There is a stigma that surrounds a person with a criminal record.

It affects their life as they try to rebuild after incarceration.

But most people deserve a second chance.

On Thursday, the Carbon County Commissioners adopted a proclamation recognizing Second Chance Month, which brings to light the challenges individuals face trying to rebuild their lives after a jail term.

According to the proclamation, approximately 650,000 people were returned to the communities from state and federal prisons nationwide, but they face “significant barriers, also known as collateral consequences, to reintegrating into society.”

Employment, housing and further education may be challenges for these people, but with the help of the Carbon County Re-entry coalition, help is available.

“You know, part of our system is for people that do jail time,” said Rick Parsons, Carbon County chief adult probation officer. “Our job is to make it so they don’t come back and try to put them in the right type of position where we can remove some of those barriers that are recognized in the proclamation so they don’t continue returning back to our jail and doing harm to our communities.

“A lot of times people think it’s very easy, why don’t they just make changes, well it’s not easy. There are so many different barriers in their way when they are coming out of jail.”

The coalition and county recognize these barriers and have worked to re-create a network between housing, agencies for various services and other options that will help individuals get back on their feet.

“We’re trying to remove some of those barriers,” Parsons said, noting various grants that have been secured to help incarcerated individuals get help that they need that caused their crime in the first place.

The coalition, with the help of Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission, has been able to secure funding to hire someone to go into the jail, work with staff to identify individuals in need of drug and alcohol services and develop programs and move the re-entry program further along.

“Lauren is helping assess individuals specific to drug and alcohol and seeing what their issues are and typing them into the resources out there so they can start the treatment process while they’re in jail,” Parsons said.

“Re-entry doesn’t start when you walk out of jail, re-entry starts the day you walk into jail. … Our goal is to make a difference in the community … to make our community safe and to make our community a better place to live.”

Tammy Recker of Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug and Alcohol stressed the importance of having someone working in the jail to help those in need reconnect to society.