House Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1359 Time for Freedom
Requester:	Bernie DeCastro		Organization:		Time for Freedom, Inc.
Project Title:	Time for Freedom		Date Submitted:		01/25/2000 3:03:41 PM
District Member:	Allen Trovillion		Service Area:		Statewide
Counties Affected:	{Statewide}
Recipient:	Time for Freedom, Inc.		Contact:		Bernie DeCastro
	924 N.E. 25th Street		Contact Phone:		(352) 351-1280
	Ocala 34470
Project Description:
A one year residential transitional aftercare program for inmates paroled from the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC). This program will be specifically designed to provide post release assistance to parole eligible inmates sentenced prior to October 1, 1983. The majority of these inmates have served the required amount of time even when evaluated by the current "85% minimum sentenced served" policy. There are approximately 3500 of these men and women in the FDOC who have been incarcerated for over 16 years. Most of them have been locked up for over 20 years. Since the Florida Parole Commission is only paroling about 4% of these inmates annually, it will take over 100 years to parole these inmates. Inmates sentenced after October 1, 1983 (therefore not under the jurisdiction of the Parole Commission), are being released every day after completing their required sentence. This project is asking the FDOC and the Florida Parole Commission to parole an additional 50 inmates over and above the number paroled in FY 1998/99 (119 inmates) to Time for Freedom, Inc. to help these men and women make a successful transition back to the community to become law abiding, tax paying citizens.
Services Provided/Benefit to State:
With economic assistance from the state, Time for Freedom, Inc. could offer such a pilot program. This transitional after-care center would provide comprehensive community-based programs such as: 1) Employment services 2) Access to medical services 3) Access to transportation services 4) Emotional and spiritual counseling for both individuals and their families 5) Teachings that deal with spiritual and emotional needs 6) Financial counseling 7) Anger Management 8) Conflict Resolution 9) Substance abuse programs 10) Academic tutoring where needed 11) Church services and more By helping these men and women make a successful transition into the community, this will reduce crime and the victims of crime. This project will also save the State added revenue.
Measurable Outcome Anticipated:
1) Provide transitional beds for fifty ex-offenders 2) Provide a minimum of two meals a day for fifty residents 3) Provide a substance free environment including periodic drug/alcohol screening 4) Provide a substance free environment 5) Provide assistance to making AA & NA meetings 6) Provide assistance in Job Placement 7) Provide assistance in getting an initial medical exam 8) Provide assistance in getting an initial dental exam 9) Provide assistance in acquiring driver's license 10) Provide assistance in acquiring transportation 11) Provide transitional counseling for the individual and or the family Out of the fifty (50) men and women, we expect an 85 to 95% success of living crime-free.
Amount requested from the State for this project this year:				$300,000
Total cost of the project:		$500,000

Request has been made to fund:			Operations
Is there Local Government or Private match for this request?						Yes
	Cash Amount:	$185,000		In-Kind Amount:		$15,000
Was this project previously funded by the State?						No
Is future-year funding likely to be requested?						Yes
	Amount:	$300,000
	Purpose for future year funding:				Recurring Operations
	Will this be an annual request?					Yes
Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?						No
Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget?						No
Is there a documented need for this project?						Yes
	Documentation:	The allocation of $365,000 in FDOC's FY 98/99 budget for transitional aftercare housing for inmates.
Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?						No