‘We do work on an action plan’
Marisol Curtis, 47, works as a case manager at Elijah’s Promise, a community kitchen and social services non-profit organization. I sat down with Marisol and asked about her experience in working for Elijah’s Promise and her thoughts on housing in relation to incarceration.
Sabrina Tibbetts: What does Elijah’s Promise do?
Marisol Curtis: We have a social services department where we assist individuals with resources, referrals, network with other agencies, collaborating with other organizations, provide transportation for detox and rehab, as well as housing.
ST: How do you go about helping individuals that have been incarcerated?
MC: With individuals that have been previously incarcerated, we see how long the incarceration occurred, and how recent, and look at the barriers around it, as in how we can get them into housing. Basically we start off with benefits, incomes, whether they are entitled to retirement, disability, SSI [social security insurance], and if they qualify for general assistance. We would prefer someone who is set up with an income, because no one gets an apartment for free. You have to be working towards getting those benefits set up. We help them get set up with those income resources in order to further assist in housing them.
Depending on how long ago and what the charge exactly was, we are able to see if they’re eligible in getting housing. We are working with other organizations and housing authorities; everyone has policies and procedures. Because of a certain charge, someone might not be eligible for housing programs.
ST: Typically how long until someone gets housing?
MC: It all depends on them. There’s a lot of things they have to do on their own to get back into society. But we do work on an action plan, there are things that we work on, on our end, but they need to work on things too.
ST: What specific sources do you work with for housing?
MC: We tap into all resources in Middlesex County, we work with the county and see what’s available.
ST: What do you do to start helping individuals with housing?
MC: First we tell them to contact the 211 info line. And that gets them on the shelter list. They may be on the street before they get a phone call but if there’s a bed available we try and get them to the shelter. If the individual is going out of county for an available bed, then we try and get them there. But most of our clients want to stay in Middlesex County.
If someone receives income, they need to contact case management on 211 because they are kind of displaced and they need guidance. Case management will give them a call back and go over their resources. They try to figure out how this client who has income can get housing.
Once upon a time, we used to work directly with shelters, which was about three years ago. But now, everyone has to go through 211.
ST: What do you think of the housing process for individuals who have been incarcerated?
MC: I think it all depends. Each and every person is a case by case. It depends on their willingness and how there charge affects their housing opportunity. If it’s a misdemeanor there are things we are able to bypass. All I can say is that we’ve been lucky at times with individuals who have been incarcerated and acclimating them back into society and getting housing, but there has been some difficult times.
ST: Do you think the inability to find housing increases the recidivism rate?
MC: I have come across a few individuals during the winter, since it’s difficult for them to find housing, who find it easier to commit a crime so that they can be incarcerated just so they know they have a roof over their head and meals. But it all comes back to the willingness. What are they willing to do when they get out?
The former governor [Gov. Jim McGreevey] recently opened up a reentry program here in New Brunswick, and I think that it’s a great start. They are doing resume writing, computer skills, and teaching people how to dress for interviews. I think that reentry program is great and will help anyone that has been previously incarcerated.
ST: What do you think of the reentry program?
MC: If they’re not given a direction or resources, if they’re just being thrown back into society without any type of guidance, what do you think is going to happen? Where are they going to go? What are they going to do? These are things that should be taken care of inside within the last 30 days of someone being released from incarceration.
While someone is being incarcerated they should be working on their plan on what to do when they’re getting out. There are social workers who work within the prison system that are supposed to be working with individuals on their release and their next steps. It should start with the system itself so that once they are released, they have some guidance and know what to do to get back on track.
