Second RPD Citizen’s Reentry Academy Starts Wednesday, June 15th

The Redlands Police Department will host its second Citizens Re-entry Academy beginning June 15.

The academy is a six-week class designed to inform residents about the opportunities and challenges surrounding sentenced offenders returning to the community after incarceration.  The course will explore the inner workings of the Redlands Police Department’s operations relating to the criminal justice system, including the department’s Police and Corrections Team ( P.A.C.T.) and interaction with the Redland Drug Court.

Students will meet on Wednesday nights from 6-9p.m. at the Joslyn Senior Center, 21 Grant Street, for the first four weeks of the course.  The final two sessions will be held Saturdays with tours of correctional institutions, one on July 16th, and the other date TBA.

There is no charge for the course, but class size is limited.  If you’d like to be part of this 2nd class, email the following information to Officer Mike Merriman at mmerriman@redlandsppolice.org :

Name

Address

Phone

E-mail address

You may also call Officer Merriman at 909-798-7681 for more information.

Several of us from Women of Faith attended the first Reentry Academy and came away with a better understanding of this topic which affects each of us. Changes in California’s prison system is already being felt here at home.  But did you know that while the recidivism rate (rate at which individuals return to prison), runs around 80% in the state of California , here is Redlands it is 25%?  This is largely due to the philosophy of our police department and programs which have been put in place by them.  In addition to learning about the broad picture of how the criminal justice system works, this course is an opportunity to find out what is being done here and why it works.