Inmates at the Northwest Regional Corrections Center attended the 4th Annual Resources for Reintegration Fair last week. The inmates received could receive information on employment, housing, education, mental health, veterans services, religious resources, and more.
Jail Administrator Joey Pederson says the fair is organized to connect inmates with resources that can help them once their incarceration ends. “It’s our 4th annual Resource for Reintegration Fair here at the jail in Crookston,” said Pederson. “It’s geared towards connecting the inmate population with community resources in the area ranging from employment to housing, social services, mental health, veteran services, clergy, and more. We have a lot of different resources that have been connected with this event for years. We get a lot of positive feedback from the inmates at these events. They are just surprised at the resources that are out there for them. Just a whole wide range of different resources that are ultimately going to help them be successful in transitioning back out. Often when folks get incarcerated – for a few days or a few months – their employment gets affected, their housing is affected, and sometimes health insurance or other areas of their life that is critical. That’s what this event is geared towards – to connect them with resources to be able to pick that stuff back up.”
Not only do the inmates benefit from the fair, but Pederson says that inmates often tell staff that they know of someone who could use the resources available at the fair and want to help them connect once they are out. “Sometimes it’s beyond just the person here attending the events,” said Pederson. “They are telling us that maybe they can help a brother, sister, cousin, somebody else they know that they can help once they are back in the community who needs these resources. I think it reaches far beyond the immediate inmate population. It takes time, and I think it’s hard to measure that. But I think that awareness of the resources that are in the community and getting that out to our inmate population is certainly beneficial.”
