The city Hearing examiner in Bellingham Washington has
approved a permit for a second work release housing facility in the Sehome
neighborhood.
The facility is planned to be built next door to the current
work release facility located at 1125-1127 N. Garden St.
The 16-bedroom house is intended to be open by Summer 2015
and will house prisoners who are within six months of their prison release.
The building could not be used as a work-release house
without Legislative approval or staffing from the Department of Corrections
because it is operated by the nonprofit organization Community Work Training
Association. Staff members from the current facility are now working with the department
to set up funding for the house.
The permit issued in September, puts multiple limits on the
property. The two buildings combined can only house 50 people, and the new
house can only house 25. If for any reason one of the work release houses
close, the other building would only be allowed to house a maximum of 25
prisoners. The permit also states that whoever runs the facility needs to
provide an anti-harassment program for the neighborhood, and the building must
have contact information posted for anyone who has questions or problems with
the residents.
The
city of Bellingham has not received a large amount of support from homeowners
in the Sehome neighborhood about the expansion of this facility. Before the
hearing on August 13th dozens of worried neighbors wrote to the city about
their disapproval of the second work release house. They voiced their concerns
about the lack of job opportunities for the prisoners, preserving the historic
residential neighborhood and safety for children and students living in the
area. "I think it is more dangerous to give them a place to live so close
to others," Sehome neighbor, Taylor Menzel said.
Work release serves as a bridge between life in prison and
life in the community. Residents of these facilities are assisted with finding
and retaining employment, learning basic social skills and managing their
personal finances, according to the Department of Corrections website. "I am all for
rehabilitation because that is needed to grow and get better, but it should be
located somewhere not around a ton of people." Menzel said.
A study by Dr. Susan Turner of the National Institute of
Justice showed that 40% of prisoners who did not attend a work release program
returned to jail or prison within three years of release. While less than 5% of
prisoners in a work release program committed new crimes, 99% of which were
less serious property offenses.
Hayley
Gjertsen, a resident in the Sehome neighborhood is for the expansion of the
work release housing facility, "I like the idea of having a place for these
people to go because rehabilitation is important and that is something are
jails are missing," she said. Residents who complete the six-month
work release program are more likely to be
successful in maintaining employment, finding stable housing and pay legal
financial obligations, According to the Department of Corrections. "Giving
these prisoners a chance to better their lives will hopefully help them move
away from their previous lifestyle," Gjertsen said.
Recent
research conducted by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy
indicates that work release programs have a positive cost and benefit impact. For
every dollar spent, $3.82 is returned to the state. "It is saving the tax
payers money, it is more expensive to keep these guys in prison," Sehome
resident, Christopher Hatch said. "I have lived in this neighborhood for
two years and I have never heard of any issues with the guys living in the
current work release house so I don't have a problem with it," Hatch said
about the approval of the expansion.
Within
the first five years of the new home's existence the Hearing Examiner will
review this case to see how things are working out. Washington State currently
has 16 work release homes. Bellingham's first work release home has been open
since 1983 and the next closest home is located more than an hour North in
Snohomish County.
"People
see this as being dangerous now, but in the long run I think this will be safer
because it is going to help the prisoners," Hatch said.
