Mayoral Candidates Fattah and Evans Visit the City's Re-Entry Center, Speak to Ex-offenders

2007-05-09 20:13:31 -

PHILADELPHIA, May 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two of the City of Philadelphia's six mayoral candidates, Congressman Chaka Fattah and State Representative Dwight Evans, visited the Re-Entry One-Stop Center for the Mayor's Office for the Re-Entry of Ex-Offenders (M.O.R.E.) yesterday to take a tour of the Southwest Philadelphia-based facility, to learn more about the City's re-entry challenges and to offer motivational remarks to a group of 40 ex-offender/clients of the One-Stop Center.

According to M.O.R.E. Director Harriett Spencer, the Center has extended an invitation to the five Democratic nominees and to Republican Candidates Al Taubenberger, and Fattah and Evans have been the first to respond. Candidate Michael Nutter is scheduled to visit the Center at 9:30 am, on Thursday May 10.

Spencer has pointed out that there are national data that indicate that 27 percent of the adult population in the United States lives a substantial portion of their lives with a criminal record. She also stresses that the Philadelphia Prison System has an annual budget of $207 million and has exceeded its budget each year since 1997, but that a 10 percent reduction in the City's recidivism rate produces a $6.8 million savings in jail costs.

"Both Congressman Fattah and Representative Evans spoke very directly to the Center's clients, explaining that it was incumbent upon them to take full advantage of the Center's educational and job training services to break the cycle of recidivism we experience in our City" said Spencer. "I believe the ex-offenders heard them and were inspired to do even more to complete their re-entry into the City's economy and back into their neighborhoods."

Fattah, who visited the Center at 8:30 am, said: "This kind of program, done successfully, is the only way to reduce the rate of recidivism in our city. I know that there is great interest within this community in seeking job opportunities, and one area for emphasis for this should be in the construction trades, just as is already being done in Chicago."

Later that afternoon, at about 2:00 pm, Representative Evans summarized his tour by saying: "This initiative should be city-wide. Among other things, I believe it can play an important role in helping to reduce violence in our city. There is no question that a program such as this one is long overdue." Evans also stressed that, in addition to identifying jobs for the members of the ex-offender community, there should be a greater emphasis by the ex- offenders, themselves, on entrepreneurial development.

The Re-Entry One-Stop Center, headquartered at 1739-41 S. 54th Street, in Southwest Philadelphia, first opened its doors on February 5, 2007 and, to date, has served over 500 clients. The comprehensive services provided through the Center include: GED/ABE, Job Readiness Training, Mental Health/Substance Abuse Services, Job Placement and Retention Services, Emergency Housing Assistance, Case Management Services, Career Link Accessibility, Probation and Parole Services, Parenting Classes, Entrepreneurial Courses, Motivational Lectures and Mentoring Services.

Source: Mayor's Office for the Re-Entry of Ex-Offenders

Last Updated: May 9, 2007