With assistance of toledo Law students, inmates receive 'better chance at second chance'

Students involved in the Prison Reentry Project work to slow down the revolving door of the nation’s prison system by helping ex-offenders navigate legal obstacles — such as outstanding warrants and unpaid child support — in their transition from confinement back into the community. 

Recidivism, or the rate at which offenders return to crime, plagues the nation’s criminal justice system, with four out of every 10 adult offenders returning to prison within three years of their release. A 2011 Pew survey reports that 45.4 percent of people released from prison in 1999 and 43.3 percent of those sent home in 2004 were re-incarcerated within three years, either for committing a new crime or for violating conditions governing their release. 

Many obstacles, including substance abuse and the inability to find employment or safe housing, face an ex-offender upon leaving prison. 

“You have to remember, the people coming out of prison do not have cars, jobs, or housing — and some do not have a support network, like family, in the area to help ease them back into society,” said Ben Timmerman ’13, a participant in the Prison Reentry Project during the spring 2012 semester. “Most of the inmates who we deal with have child support that has been accruing since they went in [and] cannot locate a high-paying job because of their education and/or the fact they now have a criminal record that includes jail time.”

April Miller ’11 was interested in criminal law while at Toledo Law and was introduced to the Prison Reentry Project during her 3L year. “I liked the idea, because it was a way for me to do both criminal work and public interest work. It turned out to be an excellent match; it was the work that I most enjoyed doing for the legal clinic,” Miller said.

“Projects like the Prison Reentry Project not only provide students with essential skills experience, they give law students an appreciation of problem solving in collaboration with social service agencies and law enforcement, and the importance of law reform when systems are broken.”

The Prison Reentry Project is part of the Reentry Coalition of Northwest Ohio, a large group of public agencies, non-profit organizations, businesses, faith-based partners, and other interested community members who collaborate to assist ex-offenders in transitioning back into the community. Services are intended to address the range of an ex-offender’s possible needs and include assistance in the areas of employment, education, housing, mental health, and substance abuse, among others.

Janet Hales ’91, director of private attorney involvement at Legal Aid of Western Ohio, acts as a liaison between Toledo Law students and the program. She coordinates student trips to minimum-security at the Toledo Correctional Institution, known as “The Camp,” where students interview inmates who are within six months of release to identify possible legal issues they will face upon leaving prison. 

Students’ next steps often include running an Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles report to discover any impediments to an ex-offender’s successful application for a driver license. “Most of the inmates we see have outstanding fines, and there is a block on their registration. We work with them to set up a low payment plan with the BMV so that they can get a valid driver license,” Timmerman said. 

Additionally, inmates regularly have outstanding warrants for petty crimes such as traffic tickets, as well as fees associated with prior convictions; while the inmate was being held, he or she would have been tried for any serious charges. At video hearings from prison, pro bono attorneys and Toledo Law students petition the court to set aside any outstanding warrants and fees. In Timmerman’s experience, the judges who work with the program are very sympathetic. “Most, if not virtually all, of the warrants are removed, including the fines associated with them,” he said

Jennie Marino ’11 participated in a series of video conference calls during the semester she spent working with the Prison Reentry Project. “I learned practical skills like being able to quickly look at a file, speak to a client, and come up with an argument,” Marino said. “It was a great opportunity to work with clients and gain experience speaking to a judge in a courtroom-like setting.” 

Robert S. Salem, clinical professor of law, stated, “Projects like the Prison Reentry Project not only provide students with essential skills experience, they give law students an appreciation of problem solving in collaboration with social service agencies and law enforcement, and the importance of law reform when systems are broken.” 

Students also have the chance to impact individual lives. This was not lost on Miller, who neatly summed up the work of volunteers in the program as giving ex-offenders “a better chance at a second chance.”

This story first appeared in the Fall 2012 Transcript.