MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Housing to help ex-offenders get readjusted to life after being behind bars is a necessity for some.
“The transitional house can offer employment assistance. They can offer drug and alcohol programming," Michelle Singelton the director of Housing Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) said. "It can meet a lot of needs for the offenders."
TDOC says they work with approximately 24 transitional homes that have about 300 hundred beds in Shelby county.
“There are resources out there for the returning population," Singelton said.
But workers in the independent reentry program 'Persevere' say resources given by government are not enough.
“It is a lack of resources for those individuals that’s coming out of incarceration. You know, being able to have stable housing is one the primary things that individuals needs when leaving prison.”
The Shelby County Office of Reentry held a series of community events this past summer sharing plans for new 'transitional housing' in south Memphis, housing some in the community have been waiting for.
Brodrick Webster and his team are on a mission to fill in the gaps.
“These transition houses have been set up for those that’s interested in becoming web developers or have been in our program while they’ve been incarcerated."
One of those web developers is Jorge Garcia who went through Persevere's program and is now a coding instructor.
“you need an address to leave prison. So how are you supposed to get an address," Garcia said. "You don’t have any money, how are you going to get an address? It’s impossible. It’s almost rigged.”
Garcia says ‘Persevere' gave him a second chance.
“It’s been magnificent the support has just been beyond words. One thing I’ll have to highlight they also helped just as a person, personal growth. It’s helped me a lot just to like learn everyday skills.”
We did reach out to the Shelby County Office of Reentry for any updates but did not receive a response as of now.