Positive Progress And Hope

Happy New Year Tazer faithful!

Busy times over the holidays, but we opened today's paper to find a story of hope and progress...VERY refreshing!

On a recent cold and windy morning, parolee Vincent Clemons logged onto a computer at a downtown Richmond employment center to look for work.

It is a daily routine for Clemons, who was released from prison for the third time Thanksgiving Day. He had served 16 months in San Quentin for possession of a firearm while on parole. He previously had done time for possession of stolen property and a drug-related conviction.

After two failures, Clemons has begun anew the long and difficult process of becoming a productive member of his community. This time, Clemons said, he is determined to be a positive role model for his five children and avoid the degradation of street life and the shame of prison.

"I know what it feels like to have a job and not have to go through all that mess," he said as he scrolled through a list of retail-sales jobs. "The main thing is I have responsibilities. I have kids, and they need to see me doing something positive."

Clemons, 41, has an advantage this time: He is the first inmate to be released after participating in a pilot program in which about 20 San Quentin inmates who will be paroled to Richmond forged relationships with community members who will provide them guidance and a support system during those first critical months back on the street.

The Richmond Project is a partnership between the Richmond Improvement Association, a coalition of faith-based organizations, and the San Quentin Trust for the Development of Incarcerated Men, a group of long-term inmates who help prepare short-term inmates for the difficult transition to life outside.

Since February, association members, elected officials and community members have been going to San Quentin twice a month to develop personal relationships with the inmates and learn how to help them avoid returning to prison. Some will need to find housing; others will need substance-abuse counseling; others will need help reintegrating with their families. Nearly all will need help finding work.

The association also will guide them through daunting government bureaucracy to expunge lesser crimes from their records, said the Rev. Andre Shumake, the association's president.

"We want to help these guys recognize that they went into prison as liabilities, but they can come out as assets," he said. "We will help them find housing, jobs, and we want them to reconnect with their families. If they have children, we want them to understand their roles as fathers, and we want them to take that responsibility."

Helping the inmates will be a challenge. In California, nearly 70 percent of released prisoners find themselves incarcerated within a year, according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

"A very high percentage of prison inmates have either drug or alcohol problems, come from broken pasts, and a huge percentage don't have high school diplomas, and some of the younger men have never had a job," said Corrections Department spokesman Bill Sessa. "Some of these guys cycle back into prison two or three times a year."

Statistically, Clemons has a good chance of staying out. He has strong family support in Richmond's Iron Triangle neighborhood, where he was raised. He also is at an age when the wisdom of hindsight helps many criminals avoid behavioral pitfalls.

Furthermore, Clemons has done everything right since he began serving his most recent sentence, Shumake said. He took advantage of the 16 months by working to get his General Equivalency Diploma, and he received numerous certificates for participating in personal workshops on stress management, substance abuse and parenting.

That momentum has continued since Clemons was released. He already has reactivated his driver's license and has been meeting regularly with Shumake and employment consultant Larry Fleming to discuss career options.

He spends most mornings at the RichmondWorks office brushing up his resume, improving his interview skills and scanning the Internet for jobs.

He has experience in retail sales and has worked as an in-home care provider, but Clemons knows landing a job will be tough. He will have to find an employer who will overlook his 10th-grade education, limited work skills and the fact that he is a felon.

Clemons said he wants to contribute to his household finances, and he has unpaid child support and a hefty medical bill he wants to take responsibility for. But despite those pressures and a tough job market, Clemons has maintained a positive outlook.

"Yes, it's hard to find something with my background," he said cheerfully. "But I don't have any complaints, because when all is said and done, I'm going to find a job."

He credits his confidence to the support of his wife and other family members, the personal work he did in prison and the support he has received from the Richmond Improvement Association since his release.

"The Rev. Shumake and Larry Fleming have been so helpful," he said. "When I was behind the wall, they came in to talk about all the resources there are, and since I've been out, they have been a source of motivation."

Clemons is just beginning his journey. While he has strong family and community support, he still will have to resist the lure of street life and its deceitful promise of easy money.

"I feel the draw back to the streets every day. It's what I know best," he said. "But I'm trying to stay focused. I'm in control of what I do, and I'm not out on the corner hustling ... I'm trying to do something right."

Reach John Geluardi at 510-262-2787 or jgeluardi@cctimes.com.

Life on the outsideVincent Clemons, 41, was released from San Quentin state prison for the third time Thanksgiving Day. As he tries to assimilate into society, he'll have support from the Richmond Project, a new program that involves the community in helping inmates adjust to life after release. Clemons is the first to be released since the program began a year ago, and the Times will follow his progress through updates on his successes and struggles.to learn more:
The Richmond Improvement Association: 510-860-3681, www.riafbo.org/home.html
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The Tazer sees progress and a lot of hope with this program. Kudos to Rev. Shumake and all the other great folks who have spent many hours coordinating this project and talking with inmates about becoming productive citizens.

On a related note, The Tazer is curious as to where the City of Richmond is in regard to the money that was, in essence, promised to Rev. Shumake and RIA in 2006 for this program...did it all go to the coordinating of the coordination of the Office of Violence Prevention? How's that coming along?