OLYMPIA – A state program proven to reduce recidivism and increase public safety by helping people re-enter communities more successfully will be applied to a wider range of people exiting the corrections system, under a bill signed into law today by Gov. Jay Inslee.
“Getting your footing in the community is a challenge for anyone, but it’s even harder for someone who doesn’t have a decent set of clothes or transportation to interview for a job,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Claire Wilson (D-Auburn). “This modest, one-time investment can reap a lifetime of dividends, not just for the recipient but for their neighbors and in potential longtime social cost savings to taxpayers.”
SB 5893 expands the use of a practice that has proven effective in helping people successfully return to their communities, reducing recidivism and mortality rates. Once the law takes effect, anyone exiting any corrections environment will receive basic clothing, a one-time stipend, and transportation.
“It costs a lot less to help someone succeed than it costs to intervene if they continue to fail, and that’s just the dollars-and-cents side of things,” Wilson said. “Can you put a price tag on the difference between a life of misery and struggle versus a life of stability and productivity?”
The stipend will apply to people upon release from any form of custody, including those transitioning to the community under supervision, participating in graduated re-entry programs, taking part in the community parenting alternative program, or residing in re-entry centers and work release programs.
“We’ve seen this work, both for the individual and for their community,” Wilson said. “Applying it to a broader range of circumstances will mean more successful reentries and healthier communities, but on a much larger scale.”
