Volunteer mentors needed for program to help parolees re-enter society with support

18-Apr-2011

By THERESA CHURCHILL - H&R Senior Writer
Original article, April 15, 2011 Herald & Review

DECATUR - Inmates planning to stay in Macon County after their release from the Decatur Women's Correctional Center or the Decatur Adult Transitional Center soon will have mentors to help them make the transition to community life. 

Homeward Bound is recruiting volunteers for a new 2nd Chance re-entry program after receiving a two-year, $166,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Tamika Hall was promoted Feb. 1 to coordinate the program, and Harold Thomas started work Feb. 28 as the program's case manager. 

"Homeward Bound has been working with the Department of Corrections for years," said Ray Batman, executive director of Dove Inc., Homeward Bound's lead agency partner. "It's pretty apparent there's a need in the community for a program that deals with re-entry." 

Macon County is one of the top counties in the state in terms of the number of returning parolees seen annually. 

Shelith Hansbro, warden at the correctional center, said the program dovetails with others in the Justice department, including $300,000 awarded to the prison to provide re-entry case management to inmates released from the Moms and Babies program. 

Another grant will allow Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois to mentor children of incarcerated parents throughout its seven-county service area. "It's a great partnership for us," said Sara Holben, program coordinator. 

Hall formerly worked with parolees from other state prisons as a re-entry case manager for Homeward Bound. She is a 1994 graduate of Stephen Decatur High School and holds an MBA from DeVry University, Oakbrook Terrace. 

Hall said 2nd Chance's goal is to train at least 40 volunteer mentors and to work with parolees four months before they are released and 12 months after. 

Mentors will help the former inmates with such things as job applications and finding housing. "A lot of people getting out prison have broken bridges with family members and need support if they are to succeed," she said.