Muskegon Chronicle Series, Starting Over:
- State program aims to keep parolees out of prison, By Teresa Taylor Williams, January 9, 2010, Muskegon Chronicle: “Lost. Broken. Alone. Those words often describe parolees who leave prison only to commit a fresh crime shortly thereafter. But a statewide program implemented locally two years ago aims to stop that pattern. The Michigan Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative was introduced in 2005 to help equip parolees with tools they need for success in their communities. One of the cornerstones of those ‘tools’ is pairing men and women prisoners with adult mentors with the goal of helping them make a successful transition back into society. Anecdotally and statistically, the program appears to be working…”
- Children, family of prisoners pay hefty price, By Teresa Taylor Williams, January 10, 2010, Muskegon Chronicle: “When Patti Brewer drives by Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility near her home, her 6-year-old son Bryan often says, ‘That’s Daddy’s house, isn’t it?’ The last several years, the father of her two sons has been in and out of prison. Single parenting has been rough on Brewer. She works during the day in a bakery and has to get her boys to the family daycare provider before dawn. Her car is barely running, and the electricity in her home was shut off last month. Brewer is thankful for help she gets from family. But the financial challenges and ‘missing’ her boys’ father – Joseph Martin Morales, who is in prison for armed robbery and drug possession – is wearing down Brewer…”