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Roughly 30 years ago prison activists
began to promote the concept of
“alternatives to prisons.” The alternatives they had in mind were halfway houses, probation, and other less punitive forms of supervision and rehabilitation. “Punishment” was viewed as being detrimental to the concept of rehabilitation. “Treatment” was the new buzzword.
Halfway houses three decades ago were places to live until a parolee was able to find a job and save up enough money to rent an apartment. There were no programs and very few restrictions in halfway houses. Basically they were there to assist parolees until they were financially stable.
As the years passed the halfway houses slowly began to change and became more restrictive and punitive. It seems that activists from years ago had lost interest or moved on and no attention was given to what was going on with these “alternatives”. Eventually some of the halfway houses became so punitive they were considered to be a punishment or sanction themselves. Judges sentenced offenders to halfway houses to be punished. It was considered to be less harsh than imprisonment, but harsh enough to be a valid sanction. Today halfway houses are considered to be an important part of “Community Correctional Control” and many are certified through the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) Bureau of Community Sanctions.
The same halfway houses used as punishment for offenders in lieu of imprisonment, are the same halfway houses parolees are placed in after they have served their sentences in prisons. They are subjected to the same programs and punishment as those offenders who are sent there by the courts. The glaring contradiction here is the fact that parolees have already been sanctioned and punished when they went to prison.
To make it even worse the Ohio Parole Board began to make it mandatory for many parolees to go to halfway houses even though they have family and friends who are willing to give them food, clothing and shelter. This increased the cost to taxpayers unnecessarily, and increased the parolees’ punishment.
The DRC and the American Correctional Association set the standards for all halfway houses that are certified by the Bureau of Community Sanctions. Certified halfway houses are funded by several state agencies, one of which is the DRC. Through confusing rhetoric “programs” and “standards” the prison industrial complex moved into halfway houses.
Why would we want to punish parolees again in the community when they have already been punished in prison?
Recently it came to my attention that one of the most punitive halfway houses in the state was right here in Columbus. It’s called the Diversified Community Services - Therapeutic Community. I learned quickly from Diversified staff that it was not considered (by them) to be a halfway house; although parolees are sent directly there from prison.
It has long been rumored by ex-prisoners who have been through their “program” to be the very worse halfway house in the state. If it is not a halfway house, then why are parolees sent directly there?
In a recent meeting with the DRC Deputy Director of the Adult Parole Authority I learned that there is a shortage of halfway house beds. Because of this there was approximately 800 parolees waiting in prison for placement in halfway houses. Some of these men and women have waited over a year for placement in one of the certified halfway houses. No matter what Diversified calls itself, it is being used as a halfway house. With such a long waiting list for halfway houses, why did the Ohio Parole Board continue to make it mandatory for so many parolees who had places to live to go through these halfway houses? Taxpayers are paying to keep parolees in prison because all the halfway houses are full, and taxpayers are paying for parolees to go to halfway houses when they have families willing to give them shelter.
When I began to look at Diversified I found that their concept of Therapeutic Community included verbal and psychological abuse. Making residents wear signs around their necks saying “I’m stupid” or “I sold my ass for a pack of cigarettes”, or making residents crawl around the floor and pretend they’re roaches. Staff get in the faces of residents and scream at them as if they are in a “boot camp”.
Residents who have complained in the past have been kicked out of the program and placed immediately in jail. Many have been returned to prison over the years for not successfully completing the program.
On October 28th I was assaulted in front of Diversified by one of the staff members. If staff are so bold as to assault a member of our community, you can only imagine what they are doing to the women and men under their authority.
Again, why are parolees sent to this type of therapeutic community when they have already served their sentences? How much punishment is enough?
Pete James, president of Diversified stated it very clearly, “If these beds aren’t full we don’t make money”. James admitted that Diversified’s therapeutic community is not for everyone. But, they knowingly accept parolees who don’t deserve additional punishment just to keep the beds full and make money. The Ohio Parole Board is greatly responsible for creating the problem by requiring parolees to go to these programs who don’t deserve the additional punishment.
Halfway houses which were once looked at as “alternatives to prisons” have now become “supplements to prison”. They are punishment. The prison industrial complex is moving into our community under the guise of halfway houses. This is part of the new trend of “community correctional control.”
Along with the abusive mentality towards the men and women under their authority. Just like what’s been going on within the state prison system. Citizens have very little to say about what’s being done with our tax money, but we do have a right to stand up to these abuses in our communities.
Mr. James of Diversified has stated that he’s willing to work with us and that they do need to focus more on “positive reinforcement” for residents in the future. I hope that is true. But citizens need to look closely at what is being done with our tax money, and need to be sure that we don’t allow the level of punishment for these women and men to exceed their crimes.
How much punishment is enough? And who is determining that? Prison officials call themselves professionals. If this were true then why are they punishing these parolees for crimes they’ve already been punished for? I say that prison officials don’t have a clue what rehabilitation is. It’s all about making money.
Dan Cahill Founded the Prisoner’s Advocacy Network or Ohio.
Halfway houses three decades ago were places to live until a parolee was able to find a job and save up enough money to rent an apartment. There were no programs and very few restrictions in halfway houses. Basically they were there to assist parolees until they were financially stable.
As the years passed the halfway houses slowly began to change and became more restrictive and punitive. It seems that activists from years ago had lost interest or moved on and no attention was given to what was going on with these “alternatives”. Eventually some of the halfway houses became so punitive they were considered to be a punishment or sanction themselves. Judges sentenced offenders to halfway houses to be punished. It was considered to be less harsh than imprisonment, but harsh enough to be a valid sanction. Today halfway houses are considered to be an important part of “Community Correctional Control” and many are certified through the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) Bureau of Community Sanctions.
The same halfway houses used as punishment for offenders in lieu of imprisonment, are the same halfway houses parolees are placed in after they have served their sentences in prisons. They are subjected to the same programs and punishment as those offenders who are sent there by the courts. The glaring contradiction here is the fact that parolees have already been sanctioned and punished when they went to prison.
To make it even worse the Ohio Parole Board began to make it mandatory for many parolees to go to halfway houses even though they have family and friends who are willing to give them food, clothing and shelter. This increased the cost to taxpayers unnecessarily, and increased the parolees’ punishment.
The DRC and the American Correctional Association set the standards for all halfway houses that are certified by the Bureau of Community Sanctions. Certified halfway houses are funded by several state agencies, one of which is the DRC. Through confusing rhetoric “programs” and “standards” the prison industrial complex moved into halfway houses.
Why would we want to punish parolees again in the community when they have already been punished in prison?
Recently it came to my attention that one of the most punitive halfway houses in the state was right here in Columbus. It’s called the Diversified Community Services - Therapeutic Community. I learned quickly from Diversified staff that it was not considered (by them) to be a halfway house; although parolees are sent directly there from prison.
It has long been rumored by ex-prisoners who have been through their “program” to be the very worse halfway house in the state. If it is not a halfway house, then why are parolees sent directly there?
In a recent meeting with the DRC Deputy Director of the Adult Parole Authority I learned that there is a shortage of halfway house beds. Because of this there was approximately 800 parolees waiting in prison for placement in halfway houses. Some of these men and women have waited over a year for placement in one of the certified halfway houses. No matter what Diversified calls itself, it is being used as a halfway house. With such a long waiting list for halfway houses, why did the Ohio Parole Board continue to make it mandatory for so many parolees who had places to live to go through these halfway houses? Taxpayers are paying to keep parolees in prison because all the halfway houses are full, and taxpayers are paying for parolees to go to halfway houses when they have families willing to give them shelter.
When I began to look at Diversified I found that their concept of Therapeutic Community included verbal and psychological abuse. Making residents wear signs around their necks saying “I’m stupid” or “I sold my ass for a pack of cigarettes”, or making residents crawl around the floor and pretend they’re roaches. Staff get in the faces of residents and scream at them as if they are in a “boot camp”.
Residents who have complained in the past have been kicked out of the program and placed immediately in jail. Many have been returned to prison over the years for not successfully completing the program.
On October 28th I was assaulted in front of Diversified by one of the staff members. If staff are so bold as to assault a member of our community, you can only imagine what they are doing to the women and men under their authority.
Again, why are parolees sent to this type of therapeutic community when they have already served their sentences? How much punishment is enough?
Pete James, president of Diversified stated it very clearly, “If these beds aren’t full we don’t make money”. James admitted that Diversified’s therapeutic community is not for everyone. But, they knowingly accept parolees who don’t deserve additional punishment just to keep the beds full and make money. The Ohio Parole Board is greatly responsible for creating the problem by requiring parolees to go to these programs who don’t deserve the additional punishment.
Halfway houses which were once looked at as “alternatives to prisons” have now become “supplements to prison”. They are punishment. The prison industrial complex is moving into our community under the guise of halfway houses. This is part of the new trend of “community correctional control.”
Along with the abusive mentality towards the men and women under their authority. Just like what’s been going on within the state prison system. Citizens have very little to say about what’s being done with our tax money, but we do have a right to stand up to these abuses in our communities.
Mr. James of Diversified has stated that he’s willing to work with us and that they do need to focus more on “positive reinforcement” for residents in the future. I hope that is true. But citizens need to look closely at what is being done with our tax money, and need to be sure that we don’t allow the level of punishment for these women and men to exceed their crimes.
How much punishment is enough? And who is determining that? Prison officials call themselves professionals. If this were true then why are they punishing these parolees for crimes they’ve already been punished for? I say that prison officials don’t have a clue what rehabilitation is. It’s all about making money.
Dan Cahill Founded the Prisoner’s Advocacy Network or Ohio.