FW: After Five Years Hampshire House Opens
meredith lopez
From: Ellen Donnarumma [mailto:edonn...@crjustice.org]
Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2009 3:38 PM
The recent opening of CRJ's program in Manchester, New Hampshire was more than just an open house-as all who helped move the five years' of obstacles in this siting process know, this was a victory celebration!
Five years after CRJ took the first steps toward creating a reentry program for federal offenders returning home to New Hampshire, Director of Social Justice Services for CRJ, Liz Curtin beamed as she welcomed corrections officials and neighbors to the newly renovated building.
Among the many guests at the open house were: CRJ Board President, Scott Harshbarger, Board members, Joe Carter, Bob Watson, Jim Marchetti, Brian Callery, Mike O'Connor and Mike Richards: Nixon Peabody partner, David Vicinanzo and Attorney Jim Keourac; Manchester Police Chief Dave Mara; and an impressive number of New Hampshire probabtion and corrections officials and US Department of Probabtion officials Tom Tarr, Dan Gildea, Kristin Cook, Karin Hess and Karen Kinnan, retired NH Parole Board member Bob Hamel, Alan Coburn from the Tirrell House, and both Mike Correia and Gerard Lagasse of the New Hampshire Department of Corrections.
Elm Street neighbors came as well. Some had raised questions at various stages of the approval process about how the program would affect the area, so their presence was especially appreciated, said Liz Curtin.
"We were incredibly gratified that neighbors of the program called after visiting with staff and touring the facility to say, 'We weren't sure about this, but we're glad you're here.' ", said CRJ's Hampshire House Program Director John Sullivan.
"By preparing ex-offenders for their return to their communities, we actually enhance public safety as well as the chances of success for these individuals," CRJ CEO John Larivee told the crowd. Practitioners of sound, evidence-based corrections polcy understand the philosophy, but selling the neighbors on it can be another story. "We were so pleased that they came, and we are thoroughly committed to good relations going forward," he said.
"We make our communities safer in a cost efficient way by being both tough and smart," said CRJ Board President and former prosecutor Scott Harshbarger. "The partnership that makes this possible is crucial," he said, "and has created an important model here in New Hampshire."
Rediscover Hotmail®: Get e-mail storage that grows with you. Check it out.