Houston non-profit expanding to Galveston to help break cycle of incarceration
GALVESTON, Texas - One Houston non-profit aimed at breaking the cycle of incarceration is heading to Galveston.
"This is a team approach, where the team consists of the judge, the prosecutor, the defense attorney, the probation officer, and the treatment provider," said Devon Anderson, Justice Forward President & CEO.
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Justice Forward started in 2006. They have one goal, breaking the cycle of incarceration. Making it so that people who continuously cycle in and out of the criminal justice system have the resources necessary to make a real change.
"These are people habitually in and out of jail, these are people you see out on the side of the road panhandling," said Anderson.
Justice Forward helps people get their lives back on track by providing critical resources such as housing, tuition assistance, jobs, counseling, and rehab. They also focus on mental health needs.
"Success of the client is the goal. It’s not a got ya program, it’s that we want you to stop coming back into, over and over, into our jail," said Anderson.
Anderson says the research done on this program speaks for itself.
"Five years out, 70% had not committed a crime," said Anderson.
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Several participants of the program also shared their thankfulness for the program.
"They actually do care and they’re actually there for you. They’re not just making it seem like they’re there for you, they call you. They check on you," said Rayneshia Boone, a successful participant in the program.
"(They) watched me, guided me, and helped me get back to where I’m at now with my family, fully employed and in recovery," said Carlos Roman, another successful participant in the program.