The Afro American Newspaper -
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Published on: 3/19/2004
Last Visited: 3/20/2004
While Owens' experience has been rough, that is not the intent of the system, according to Tomi Hiers, executive assistant to the deputy secretary of operations in the Department of Public Safety.
She says Maryland's Reentry Partnership Program is unique, so much so that Tod Lending has chosen to focus his upcoming film documentary, "Redemption," on two subjects from this area.
"We courted him because we are proud of the work we've begun in this area," Hiers said."Our goal is that every ex-offender has a reasonable return to the community so they can become stakeholders and contributors."
She was surprised at the difficulties Owens has encountered with the program, and still, reportedly as of Feb. 28, waiting for background clearance for sex crimes or offenses against children.
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"Our program tries to develop a comprehensive strategy while the subject is still incarcerated, so they make better choices, become employment-ready, not with hard skills, but the soft skills needed to keep a job," Hiers said."We work with anger management to help them cope with the difficulties they're sure to face, so they show frustration in healthy ways."
She said they also work with them to understand the impact their past offenses have had on victims and victims' families, and even their own families and friends.
"It's a huge task, making sure all the partners are doing everything we possibly can to get people out the door the right way."
Hiers said it's hard to get people to understand just how hard prison really is and the challenges that ex-offenders face when they get out, and the stigma that stays with them.
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