MILTON — The United Way of Santa Rosa County wants to lease the former Munson Elementary School for a criminal rehabilitation program.
While discussions are in the early stages, the goal is to develop a new program, titled Bridges to Success.
Guy Thompson, the United Way’s executive director, said the objective of ‘Bridges’ is to help keep non-violent criminals from re-entering a correctional institution once released back into society.
“Several of these individuals come through our doors regularly,” Thompson said. “(When they re-enter society), they are basically left homeless and not given opportunities to get jobs.”
‘Bridges,’ which works under the United Way as a startup nonprofit, aims to keep those individuals on the correct path instead of falling into familiar habits and return behind bars.
While several programs help the incarcerated get acclimated to society, the support is gone once those individuals are released back into society.
“When they are released, we cut the umbilical cord,” said JD Dunlap, a retired principal from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. “Your support for education, counseling, pastoral support, your psychological support ─ all of that is out.”
Dunlap said ‘Bridges’ will offer clients multiple services based on his or her need. He said the program should make an impact.
“We are the most incarcerated country in the world,” Dunlap said. “We have 2 million people incarcerated and we got 7 million people on some kind of supervision.”
Sheila Reed, a nonprofit consultant of United Way, said the program’s focus is to not only benefit their client but also their families and communities.
“It’s not just the individual offender you are impacting; you are impacting their immediate family, their neighborhood at large and the community as a whole,” she said.
Under a lease, which would be for a couple of years, facilities at the former school — which has been closed since 2009 — would be used for temporary shelter while offenders work through the program.
Thompson said the facility would be supervised at all times and transportation would be available to clients in need.
The program is also being supported by several local judges including Judge Colie Nichols, a retired county judge with 31 years of experience. Nichols is serving as a board member for ‘Bridges.’
Santa Rosa County Schools Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick supports the proposal.
“I love the idea of rather than just throwing them to the wolves and almost guaranteeing re-incarceration, let’s do something proactive,” he said.
Wyrosdick said the program would be a good fit for the facility, which is not currently being used.
The school was closed due to a dwindling student population, he said.
Wyrosdick said several interested entities have shown interest in purchasing the property, however no deals have been made.
‘Bridges’ officials have even proposed to offer repair work at the facility as an alternative payment or come to an lease agreement.
“We are open to that,” Wyrosdick said. “There are certainly some needs at that facility.”
One example is constructing a new roof on the gymnasium.
Should both sides come to terms, they plan to contact the Munson community for input before an agreement is finalized.
The nonprofit looks to use the property temporarily while a permanent location would be sought elsewhere, according to officials.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Former school eyed for criminal rehabilitation program (PHOTOS, VIDEO)