Federal funds from the American Rescue Plan for re-entry centers during the pandemic is running out.
There are calls growing for the state to provide more funding for re-entry welcome centers in Connecticut.
“The money is really critical to the centers across Connecticut,” said Beth Hines, the executive director of Community Partners in Action.
Since opening in 2018, Community Partners in Action in Hartford has helped more than 1,500 people who were previously incarcerated, including Sprugin Witchard.
“This center has done a lot for a lot of us,” Witchard said.
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Witchard said his case manager helped him turn his life around.
“I went to three interviews, finally got hired, now I am working, I love it,” Witchard said.
Those life-changing services provided by the center might now be in jeopardy. Hines said for the last three years Community Partners in Action has received $300,000 through American Rescue Plan funds, but that money is running out.
“With that money sunsetting, I don't necessarily think we would have to close our doors, but what we currently look like right now we may not look like when the dollars run out,” Hines said.
Hines said there could be cuts to staffing or services, like visiting people before they are released.
“It’s connecting with people before they are released from prison so that they feel a sense of hope that somebody is waiting for them, and understands what they are going to need to be successful when they come home,” Hines said.
On Friday, Community Partners in Action, alongside other re-entry welcome centers and state and local leaders gathered to ask the state legislature to add funding for services in the upcoming state budget.
“We are asking for $3 million and that will help all six centers stay open. We are asking for that money to be annualized so that it would be included in the state budget not only for next fiscal year, but state budgets moving forward,” Hines said.
