Because recidivism represents a tremendous public safety issue and cost to the taxpayer, Commissioner Tommy Adkisson convened a group of government, nonprofit and private sector professionals and citizens to form the Bexar County Re-Entry Council. Modeled after similar roundtables in the state, the Council will begin a community dialogue on issues related to the re-entry of offenders from jail and prison back into the local community.

Commissioners Court on Tuesday passed a resolution supporting re-entry initiatives as they are identified by the Council. The Council will address everything from the simplest of tasks, such as arming offenders with the necessary resources before leaving jail, to the more complex tasks of changing legislation and the community perception of rehabilitating offenders.

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"Jails are not always the best place for an offender to rehabilitate and become a productive member of our community," Commissioner Adkisson said. "A recidivism rate of 80 percent shows that we are failing miserably when it comes to reintegrating these people while protecting our residents."

Since its initial meeting in June, the council has created a discharge packet for offenders leaving the County jail. The packets have various toiletries as well as a list of important phone numbers to help them through the initial transition. The packets are already being distributed.

The Council also is working on developing a resource directory not only for offenders but for those agencies who work with them. The directory will be an exhaustive list of various agencies with contact information that is categorized by offender need, for example housing, clothing, mental health services and so on. The goal is to have the directories finalized in December.

Other issues being discussed by the Council's six subcommittees include:

1.The development of a Re-Entry Court modeled after the Drug Court, but focused on offenders who have not bonded out of jail.

2.The development of a Re-Entry Workshop through which major stakeholders participate in a work session focused on the successful integration of offenders into the community.

3.The development of a Re-Entry Job Fair focused exclusively on connecting employers with offenders.

The six subcommittees are focusing on goals and objectives, employment and education, housing and social services, mental health and substance abuse, women's issues and legislative issues. Membership in any of these subcommittees is open to all Bexar County residents. For more information on participating, call Commissioner Adkisson's office at (210) 335-2614.

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