There were laughs, cheers and warm hugs on Wednesday morning in the vital statistics section of the Leon County’s Department of Health.
The reason: the space now has a new tenant. This is where the Leon County Sheriff’s office officially opened the RISE Center – a single point of contact where recently arrested people can seek help.
The RISE Center will connect returning citizens to dozens of local services that can help them with employment, education, housing, identification, health services, and more.
The sheriff’s office also launched the VEER program, which provides vocational training to those recently detained “with a desire to develop skills and employment opportunities after release,” said LCSO spokeswoman Shonda Knight.
Detainees can choose between cooking courses, car mechanics and professional driving license training.
“Just locking people up is not the solution,” said Sheriff Walt McNeil to the almost 100 people attending the ceremony.
“Our hope is that these two new programs will be a real turning point for anyone looking to start over. Our goal is to equip them with everything they need to become successful productive members of our community.”
The room, which cost $ 25,000 to renovate, has been under construction for about a year, according to Assistant Sheriff Steve Harrelson.
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Inside, returning citizens have access to computers for grocery stamps, emails, résumés, and more. There will be a room with representatives from local programs who can help with mental health, affordable housing, education, and more.
“I’m really excited to help people,” said Samantha Pochowski, a consultant for Bright Future Behavioral Health. “I think it’s a necessary step forward for the community.”
Pochowski will be one of many representatives of local groups who will be available by appointment at the RISE Center, which will make life easier for people without personal transport.
“That’s one of the main complaints I get,” said Natia Johnson, a re-entry case manager for the Leon County Detention Facility, who will work full-time at the RISE Center. “We fire people with a few bus tickets, but when they run out they really can’t access all of these different services. It’s kind of heartbreaking.”
In another room, people can chat for free with loved ones detained at the Leon County Detention Center.
The video chat function was introduced after the coronavirus pandemic stopped personal visits.
These new programs are two components of the Sheriff’s Bureau’s “ALLinLEON” initiative, which aims to reduce crime in Leon County through collaboration between local organizations, local government and law enforcement agencies.
“I really think Sheriff McNeil and his team are showing tremendous leadership,” said Rick Minor, Leon County commissioner. “This place will connect returning citizens to the right resources and get them where they need to be, and that’s a great thing.”
Contact Christopher Cann at ccann@tallahassee.com and follow @ChrisCannFL on Twitter.
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The post The RISE Center for Prison Inmates opens in Tallahassee first appeared on Daily Florida Press.
from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/the-rise-center-for-prison-inmates-opens-in-tallahassee/
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