Led by Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Kimberly Staley, Mayor Joe Ganim announced on Monday details of a reentry program to connect ex-offenders with community resources and job potential. Ganim, an ex-offender who made a historic comeback last year following his 2003 conviction on federal corruption charges, shared additional details of a second-chance initiative with local basketball star Charles Smith.
More details from a mayoral news release:
“We have more than 1,000 men and women coming back to Bridgeport every year from prison, and reentry is a tough adjustment,” said Mayor Ganim. These individuals have paid their debt to society and deserve every opportunity to become contributing members of the community. Synthesizing re-entry services within the city of Bridgeport can help individuals avoid re-incarceration or re-arrest, and turn into real success stories for their families and the entire city by starting a new career.”
Assistant Chief Admintrative Officer, Kim Staley said, “We are united behind supporting those reentering society from incarceration and their families achieve success, which we know only makes our whole community stronger. I am so thankful for all the partners who are all working hard to ensure that those coming out of prison get a real 2nd chance to get things right for themselves and their families. We have people volunteering their time, local business and nonprofits who have come on board and what they all have in common is passion understanding and zeal. This comprehensive approach will make sure anyone having trouble readjusting to the world outside of prison get treatment and counseling if needed, professional support and development, and also a referral to an employer.”
Former NBA star Charles Smith, a native of Bridgeport, launched his own program, entitled “Rebounding for Life” to help formerly incarcerated men and women be ready to enter the labor force. Smith said, “There is so much work to be done to prepare men and women who’ve done time in prison for the rigors of a professional environment and all the adversity they will face on the outside. We focus on mental and physical preparedness, but often times people need to learn professional etiquette–things as simple as showing up on time and appropriate dress that many of us would take for granted. There are many men and women with a felony in their past who need employment, and there are many more who may not be job ready. Our goal is to make as many ex-offenders as possible take pride in themselves, set and achieve goals so they can be ready when speaking to an employer about being hired.”
The Mayor’s Initiative on Reentry Affairs (MIRA) was created to connect returning citizens to community resources, wraparound services and employment & educational opportunities utilizing a comprehensive holistic community-based approach. The approximately 8,500 ex-offenders living in the city of Bridgeport represent 19% of the total population in the city in need of employment. Before an ex-offender can get or hold a job, however, sometimes that person needs mental health services, education assistance and housing services–services the city can help connect an individual to. MIRA will play a vital role in creating a strong framework to decrease recidivism by supporting collaborative partnerships for citizens returning to the Bridgeport community.
The MIRA will serve three major roles within the City of Bridgeport (1) Direct Support Services (2) Coordination of city-wide re-entry services (3) Service Referrals. Details for each focus area are included:
(1) Direct Support Service
Ø MIRA will outreach to incarcerated persons scheduled to be released to the City of Bridgeport approximately 90 days prior to release.
Ø MIRA staff will provide resource packets and/or other materials necessary for community re-engagement.
Ø The MIRA will conduct need assessments that will include but not be limited to: vocational interests, educational aptitude, criminal history, spiritual needs, substance abuse history, mental health needs, and mother- and/or fatherhood training, how to be a better son or sibling, basic identification needs, etc. Given an initial assessment MIRA staff will determine appropriate levels of support needed.
Ø As needed, individuals will be issued a city of Bridgeport identification card.
Ø Each individual will receive weekly contact for ninety days. The contact will be focused on individual needs as determined by the initial intake. In addition, BORA will follow-up and track participant outcomes through partnering agencies for 90 days after program conclusion.
Ø In addition to individual communication, the MIRA staff will facilitate monthly support group meetings.
Ø MIRA will serve as a portal for community service volunteer opportunities for returning citizens.
Ø Convene peer support groups to occur weekly or bi-weekly and incorporate visual media, guest speakers, etc.(2) Coordination of City-Wide Re-Entry Services/Second Chance Opportunities
The MIRA staff will create an online directory of all Second Chance related programs and services within the City and will disseminate the information to the appropriate stakeholders.
Ø Staff will attend all scheduled Bridgeport Re-Entry Roundtable Meetings.
Ø MIRA staff will host, as often as necessary, Second Chance/Re-Entry summits, forums, etc with area businesses, educational institutions, and/or other agencies of interest.
Ø Offer local, state and federal level advocacy to advance policy that will increase opportunities in the areas of employment, housing and legal services.
Ø Advisory committee comprised of multi-sector professionals who will provide strategic guidance and opportunity development (monthly meetings).
Ø Provide internship opportunities in the BORA office providing administrative assistance and ad hoc.
Ø Connect participants with partnering agencies, employers and educational institutions to upgrade skills and secure employment.(3) Service Referrals
Based on the initial needs assessments, MIRA staff will refer individuals to appropriate community based agencies such as Career Resources, The Workplace, Project Longevity, Family Reentry, Greater Bridgeport Mental Health, Social Services, Street Safe, other employers, etc. who can offer services conducive to the individual’s needs. In addition, city staff will follow-up with all partnering agencies to ensure and track results and outcomes.
Lennie, is there more detail or are they making this up as they go along?
I’m not against the concept as described so far. Joe Ganim has a long way to go to make this initiative work or stay afloat. In the meantime, Joe Ganim, Charles Smith and the rest of the gang. Can I please have a third chance after this:
www .ctpost.com/policereports/article/State-Police-Convicted-felon-had-loaded-gun-9130810.php
Getting a first chance, second chance, third chance, etc. depends on who you ask for it or who gives it. Here’s one for example:
www .msn.com/en-us/news/us/judge-denies-blagojevichs-bid-to-lighten-14-year-sentence/ar-BBvpPqC
This Mayor should not talk about a flucking thing he does, he has nothing to be proud of, NOTHING. Okay, let’s lay off five school resource officers, raise taxes to an unprecedented extent, hire tax deadbeats back into the mayor’s office after the big dog and pony show of “administrative leave,” hire 113 CAO’s and Police Chiefs and invest in a program for reentry for felons, etc, etc, etc. I did not back this Mayor and I am damned proud of it. What a disappointment. What in hell is he thinking? IS he thinking?
What a joke. I am sure people in Black Rock will be happy to see where their tax increases are going.
Oh! This program (MIRA) is similar to the Mayor’s reentry program for our war veterans!
I hope everyone remembers to ask Tom McCarthy about this today when he is at the polls asking for your vote.
Hey Joe. In order to help people in reentry get jobs there have got to be jobs to begin with. What in hell are you doing about THAT?!
Good morning, Bridgeport!!! It’s primary day.
Vote against the party establishment.
Vote Row B.
Mayor Meatball.
Start up businesses; create jobs!
Check out the story on Meatball Heaven in the CT Post if you want to help create jobs for ALL Bridgeport residents.
Anyone who votes for cuckoo Maria should have their head examined. She has just successfully laid off the school police officers who for years have kept the kids safe. With low manpower, the regular police will not be able to handle the neighborhoods and schools. They can’t be in all places all the time. Maria is the most vindictive, vile, self-serving bully ever. God help her if a single student is hurt over her vile bully tactics. Go Stallworth!
Hey Phantom, Maria did all that by herself?
You’re so full of shit, it’s coming out of No-Show Stallworth’s ears.
Better to have a no-show embarrassing us than a vile, vulgar bully. Your head is so far up her buttocks, if she coughed, you’d fly out.
Tell us how you really feel about Maria.
This is a solid feel-good program that would be a good addition to a city in growth. However, Bridgeport is in the red with too many unfunded mandates. This is the type of program that unfortunately we cannot afford. This program ought to be a state program, but the State is in a similar position to Bridgeport and you do not see our esteemed Governor Dum-Dum trying to pass this now.
This could work as the City incents business to come to Bridgeport, perhaps exchange temporary reduced tax rates if the business hires X number of former convicts. Again, Boss Joe would need to be attracting businesses to Bridgeport for this to work and given the current tax situation no business (figurative) wants to be here.
Fix the taxes, attract the jobs, and then create opportunities for former convicts to enter the workforce.
The Mayor is coming up with programs now, but still no priorities. Ganim2, what are your priorities? If you will share those with us, a lot of needless conversation can drop by the wayside, perhaps. Of course when you, as a modern Mayor, working his “second chance” to the max, will wish to set out benchmark objectives, systemic indicators or metrics as they are sometimes called, but what are they for your programs and priorities?
MIRA is one program that is new and only occupies a percentage of an employee’s time, but what are your expectations for hours to be spent, results to be monitored, and value to the community expected?
I do not know the name of the other program but what is your new “business” at the transfer station called? What is the business plan in terms of revenues spent for operations, capital equipment etc. and all costs anticipated that had your office decide to not renew the former vendor? The story kind of got lost in the Ernie Newton third- or fourth-chance story line. Look forward to knowing the name of the “planner” and the metrics once again. This activity was not contemplated at spring budget time from the Goals outline that I reviewed. What did I miss? What kind of retirement plan, if any is contemplated for Transfer Station workers? Time will tell.
G2 does not have the focus of G1. The State of Connecticut spends millions of dollars (our taxes) for programs in the Department of ‘Corrections’ to accommodate people who have rejected authority and have been a burden to society.
Why would a mayor of a financially distressed city commit resources (ultimately our taxes) to participate in connecting ex-offenders (we hope) with the myriad of social services the State of Connecticut already funds?
Does Ganim’s commitment include putting these ex-offenders to work in seasonal city jobs and volunteering to help with anti-blight efforts and clean-ups? Or will city resources (our taxes) be used to coordinate hand-holding and reconnecting these ex-offenders with the people and lifestyle that formed their behavior?