Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Another bill to make conservatives go apeshit

pan6467 · 04-02-2008, 11:01 AM

It's an interesting idea and if the money goes truly where it is supposed to, that only leaves one factor to consider, the ex-con. It thus, depends on them.

If the money doesn't go where it should, then we get to see fingers pointed and it becomes a program that will grow demand more funding and fail.

If the ex-cons go back to the life they left, people will eventually say, "we've tried everything... no more." and develp a harsher attitude towards rehabilitation.

The Feds have a similar program for addicts/alcoholics that they are testing in Ohio and several other states. Where I work we are the center of it for our county.

The program is 2 months old, called among other names "Action to recovery".

The addict gets his assessment and a referral to intensive outpatient. The addict then goes over to the Action side, shows his/her referral and gets 2 months rent for a sober house and payment for the treatment with their signature on a contract that states they will stay clean and will by the third month have a job and be able to pay their own rent.

However, should they break that contract they are no longer eligible for any government funding for treatment unless it is life threatening.

A first they just gave clients $1000 check for rent and found too many relapsed on the money.

So then they very fastly went and found halfway houses.

The problem is, landlords weren't ready so some of those rooms or apartments were paid for but weren't ready to live in. I know personally of a client going in to the house, being given a room with a mattress (no box springs) on the floor and would flood when the person up stairs flushed the toilet. He left. He is staying clean on his own and has been keeping in touch with me.

The landlord's in all this get to keep he money. Someone comes in drunk, gets booted, the landlord keeps the 2 months rent AND gets to re-rent that room.

It's getting better, more organized. But what we are seeing is people are still relapsing because it is truly free money. So they are trying to find ways to better the recidivism rates.

There s definitely abuse in this system. It's a great idea, but they need to put more controls on it, especially the landlord side. Right now as I showed, it pays more to have the client fail and be kicked out within the first week.

Also screen the clients better, don't just take anyone, which is what they are doing. Take those serious abut recovery.... but therein lies the problem who is serious and who is looking for free rent for 2 months? How can you tell who is who?

Have these landlords answerable, make them show some form of success rate. But so far they are just looking at the clients and what they can do to get more success out of them.

I hope this program (OP) is better thought out.

04-02-2008, 11:01 AM	#23 (permalink)
pan6467 Lennonite Priest Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA	It's an interesting idea and if the money goes truly where it is supposed to, that only leaves one factor to consider, the ex-con. It thus, depends on them. If the money doesn't go where it should, then we get to see fingers pointed and it becomes a program that will grow demand more funding and fail. If the ex-cons go back to the life they left, people will eventually say, "we've tried everything... no more." and develp a harsher attitude towards rehabilitation. The Feds have a similar program for addicts/alcoholics that they are testing in Ohio and several other states. Where I work we are the center of it for our county. The program is 2 months old, called among other names "Action to recovery". The addict gets his assessment and a referral to intensive outpatient. The addict then goes over to the Action side, shows his/her referral and gets 2 months rent for a sober house and payment for the treatment with their signature on a contract that states they will stay clean and will by the third month have a job and be able to pay their own rent. However, should they break that contract they are no longer eligible for any government funding for treatment unless it is life threatening. A first they just gave clients $1000 check for rent and found too many relapsed on the money. So then they very fastly went and found halfway houses. The problem is, landlords weren't ready so some of those rooms or apartments were paid for but weren't ready to live in. I know personally of a client going in to the house, being given a room with a mattress (no box springs) on the floor and would flood when the person up stairs flushed the toilet. He left. He is staying clean on his own and has been keeping in touch with me. The landlord's in all this get to keep he money. Someone comes in drunk, gets booted, the landlord keeps the 2 months rent AND gets to re-rent that room. It's getting better, more organized. But what we are seeing is people are still relapsing because it is truly free money. So they are trying to find ways to better the recidivism rates. There s definitely abuse in this system. It's a great idea, but they need to put more controls on it, especially the landlord side. Right now as I showed, it pays more to have the client fail and be kicked out within the first week. Also screen the clients better, don't just take anyone, which is what they are doing. Take those serious abut recovery.... but therein lies the problem who is serious and who is looking for free rent for 2 months? How can you tell who is who? Have these landlords answerable, make them show some form of success rate. But so far they are just looking at the clients and what they can do to get more success out of them. I hope this program (OP) is better thought out. __________________ I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"