State Senator Donald E. Williams, Jr.
August 21, 2009
Successful Prisoner Reentry Program Faces Elimination
Senate President says public safety will suffer if STRIDE isn’t saved
At a news conference in front of the Hartford Correctional Center, ex-offender Connie Grabowski, of Terryville, speaks about the need to save the STRIDE program, which would permanently end if Governor Rell’s proposed cuts to the program take effect. STRIDE is a state-funded transitional support workforce development program that improves public safety by helping ex-offenders find employment and reunite with their families. Behind Ms. Grabowski, from left to right, are: ex-offender Cynthia White, of Bridgeport; Julie Scrapchansky, STRIDE program coordinator; and Senator Williams. (August 21, 2009)
Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) says Gov. Rell’s budget cuts have forced a successful prisoner reentry program to effectively shut down, affecting communities across the state, including Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Danielson, Groton, Norwich, Putnam, Storrs, Waterbury and Willimantic.
The STRIDE program improves public safety by helping ex-offenders find employment and reunite with their family. As a result, participants in STRIDE have a 7 percent recidivism rate, compared to an average rate of 40 percent for all ex-offenders in Connecticut.
“In this recession families are already worried about losing their job and their home, they shouldn’t have to fear that the state is undermining public safety by eliminating successful prisoner reentry programs,” said Senator Williams. “We must make spending cuts, and we have — $2.8 billion — but Gov. Rell’s decision to target this prisoner reentry program is a reckless move that will affect public safety and cost taxpayers more. By asking our wealthiest residents — joint filers making at least $500,000 — to pay an extra $20 a week, we can save STRIDE.”
Cynthia White, of Bridgeport, was recently released from prison and attended the news conference today, saying, “Without STRIDE I wouldn’t have made it. I’ve enrolled in college and turned my life around. I definitely won’t be back in prison.”
It is estimated that since STRIDE inception in 1999, it has worked with more than 750 ex-offenders and saved taxpayers approximately $7.8 million (based upon $80.84 incarceration cost per day). It costs $250,000 to run STRIDE each year.
Despite STRIDE’s success in improving public safety and saving taxpayer money, Gov. Rell has cut all funding for the program in her monthly budget allotments. Her latest budget proposal calls for a 50 percent cut in funding- or $270,000 — for STRIDE.
Alternative to incarceration programs cost the state less money than the costs of incarceration. While it costs approx. $44K a year to house an offender for a year in prison, it costs the state approx. $24-26K a year to place an offender in an alternative setting with treatment services.
“As of June 30, the STRIDE program ceased to exist,” said Julie Scrapchansky, STRIDE program coordinator. “There is no continuation of support for the 752 STRIDE participants state-wide. Programs like STRIDE enhance public safety by keeping ex-offenders out of prison and assisting them with job skills and placement, self esteem builders and family re-unification. The combination of pre and post release services is the one fundamental key to the success of this nationally recognized program. The continuity of care once released is critical for their success and to stop the cycle of crime. With a successful and documented 7 percent recidivism rate, STRIDE has saved the state more than $7.8 million dollars of incarceration expense. Without the STRIDE program, Connecticut’s documented recidivism rate climbs to over 40 percent. STRIDE is definitely worth the nominal amount of monies to sustain, execute and to continue to enhance public safety, which should be foremost in the mind of CT taxpayers.”
STRIDE is a state funded transitional support workforce development program operating within the Quinebaug Valley Community College’s (QVCC) Center for Community & Professional Learning. The program serves a targeted group of incarcerated men and women, from York Correctional Institution in Niantic and Bergin Correctional Institution in Storrs. The class curriculum and post-release services are designed to assist the men and women in re-entering the workforce upon release and to resume their parental roles.
STRIDE is designed to provide participants with job readiness, job search, job placement, and job retention skills and supports that will promote access to higher paying, personally relevant jobs. These jobs satisfy local labor market demands statewide.
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