8/15/2004 8:42:00 AM Citizen Circle changes the lives of ex-felons Slice of Life
John Graham Advocate Columnist
One question I recently asked Dr. Reginald Wilkinson, the director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, was why would a person coming out of prison want to be part of a community mentoring group like Citizen Circle?
This is an ODRC program that connects volunteers with parolees once a month to help them fit back into the community.
His answer seemed simplistic at the time, but the more I am involved with men and women coming out of prison, the more I am learning he was right. He said, "Most all of them really want to make it on the outside. They just don't know how."
Unfortunately, three out of four of them don't make it and it is costing taxpayers - you and me - an ungodly amount of our money to keep them in prison. Not only do we spend $1.6 billion per year to maintain Ohio's 31 prisons, but most of our local taxes are spent on them too. In Darke County 44 percent of the county's general fund budget goes toward the sheriff's department and the courts. And in Miami County it's worse. Sixty-one percent of the county's money is spent arresting, convicting and jailing offenders.
But last week a group of people met together to do something about that. More than two dozen volunteers spent the day training with ODRC officials so they can begin mentoring groups for parolees in both Miami and Darke counties.
Although several of the people were what you would call "professionals" - parole officers, mental health counselors, pastors, the majority of those attending were just ordinary folks.
"I don't have a lot of degrees. I'm just a good old boy," Bradford resident Bob Reed said. "But if I can help someone to get their life straight, I'm willing to do that."
Rich Gustafson of Arcanum agreed. "It's an opportunity to give back to the community, especially with those Jesus called "the least of these."
But Gustafson said what impressed him most about the Citizen Circle program is that it is a group effort. Mentoring an ex-felon, even talking with someone who has been in prison can be frightening for some people. But the mentoring that happens here is done as a group, "and that is a safer way to get involved," he said.
There have been a lot of programs come out of Columbus that tried to address the social problems in our communities. Although they may look good on paper, most of them didn't work because they are just that - programs, and programs don't change people. Only people can change people.
But I think Citizen Circle can work for several reasons. First of all, it is made up of volunteers like Bob Reed and Rich Gustafson who want to make a difference in their communities and they're willing to do whatever they can to help.
Second, Citizen Circle offers a safe place. "Most of us try to 'fix' people, but this is about taking people where they are now," Citizen Circle trainer Jennifer Gentry said. "It's really about acceptance, and that's something all of us need most."
In church on Sunday we talk a lot about changing broken lives, but it takes more than an emotional trip to the altar. It takes the ongoing support of the community - and especially the church community. Last week two dozen people met together in Troy to begin doing just that.
But that's not the end of the story. More volunteers are needed for the Darke and Miami County groups. And there is interest in starting a third group in Shelby County as well. Get involved. Make a difference in your community. Call me. It could change your life, too.
John Graham is an Advocate Columnist. His column appears each Sunday in the Advocate. He can be reached at jgraham19@woh.rr.com.
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