- Neighbors and authorities have programs in place to help fight recidivism in Tallahassee communities.
- According to the Office of the Sixth Judicial the Recidivism rate in Florida is about 25 percent within three years of a state prisoner's release.
- Watch the video above to see what's being done to give neighbors second chances, and prevent others from going in all together.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"No matter what it is, if it's helping recidivism, no matter what you're trying to help someone with; genuine love is the root of people being changed."
While walking through Tallahassee's Southwest neighborhood, I talked to Executive Director of Clean Start Initiative, Warren Cave.
Clean Start is a non-profit organization designed to help former inmates get re-established in the community by helping them find work and connect with other resources. Cave, who has spent time in the justice system, understands the mindset of someone who re-offends and goes back behind bars.
"The mindset of the ones that's consistently going in and out is they become immune to it, and they get used to it. It's a lifestyle."
I checked with the Office of the State Attorney Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida. It shows that the recidivism rate in Florida is about 25 percent within three years of a state prisoner's release.
That puts pressure on prisons where we live too.
"We typically see about one third of the folks that comes through our facility will end up coming back at least one more time," explained Brad Janowski, Director of Re-entry and inmate programs with the Leon County Sheriff's Office.
He tells me it's standard to see that happen in any community, so, I asked him, "in your experience, what have you seen work for people not coming back to the facility?"
"What we don't do is tell people how they should live their life, but we help them realize the decisions they make today are leading them to places they don't want to be and so in order to change that we help them figure out what they need to change in their life."
With programs like The Clean Start Initiative and RISE with the Leon County Sheriff's Office, Cave says honesty is what helps at the end of the day.
"You got to be honest with yourself."
