Logan County Jail program changes lives

 

[July 19, 2022] 

In June the Logan County Board heard an update and request to continue funding a program that helps inmates better their lives while serving time. Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois (CAPCIL) brought the program to the attention of then newly elected Logan County Sheriff Mark Landers and in January 2021 and Landers brought it to the board recommending a trial period.

In the spring of 2021, the ‘Grow Me Project’ was begun at the Logan County Jail.

Finance Committee Chairman Steve Jenness asked Landers to give the committee an update.

Sheriff Landers recently met with CAPCIL about extending the program. He said they have had success with individuals who have participated. Some have continued to utilize CAPCIL services after they have completed the program.

Recidivism is a large factor in the number of persons incarcerated. Government statistics show that “Within three years of their release, two out of three people are rearrested and more than 50% are incarcerated again.” [– Healthy people]

The program was created to help people who could benefit from certain community resources. Landers said resources include anger management classes, parenting classes and job skills training. One intent of the program is to provide detainees with an opportunity to try to change their ways and their path.

The first year, Landers said it was a pilot program. Because it has been successful, he would like to see it continue.

Since the program began during the pandemic, Landers said they have not yet been able to offer classes in a group setting. Currently, instructors meet individually once a week with the inmates enrolled in the program to see how the inmates are doing with the program.

A report from CAPCIL highlighted some of the program’s successes. This report lists eight detainees who are in progress with the program, one who completed the program and is in treatment and three detainees who have been released.

Highlights in that report showed that with the “in progress” detainees, the coaches have made successful efforts to connect families on the outside with additional CAPCIL resources. Four out of six in the program currently have family in the CAPCIL service and the outside families have been connected to CAPCIL resources.

When the sheriff’s office and CAPCIL first launched the program in January 2021, they asked the county for a $5,000 donation.

At that time the board voted to provide $2,500 from the community support line item for the pilot program. Then, after discussion with Planning and Zoning and Economic Development Committee Chairman David Hepler, Invenergy, who is developing a wind farm project in the county, expressed interest in supporting the program. Invenergy decided at that time to provide $2,500 in matching funds for the program.

Now, to keep funding the program, Landers is asking for another $5,000 donation. Landers said this amount would cover a full year.
 

Since the program began, board member David Hepler said he feels it has exceeded everyone’s expectations. He would like to see the program continue. Hepler then motioned to fund the Grow Me Project with CAPCIL and the Logan County Sheriff’s office for the following year at $5,000.

When the board funded the program last year, Jenness recalled the funding coming from the county’s farm account. He said it would have come from the “indigent fund” in that account. Jenness feels that is the appropriate place to take it from.

Originally, Hepler said the money came out the community development fund. It was later reimbursed through the farm account. For many years, Hepler said various funding came through the indigent fund.

[Angela Reiners]

The Healthy People 2020 Social Determinants of Health topic area is organized into 5 place-based domains:
1. Economic Stability
2. Education
3. Health and Health Care
4. Neighborhood and Built Environment
5. Social and Community Context
Incarceration is a key issue in the Social and Community Context domain.

[Healthy people]