Pathways to Hope
John Greg Pilkington, CCM
In the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office located in Fort Worth Texas, a program that is celebrating its first year of success, is making a difference. It began with a meeting when the founder of One Community USA, Toni Brinker, spoke to Sheriff Bill Waybourn about an idea to bring a program into the jail that could create real change in the inmates who were returning to the community. It took 20 minutes for the Sheriff to say yes to the idea. One Community USA is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to the goal of safer neighborhoods through evidence-based community engagement programs. Their goal is to lower the recidivism rate which can directly impact the safety of neighborhoods and will reduce incidence of crime. This new program is called Pathways to HOPE and exists to assist and prepare ex-offenders, both military and civilian, for successful, sustainable reentry into family, community, workplace, and society using a holistic, evidence-based program.
Meeting the Challenge
What Pathways to HOPE discovered is, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, every year approximately 650,000 individuals complete prison sentences and rejoin society. Unfortunately, the majority of these individuals are rearrested for offenses within three years of their release. Pathways to HOPE believes that they must do more—and use all the tools at their disposal—to break the vicious cycle of crime and reduce recidivism. Equipping and empowering incarcerated individuals with the tools needed to reenter society is morally imperative and a critical component to reducing crime overall and helps make communities safer across the country.
A Solution that Works for Everyone
Their approach to a successful reintegration includes:
• getting a job,
• getting a better job, and
• starting a career.
Their 40 -hour curriculum and classroom-based Journey to Success Prevocational and Workforce Readiness component is followed by an 18-month Journey Home Vocational and Leadership component, including Restorative Justice and Mentoring modules.
Pathways can be voluntarily taken both inside and outside the walls. Pending court approval, Pathway’s Diversion and Supervision Programensures their clients receive the treatment and skills required to successfully complete requirements. The 40-hour class coordinated is taught by a veteran instructor Mr. Tom Cruz, who can be reached at tcruz@onecommunityusa.org. No relation to the actor, but he has seen and been in action serving as Sergeant Major in the United States Army. He brings to the table experiences that a lot of justice involved individuals understand. The 40-hour class is broken down by subject and taught by experts in each area. Some of the subjects are finance and job readiness, power of vision, mental health, decision making and goal setting. On completion of the 40-hour class they graduate with community leaders who honor their success and celebrate this achievement. Several business owners, C.E.O.s of companies, the mayor of Fort Worth, police chiefs and the sheriff himself come to celebrate their success. The partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and One Community USA is the glue to the success of this program behind bars.
The Mentors Make the Difference
In Pathways to HOPE participants are assigned a volunteer mentor and/or a team of mentors. Mentor responsibilities are to provide support, guidance, goal-oriented discussions, advice, and feedback which can be transformative during the reentry process. Mentors are educators, community and civic leaders, top executive entrepreneurs, members of faith-based community, veterans, first responders and the formally incarcerated who have become leaders in their community. Mentors are strategically matched with a participant based on key factors including military service, job skills and related industry, family background, personal history, and life experiences.
An Intensive Curriculum Creates Success
The transition back to society after incarceration is a big challenge. Pathways’ goal is to create bright futures for justice-involved Veterans and Civilians by eliminating many of the barriers faced during the reentry process. Pathways curriculum begins inside the wall and continues upon release. In addition to building on basic decision making, a change in their attitudes and beliefs about crime as well as understanding the necessary positive, forward-thinking life skills required for a successful reentry, they focus on personal improvement, mental health readiness and long-term career development.
Program Components
• Pre and post release mental health and global needs assessment
• Housing plan, job training and placement assistance
• 40-hour inside the walls Journey to Success Prevocational and Workforce Readiness Program
• 18-month Journey Home Vocational, Leadership and Restorative Justice program
• Two-phased Diversion and Supervision program
• Mentoring by community and civic leaders, entrepreneurs, veterans
• The Criminal Justice Department of Texas Christian University tracks rearrests, recurring convictions, employment, housing, behavioral adjustments, evaluation propensity score assessing recidivism, etc.
• Data is collected from pre-release, throughout the 18-month Journey Home outside-the-walls program and an additional 18 months beyond graduation, total of 36 months
• Execution of Life Vision Plans
• On-going Leadership, Career Development and Mentoring
• Expected Results
• 8%-15% recidivism rate
• Career Readiness and Execution with a path to higher-than-average living wage work
• Measure, track and evaluate mentoring effectiveness of justice-involved Veterans and Civilians
• Upon Journey Home graduation, employment rate between 90-93%
• Reduced cost for correctional spending on the local, county and state level
• Reduction in neighborhood crimes and a safe, stronger America
To conclude, Pathways to Hope took a realistic idea and walked an offender’s path at that moment they were released from a jail. Imagine what a person returning to society goes through. The jail slider door opens. You walk out with maybe a few dollars in your pocket and your belongings in a box or bag. You are finally free! The impact of a past filled with sometimes poor choices hits you like a blast of icy air on a winter morning. Where will you live? Where will you work? How will you get there? Pathways to Hope stands ready to answer these and other questions and eliminates many of the barriers faced during reentry by providing critical resources, work-place readiness training, mentors, and case management. They give the person the tools to succeed, and they are there to walk step by step with that offender who is returning to their family, community, workplace, and society.
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Captain John Greg Pilkington, CCM began his career in law enforcement in 1993. He started working at a secured juvenile shelter in Parker County Texas then transitioned to adult corrections when he was hired by Dallas County. Then later in 2000, he was hired by Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office. After being promoted through four supervisory positions and being honored as the Supervisor of the Year in 2004, he was promoted to Captain in 2006. He commanded all five jails over his 17 years as Unit Commander with the Sheriff’s Office. In November 2019, he transitioned to the Inmate Services Division as Director of Inmate Services. He serves as a Master Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and Education Jailer license and is a certified TCOLE instructor. For more information, he can be contacted at jgpilkington@tarrantcountytx.gov.