Former Prisoners Graduate From ReNew Program
Philly ReNew held its graduation Thursday for 68 former prisoners.
Philly ReNew, a program to reintegrate former offenders that I wrote about awhile back, held a graduation yesterday for its class of 2009. No one played Pomp and Circumstance, but the presence of family, balloons and heartfelt speeches testified to the event’s importance.
ReNew is a pilot program and its success helps make the case that accompanying former prisoners back into the community benefits not only them but society as a whole—someone with a decent job is way less likely to commit a crime. Leonard Freeman, who I profiled for the March article, was there along with maybe a dozen of his classmates. 68 of 75 participants made it through the program, with 42 already landing jobs, Freeman included.
There was some seriously passionate and moving oratory from community leaders and former offenders, and many a tribute to Pennsylvania Prison Society powerhouses like Pamela Superville and Cameron Holmes. This organization has got charismatic leadership in spades.
Deputy Mayor Everett Gillison and others spoke of the importance of former prisoners forgiving themselves and starting anew, but without forgetting what got them into trouble in the first place. Program participants called out, “yes, sir” and “amen” as speakers discussed difficult moments in their own lives and how they worked through them.
Philly ReNew participants kept journals during the program. One graduate spoke to the group about how important the process was for him, “I only got two pages in this book left. So tomorrow I’ll go out and buy another one.”
The emcee emphasized that the future of funding and support for this and other programs for former offenders will to some degree rest on the shoulders of these men, whether or not they hold down jobs or return to prison. As I wrote in an earlier update, a number of questions have been raised about the city’s own program. But judging by the energy of the men in the room—accompanied by mothers, girlfriends, wives and children—these former prisoners are up to the challenge.
COMMENTS
ADD COMMENT
MORE
Article:
Researcher Kevin Jones Recruits People for Much-Needed HIV Studies
Article:
Million Man March Comes to Philly This Weekend
Article:
Vacant Hunting Park School Is a Scrapper's Delight
Article:
Philly Blogger Learns a Lesson or Two on Rhetoric, Islam and Politics
Article:
Milton Street's Ex-Factor
Article:
Free Spirits: A Call to Kill the PA Liquor Control Board
Article:
Is Mayor Nutter Losing the Gay Vote?
1. Pam Superville said... on Jun 26, 2009 at 03:47PM
“Thanks to Dan Devir and the PW for their dedication to telling positive stories about people coming home from prison. How can we convince more of Philadelphia's media to cover story like this, that not all parolees are cop killers, for example?
Keep up the good work Dan and PW.”