KARE11
KARE11 GORDON SIEVERS AND SHOWS US.
US.
US. >>
US. >> Reporter: WHEN YOU LOOK
BEYOND THE WALLS THE BARBED
WIRES IN THE STEEL DOORS THE
MOOSE LAKE PRISON STARTS TO
LOOK LIKE SOMETHING ELSE.
BETWEEN THE DIETING HALL, BALL
FIELD AND CLASSROOMS, IT FEELS
MORE LIKE A SCHOOL AT TIMES
WHERE PRISONERS CAN LEARN A NEW
WAY OF LIFE.
TAKE JACOB WHO IS A WHIZ WITH
CABLES AND WIRES
>> THE SPORTS SIMULATES THE
DIFFERENT TRANSMISSIONS.
DIFFERENT TRANSMISSIONS. THAT'S REALLY COOL.
>> A SKILL HE LEARNED HERE IN
PRISON. HE IS HOPING IT WILL
LEND HIM A JOB WHEN HE GETS
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. >>
OUT. >> THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN
THIS IS HUGE BECAUSE THE JOB
MARKET IS UNBELIEVABLE AT THIS
POINT.
POINT.
POINT. >>
POINT. >> FOR THE FIRST TIME PRISONERS
LIKE JAKE WILL HAVE NEW HELP
NAVIGATING THE JOB MARKET THE
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS JUST
LAUNCHED A BRAND-NEW POSITION
CALLED THE CAREER NAVIGATOR.
WORKING WITH OFFENDERS TO HAVE
JOBS LINED UP BEFORE THEY
LEAVE.
LEAVE.
LEAVE. FOR LAYING WIRES FOR PHONES AND
INTERNET IS A BIT MORE
APPEALING THAN WHAT HE USED TO
DO.
DO.
DO. >>
DO. >> I
DO. >> I ENDED UP SEEING
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MONEY TO
DEAL DRUGS.
DEAL DRUGS. >> METH POT YOU NAME IT, HE HAD
IT.
IT.
IT. UP
IT. UP IN
IT. UP IN THE IRON RANGE IF YOU
NEEDED DRUGS HE WAS THE ONE YOU
WANT TO.
WANT TO.
WANT TO. >> WE WERE USING DRUGS YOU
DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING.
YOU ARE EITHER WORRIED ABOUT
YOUR NEXT FIX OR YOU ARE
WORRIED ABOUT THE NEXT DOLLAR.
FOR ME IT WAS THE NEXT DOLLAR.
>> A LIFESTYLE HE SAYS WAS EVEN
MORE ADDICTING THAN THE DRUGS
HE SOLD.
HE SOLD.
HE SOLD. >> I FELT LIKE IT HELPED A LOT
OF PEOPLE BUT IN REALITY I HURT
MORE PEOPLE THAN I DID
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. >> HE IS TRYING TO MAKE THE
MOST OUT OF HIS SECOND CHANCE
ACTUALLY FOR.
ACTUALLY FOR. >> THIS IS MY SECOND TIME IN
PRISON.
PRISON.
PRISON. >> IT'S MORE LIKE A THIRD
CHANCE.
CHANCE.
CHANCE. >> I MADE IT THREE WEEKS
WITHOUT RELAPSING AND USING OR
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE MONEY
THAT COULD BE MADE MESSING WITH
DRUGS. EVENTUALLY I CAME BACK
TO PRISON.
TO PRISON. I JUST DID NOT CARE ANYMORE I
WAS LIKE WELL I MINUTE RIDE THE
WHEELS, FALLOFF, CONSEQUENCES
WILL COME. IT IS WHAT IT IS.
>> JUST 14 MONTHS AFTER GETTING
OUT HE WAS BACK IN PRISON.
THIS TIME A FIVE YEAR SENTENCE.
>> IT HAPPENS IN OUR BUSINESS
AND IS DISAPPOINTING.
>> ASSISTANT NATE KNUTSON SAID
FOR DECADES IN CORRECTIONS
THAT'S JUST THE WAY OF IT.
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF
JUSTICE SAYS 68% OF OFFENDERS
ARE BACK IN PRISON WITHIN 3
YEARS OF GETTING OUT
>> WHEN THEY LEAVE THESE DOORS
IT IS HARD OUT THERE FOR A LOT
OF THEM.
OF THEM.
OF THEM. WE KNOW THAT THESE FOLKS ARE
PERHAPS ARE LIKELY GOING TO
BACK TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT
THEY CAME FROM WITH THE SAME
PRESSURES IN THE STRESSORS THAT
WERE ONCE BEFORE.
>> CORRECTIONS OFFICIALS ARE
NOW LOOKING AT THE PROBLEM
DIFFERENTLY.
DIFFERENTLY. IN RECENT YEARS NEW PROGRAMS TO
GET OFFENDERS CLEAN EDUCATED
AND READY TO LIVE IN THE REAL
WORLD AND UNDER A NEW
ADMINISTRATION LED BY
COMMISSIONER PAUL SCHNELL PLANS
TO START EVEN MORE PROGRAMS IN
THE COMING YEARS.
>> WE WANT THEM TO LEAVE
PREPARED FOR THE REALITIES OF
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. >>
LIFE. >> TO BREAK THE CYCLE AND GET
OTHERS TO GIVE INMATES A CHANCE
FOR SOCIETY TO SEE THE PERSON
BEHIND THE CRIME AND EMPLOYERS
TO SEE THE SKILLED BEHIND THE
TIMES.
TIMES.
TIMES. >>
TIMES. >> I HAD MORE THAN I DID WHEN I
CAME IN.
CAME IN.
CAME IN. THAT TO ME IS HUGE.
I HAVE A CAREER THAT I CAN GO
INTO NOW.
INTO NOW.
INTO NOW. BEFORE I DO NOT HAVE THAT.
>> YOU SELECT THE SLIDE.
>> WHEN JAKE GETS OUT EITHER
NEXT SUMMER LIKE HE IS
SCHEDULED FOR LATER THIS YEAR
IF YOU LAND THE JOB HE IS
HOPING THE NEXT TIME HE WALKS
OUT THESE DOORS HE WON'T BE
COMING BACK.
COMING BACK. >> I FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT I
WILL DO GOOD OUT THERE.
>> BESIDES JAKE I ALSO GOT TO
MEET A LOT OF OLDER INMATES WHO
HAVE BEEN IN PRISON THE LAST 20
TO 30 YEARS BEHIND BARS.
MANY OF THEM WILL BE IN THEIR
50s AND 60s WHEN THEY GET OUT.
ONE INMATE IN PARTICULAR STOOD
OUT FOR ME.
HE WILL BE 60 WHEN HE GETS OUT.
HE TOLD ME JUST THE THOUGHT OF
TRYING TO MAKE IT ON THE
OUTSIDE AND FIND A JOB AT THAT
AGE USED TO KEEP THEM UP AT
NIGHT THAT NOW WITH THE SKILLS
HE HAS LEARNED IN PRISON HE IS
HOPEFUL THAT HE WILL HAVE A
CHANCE OUT THERE.
>> NOT EVERYBODY CAN BE
REFORMED BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE
SOMETHING THAT HELPS BREAK THAT
CYCLE OF REPEAT OFFENDING.
THIS IS THINGS LIKE SOMETHING
THAT WILL REALLY WORK.
>> IT