Own Your Future: New Colorado Program to Reintegrate Ex-Offenders

Own Your Future: New Colorado Program to Reintegrate Ex-Offenders

By Chase Squires

College In Colorado has developed an online program to guide felons back into work, and life.

College In Colorado – a Colorado Department of Higher Education initiative that helps students and families explore careers and plan, apply, and pay for college – launches a free online program on July 2 – aimed at guiding recently released offenders into education programs and productive careers.

The Own Your Future website (OwnYourFutureColorado.com) leads participants through a series of steps that may help them find housing, transportation, jobs, education, and career training. The program provides ex-offenders information and resources that will help them build a realistic path to productivity and keep them from reoffending. Through a partnership with Mile High United Way 2-1-1, site users can also access detailed information about support organizations in their area at the click of a mouse.

Some 900 prisoners are released in Colorado monthly. Studies show incarcerating just one prisoner can cost up to $60,000 a year. Programs such as Own Your Future that guide ex-offenders toward productivity ultimately save the state money by helping to keep offenders from reoffending and returning to prison. Own Your Future may be used independently or with the guidance of parole officers or other professionals. Own Your Future is funded in part by a federal grant through the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, Justice Assistance Grant Programs. No state funds are used.

Own Your Future is dedicated to the memory of Tom Clements, to honor his unwavering commitment to reducing recidivism and his strong belief in second chances.

What Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia joins state officials to launch Own Your Future, a new Colorado initiative to help reintegrate released Colorado prison inmates back into society

Where: West Foyer, Colorado State Capitol, Denver, Colorado

When: 11 a.m., July 2, 2013

Info: Contact Chase Squires, (720) 264-8571

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