviction
almost always has a long
term impact. Former felons
are routinely denied hous-
ing and employment, mak-
ing it far more difficult for
them to live ordinary,
crime-free lives.
“I originally decided to
join Moral Reconation
Therapy to find a job,” said
Julie C., a program gradu-
ate. “ However, once I
began to learn more…I real-
ized that this is not just a job
placement program. Really,
it is a process of becoming a
better person… being hon-
est with myself and every-
one else; going back to
school and staying away
from people I associated
with in the past are all posi-
tive things MRT has helped
me bring into my life…I am
now doing positive things
that guide me toward my
future.”
Joining the program
demands a serious commit-
ment from clients. Before
clients can receive employ-
ment assistance, they must
attend therapy sessions. The
goal is not only to help
clients find and keep perma-
nent living wage employ-
ment, but also to help them
develop solid ethical princi-
ples and behaviors. It’s
telling that police officers
are among the program’s
strongest advocates.
“I continue to be
impressed with Better
linda Hornbuckle, who will be performing May 14
at Irvington Covenant Church
People,” says retiring North
Precinct Commander James
Ferraris. “This organization
works with those who have
fallen down in society to
turn their lives around and
become productive and law
abiding members of our
community.”
Boston admits that this is
not the easiest time for any-
one with a less than perfect
record to seek employment.
But, she says, once employ-
ers join the program, they
stick around because Better
People’s graduates usually
prove themselves to be
hardworking, loyal employ-
ees with a lot to contribute.
“Our graduates do really
well,” Boston says. “We
have alumni who stay in
touch with us for years, and
we are very proud of their
successes.”
In June, Better People will
hold one of its semi-annual
forums on the topic The
Economics of Incarceration:
Pay Now or Pay More
Later. That event will be
held June 9 from 11:30am
to 1pm at
Irvington
Covenant Church. Watch
this space for details of
speakers.
This month, however, you
can support Better People
and enjoy some of
Portland’s finest musicians
at Jazzy Evening, 7-10 pm,
Saturday May 14, at
Irvington Covenant Church,
4046 NE Martin Luther
King Jr., Blvd. Buy tickets
online at Brown Paper
Tickets.