Approximately 650,000 people are released from state and federal prisons annually.

In Carbon County, 1,549 inmates completed their sentence and re-entered society in 2018.

The problems they face once their sentence is completed are employment and housing issues due to their criminal background and addictions; finding treatment options for drug or alcohol addiction or mental health issues; and having someone show them that help is available after incarceration.

That’s where the Carbon County Re-entry Coalition steps in.

This group, which began in 2015, has been working to create a network of services that can help someone get back on their feet after being released from prison, while also reducing the recidivism rate in the county prison.

On Thursday, the Carbon County Commissioners signed a resolution naming April as Second Chance Month because “every human is endowed with human dignity and value.”

“People coming out of our jails, they served their time,” said Rick Parsons, Carbon County chief adult probation officer. “One of our goals (in the coalition) is to help them transition back into the community.”

He said that there are many barriers these people face, including homelessness, education, employment, financial, drug and alcohol addiction and mental health.

“We’re trying break down some barriers,” he said.

This year, the coalition created three subcommittees to look at the data to see where they need to focus and help in securing funding; look at what programs are at the jail to coordinate services better; and try to educate inmates and stakeholders working with the inmate population on what resources are out there.

“We’re excited to see what we can do this year,” Parsons said.

The commissioners commended the coalition’s efforts.

“We’re trying to get programs underway so we don’t have to jail the problem away,” Commissioner William O’Gurek said. “It’s not going to go away by locking people up. We have to remember the people we lock up are people too and have needs.”

The Carbon County Re-entry Coalition is made up of various county, state, federal and community agencies that can provide different levels of services to people being released from prison in the hopes of getting them integrated back into society and away from the cycle of crime.

Over the past three years, the coalition developed a comprehensive strategic plan that focuses on employment, cognitive behavioral programming and data collection; created a group inside the jail that focuses on high-risk female inmates; secured grants for data sharing programs between the prison and probation office; trained staff to help develop programs for employers and offenders about educating them on benefits of employment; and developed a resource guide and informational session to educate offenders on resources available in the county.