 Fisher, according to his website, is an "ex-offender" who served
time in prison between 1990 and 2000 after being convicted as a sex
offender. In his brief autobiography he explained his rehabilitation
and the help he received at a halfway house in Chicago when he was
granted a conditional release from prison.
In 2004 Fisher formed the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, and since
then he has been trying to raise money and find a suitable location
for a halfway house program for ex-offenders who are being released
on parole.
He told the council Tuesday night that the campus of Lincoln
Estates, formerly Lincoln Developmental Center, is the ideal
location for his program.
As he spoke to the council, he discussed the use of buildings on
the grounds, including the newest of the resident housing buildings
and the campus administration building.
He said that he has been in contact with the Illinois Department
of Central Management Services, which currently holds control of the
campus, and is hoping to work out a lease agreement with them in the
near future.
Fisher's plan for the ex-offender program includes approximately
80 parolees who would live on the campus under heavy security and
with GPS ankle bracelets. The residents would receive therapy and
practical skills training as they prepare to go back into society.
Each person entering the program would be required to reside on
campus a minimum of 180 days.
Fisher said that he also had visions of growing the campus to
include some independent living spaces, using the kitchen and bakery
facilities for food preparation for the residents and possibly some
resale to public schools and local prisons.
Fisher said that the program would bring security jobs to Logan
County, as he estimated a ratio of 1 to 1.5 security personnel per
resident.
He also said that the residents would receive training for
various lines of work and would hopefully be able to enter into the
work force later.
He said that ex-offenders need to take responsibility for the
devastation they have caused and to address the issues that put them
in prison.
During discussion Alderwoman Kathy Horn asked if the facility
would be for men, women or both, and Fisher said that currently the
plan is for men only. When asked where these ex-offenders would be
coming from, he said that they would all be parolees from Illinois
prisons.
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Alderwoman Marty Neitzel asked about where the "home base" for
the corporation was, and Fisher explained that right now he is
running everything from his home in Mount Olive.
City attorney Bill Bates asked what his history was for running
such a facility. Fisher said he had no history as far as running a
halfway house. He said that he had 25 years of management
experience but not in this field.
Alderman Buzz Busby asked where he was going to get the money for
the program, and Fisher cited the Second Chance Act, saying there
were federal funds available through grants from that act. He said
there would also be other grants he could apply for.
Tibbs asked who would send an ex-offender to the facility. Fisher
said that it was his understanding that each parolee has an exit
counselor who gets the inmates set up for their release. He said
that he would also be talking to parole boards and that his
organization would have a committee to help determine who was
allowed to come in and who wasn't. He also said he hoped that local
Department of Corrections personnel and judges would offer input as
well.
Neitzel asked how much the Second Chance grant was going to be if
awarded, and Fisher said it would be around $300,000.
Alderman David Wilmert said it sounded like a worthwhile cause
that the council might like to hear more about when Fisher has more
concrete information.
Snyder confirmed that, saying that it sounded like Fisher's plan
is still in the speculative stages at the moment.
Fisher said that, yes, it was, but he just wanted to come and
tell the council what he was hoping to do with the campus of LDC.
Before leaving the podium, Fisher passed out a seven-page
document, printed from his website, for the council to read at their
convenience.
To visit the website, go to
http://blissfulenterprises.org/default.aspx.
[By NILA SMITH]
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