Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Friday, August 01, 2008
Why the group home for jail inmates is a good idea
Residents in two neighborhoods La Crosse County officials considered for a house for recently-released female jail inmates, met with county officials Wednesday evening in what was a civil and useful meeting.
But one statement from a man who argued that the women should just remain in jail “where they belong” deserves comment and explanation. The vast majority of County Jail inmates are there for short periods of time. They eventually will be let out of jail, and will move into the community — maybe on your block.
Without some counseling or help in coping with life on the outside, however, these women might just re-offend and get back into jail. The women in this program will have offended more than once, and many will have substance abuse problems or have been abused in the past. They have a lot of issues, and need more structure and controls before they are on their own.
Representatives of two neighborhood groups told county officials they objected to having jail inmates in their neighborhoods and were concerned about security as a result.
The county had considered putting the house in the 900 block of Cameron Avenue on the South Side, but now is looking at two houses on the North Side at Kane and St. Paul streets.
The La Crosse County Human Services Board is expected to vote on the North Side site at its Aug. 12 meeting. If that body votes yes, the full County Board would vote at its Aug. 21 meeting.
If the County Board approves it, the program could begin in September. This is only a temporary location. The county is leasing two houses from the city of La Crosse for one year. The county will have a permanent site picked out and ready for use at the end of the year.
Wherever this program is located, it will serve the useful purpose of helping prepare these women for a more successful life on the outside.
County Board Chairman Steve Doyle, who attended the meeting Wednesday at the North Side Policing Center, used the example of a person with a drinking problem. In the jail, without access to alcohol, he is sober. But as soon as he gets out of jail, he finds the nearest bar and starts to drink. Rather than just allow former inmates to continue their bad habits, this program will attempt to give them the tools to change their lives.
These aren’t violent offenders, but they are multiple offenders, with lots of issues. They will be on electronic monitoring, with staff either on site or making random checks. There will be cameras monitoring the site, and men will not be allowed inside the building.
Violations can send the women back to the jail. Without getting into the neighborhood details, which will be resolved by the county with input from residents, this is a worthwhile program that will offer drug and alcohol treatment, counseling, health care, and help with parenting skills and other issues.
If we just release these multiple offenders without any structure or assistance, we’re setting them up for failure, to the detriment of themselves, their families and their children.
Rather than just warehouse repeat petty offenders and then let them into the community to fail again, this program offers intervention and structure. That’s why we need it.
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