Preparing for Life After Prison

Drainers PINCKNEYVILLE-- New training and rehab programs are being creditedwith keeping some inmates from re-offending when on the outside. Right now there are more than 45,000 inmates in state prisons. Officials say that population is growing at a much slower rate thanin years past. That's because they say 23% fewer parolee's arebeing arrested, and they say that drop has saved the state $64million in incarceration costs. In an effort to curb the recidivism rate in Illinois prisons, thestate offers seminars for inmates preparing to be released. A summit was held Tuesday at the Pinckneyville Correctional Center. There, inmates were able to meet with potential employers, and repsfrom several agencies including DCFS and the Secretary of State'soffice. The point of this is to get all questions answered, and get theseinmates prepared for a successful re-entry into society. Landon Robinson will be leaving the Pinckneyville CorrectionalCenter this December, and already has big plans for the future. "I've got a fiance. I've got a date planned- September 15th, 2009." Along with getting married, Landon will soon be looking for a job. State officials say they're trying to make that transition easierby putting inmates like Landon in front of the right people. "There's a lot of employers who come here- trade unions, carpentersunions, masonry unions" says Paul Carlson with the IllinoisDepartment of Corrections. "They come to this to help try toexplain to the inmates that there are chances on the outside." Since 2006, re-entry summits have been held at facilities aroundthe state. Department of Corrections officials say they would liketo see the meetings annually in all Illinois prisons. "There's a lot that they need to learn and understand to get backin society and become productive" says Carlson. "Stop being taxdrainers and become tax payers." Because many of these inmates- like William Harris- have been inprison before. This time William is determined not to come back. Instead he wants to go to school and get a degree in business. "I plan on opening up my own hair salon" says Harris. William admits re-adapting to society can be intimidating, but hismotivation is simple. He wants to make his family proud. "I really want to do the right thing. I've got to do the rightthing" says Harris.