Imagine a group of Minnesotans whose housing and living costs were much higher than the state average. Now imagine that taxpayers were paying the bills.
That population does exist -- in Minnesota's corrections system, where we spend $33,000 a year per inmate. The high price we pay to keep people in prison, including many repeat offenders, suggests that Minnesota's current practices regarding high-risk adults could use innovative, cost-saving alternatives.
The costs don't end -- they often grow -- once a prisoner is released. Ex-offenders who return to our communities without stable housing, without employment skills, and with untreated mental and physical health problems are more likely to cycle in and out of the corrections system, costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars each year. And on top of state costs, add local law enforcement, social service, court and community-safety burdens.
Joseph used to be one of those men. He figures he cycled through the local jail at least 20 times. His first serious offense, for cocaine possession, came when he was 30. He was paroled after two years in prison, only to end up back behind bars eight months later.
Recently, Joseph took a different path. Instead of returning to the streets, he enrolled in The NetWork for Better Futures. This innovative enterprise was selected to administer a state demonstration project pilot started in 2007 with bipartisan support. The NetWork puts men like Joseph on a path of stability by ensuring that he has basic needs met for a limited time -- a place to live, access to health care and drug treatment, and a job on a construction crew.
Joseph used to be a drain on taxpayers. Now he pays taxes and contributes to his family and community. He's stayed out of trouble, has a good relationship with his teenaged sons and remains drug-free.
This pilot's initial success is based on these distinctive features:
1. Participants are expected to work, stay crime-free and pay child support.