Posted by
greggason15 on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 9:55:22 AM
In our country there is a critical need to address how people are being released back into our communities from incarceration. There seems to be an increased awareness of the need to make those recently released more accountable for their whereabouts and actions. However, there is also a need for increased community accountability of those who have been caught by the grips of drugs and criminality and have served jail or prison sentences. There not only needs to be greater assistance to get people off drugs and get them jobs, there is a need to make them more community responsible. There needs to be a focus on getting the recently released to contribute back into the communities in which they adversely affected prior to incarceration. They need to "give back" instead of "taking". The courts need to do more to ensure they are required to be constructors of their communities rather than destructors of it! The implications are clear if the old timers invests quality time into the lives of the young person, who is vulnerable to the grips of drugs and crime involvement, and afford young people a better chance of breaking the cycle of poverty and incarceration.
There are many grassroots organizations like the one I am CEO of, called THE HAVEN HOUSE of Maryland. Our program is designed not only to assist the recently released with reentry into their communities, but we also hold them accountable to positively affect their communities! The power of mentoring and accountability are awesome in the ability to build up, change, and challenge the ills of our communities.