Jon Meyer
http://us.f571.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=jmeyer@idahopress.com
Monday, November 12th, 2007
NAMPA— Jeff Enger had been in and out of the Idaho prison system for years — reoffending several times on drug charges — before he found the Omaha HOME, a former Caldwell transitional home for ex-inmates.
Now he has been clean for years and is working as a press operator and maintenance technician for the Idaho Press-Tribune.
At first the Omaha HOME, which stands for Healthy Outcome Mentoring Environment, was just another way to escape the confines of prison, Enger said, but it ended up that organizers Chris and Arlene Yamamoto changed his life for the better.
“They told (Chris) that I was just going to do the same things over again. He had a different vision,” Enger said. “My focus was to get through that gate ... it was my ticket out.”
The Yamamotos’ approach to helping the residents of the three-house, 16-bed program had an impact on Enger that spurred the desire for a change in his life.
“The change certainly has to come from within. Originally it was my contempt for the system,” Enger said. “A support system like the Yamamotos set up was instrumental, but in the end it was a personal decision.”
The issue of transitional homes for former inmates has made headlines in Canyon County because of their location. Operators say the programs work best in typical residential areas, but residents who live nearby object having them set up in single-family neighborhoods with children and schools.
But even opponents to specific homes agree that there is a need for this type of alternative for inmates transitioning back into regular society.
The focus of the Omaha HOME philosophy was rooted in emphasizing work, life skills and key points that former inmates need to re-enter society, Chris Yamamoto said.
“We really emphasized work and the work ethic. That’s difficult for some of these guys, especially the ones who’ve been incarcerated a long time. They’ve forgotten how to work,” Yamamoto said. “We tried to teach them fundamental things about being in society ... I think that was part of what made us successful, though it’s very difficult, was to try to roll as many things in to make these guys upstanding citizens.”
The Yamamotos operated Omaha HOME on Canyon Hill from August of 2006 to mid-2007 and brought a total of 24 people into the program. Five individuals violated their parole during that time, but Yamamoto said that they also had several success stories, including Jeff, whose parole ends in May.
“I’m really proud of Jeff,” Chris Yamamoto said. “In fact I consider him a friend of mine.”
Homes crucial for some inmates
Two lost leases and other unavoidable commitments forced the Omaha HOME to close.
Now that the home is closed, Yamamoto says it’s clear that such services are needed to help transitioning offenders avoid habits that have gotten them into trouble in the past.
“No. 1, these people have to go somewhere when they’re getting out of incarceration. They need somewhere to go,” Yamamoto said. “What happens is they usually end up going to the family and friends who helped them get in trouble in the first place.”
Instead of putting the men at the Omaha HOME in a position to reoffend, Yamamoto took the Idaho Department of Correction referrals and helped them get back on their feet. The program operated under Christian principles and did not accept sex offenders or violent offenders. Most of the residents, Yamamoto said, weren’t actually “bad people.”
“They made a few bad decisions, but they weren’t bad people,” he said.
Without transition houses, released inmates often have trouble getting back on their feet and end up doing things that land them back in prison. That is why the homes are needed, Enger and Yamamoto agreed, because simply building more prisons isn’t a practical solution.
“I came at this from a capitalistic approach,” Yamamoto said. “I’d rather spend money to help these people out then to pay to warehouse them in a prison.”
That’s exactly what he and his wife did too, until they couldn’t afford to hire the help they needed to keep the house running.
“From a taxpayer’s standpoint,” Enger said, “wouldn’t it be better for these people to support themselves?”
Treasure Valley homes improve lives
In recent weeks, a growing public outcry has developed to fight the placement of halfway houses in family neighborhoods.
However, Yamamoto said he is “really happy to see what is going on with transitional housing,” and added that if the homes are structured right with the right management, they “can be very successful.”
While many residents may fear having a program like the Omaha HOME put in their neighborhood, Yamamoto used the environment to improve the lives of his residents, teaching them to be good neighbors. The group would clean up after storms, rake leaves and do other odd jobs to help people in their surrounding community.
“(The) home was a very structured situation,” Yamamoto said. “What people don’t realize is there is a big difference between the people who are in a structured environment and those who are roaming free.”
As for Jeff, he’s been on his own since January and has no plans to return to the Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center that he left behind. He was one of the first people hand-picked for the Omaha HOME project and now is the last one living in one of the Yamamotos’ rental properties. The house he is renting was used to help residents after the Yamamotos deemed they were ready to leave the transitional home.
“I’m not different than anybody else,” Enger said. “I’ve got the same goals, (a) house, white-picket fence. Just because I’m a convicted felon doesn’t make it any different.”
Yamamoto is proud of his friend and has high hopes for his future, calling him a good human being and hard worker.
“That’s an absolute success story,” Yamamoto said. “He’s going to be just fine.”
http://us.f571.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=jmeyer@idahopress.com
Monday, November 12th, 2007
NAMPA— Jeff Enger had been in and out of the Idaho prison system for years — reoffending several times on drug charges — before he found the Omaha HOME, a former Caldwell transitional home for ex-inmates.
Now he has been clean for years and is working as a press operator and maintenance technician for the Idaho Press-Tribune.
At first the Omaha HOME, which stands for Healthy Outcome Mentoring Environment, was just another way to escape the confines of prison, Enger said, but it ended up that organizers Chris and Arlene Yamamoto changed his life for the better.
“They told (Chris) that I was just going to do the same things over again. He had a different vision,” Enger said. “My focus was to get through that gate ... it was my ticket out.”
The Yamamotos’ approach to helping the residents of the three-house, 16-bed program had an impact on Enger that spurred the desire for a change in his life.
“The change certainly has to come from within. Originally it was my contempt for the system,” Enger said. “A support system like the Yamamotos set up was instrumental, but in the end it was a personal decision.”
The issue of transitional homes for former inmates has made headlines in Canyon County because of their location. Operators say the programs work best in typical residential areas, but residents who live nearby object having them set up in single-family neighborhoods with children and schools.
But even opponents to specific homes agree that there is a need for this type of alternative for inmates transitioning back into regular society.
The focus of the Omaha HOME philosophy was rooted in emphasizing work, life skills and key points that former inmates need to re-enter society, Chris Yamamoto said.
“We really emphasized work and the work ethic. That’s difficult for some of these guys, especially the ones who’ve been incarcerated a long time. They’ve forgotten how to work,” Yamamoto said. “We tried to teach them fundamental things about being in society ... I think that was part of what made us successful, though it’s very difficult, was to try to roll as many things in to make these guys upstanding citizens.”
The Yamamotos operated Omaha HOME on Canyon Hill from August of 2006 to mid-2007 and brought a total of 24 people into the program. Five individuals violated their parole during that time, but Yamamoto said that they also had several success stories, including Jeff, whose parole ends in May.
“I’m really proud of Jeff,” Chris Yamamoto said. “In fact I consider him a friend of mine.”
Homes crucial for some inmates
Two lost leases and other unavoidable commitments forced the Omaha HOME to close.
Now that the home is closed, Yamamoto says it’s clear that such services are needed to help transitioning offenders avoid habits that have gotten them into trouble in the past.
“No. 1, these people have to go somewhere when they’re getting out of incarceration. They need somewhere to go,” Yamamoto said. “What happens is they usually end up going to the family and friends who helped them get in trouble in the first place.”
Instead of putting the men at the Omaha HOME in a position to reoffend, Yamamoto took the Idaho Department of Correction referrals and helped them get back on their feet. The program operated under Christian principles and did not accept sex offenders or violent offenders. Most of the residents, Yamamoto said, weren’t actually “bad people.”
“They made a few bad decisions, but they weren’t bad people,” he said.
Without transition houses, released inmates often have trouble getting back on their feet and end up doing things that land them back in prison. That is why the homes are needed, Enger and Yamamoto agreed, because simply building more prisons isn’t a practical solution.
“I came at this from a capitalistic approach,” Yamamoto said. “I’d rather spend money to help these people out then to pay to warehouse them in a prison.”
That’s exactly what he and his wife did too, until they couldn’t afford to hire the help they needed to keep the house running.
“From a taxpayer’s standpoint,” Enger said, “wouldn’t it be better for these people to support themselves?”
Treasure Valley homes improve lives
In recent weeks, a growing public outcry has developed to fight the placement of halfway houses in family neighborhoods.
However, Yamamoto said he is “really happy to see what is going on with transitional housing,” and added that if the homes are structured right with the right management, they “can be very successful.”
While many residents may fear having a program like the Omaha HOME put in their neighborhood, Yamamoto used the environment to improve the lives of his residents, teaching them to be good neighbors. The group would clean up after storms, rake leaves and do other odd jobs to help people in their surrounding community.
“(The) home was a very structured situation,” Yamamoto said. “What people don’t realize is there is a big difference between the people who are in a structured environment and those who are roaming free.”
As for Jeff, he’s been on his own since January and has no plans to return to the Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center that he left behind. He was one of the first people hand-picked for the Omaha HOME project and now is the last one living in one of the Yamamotos’ rental properties. The house he is renting was used to help residents after the Yamamotos deemed they were ready to leave the transitional home.
“I’m not different than anybody else,” Enger said. “I’ve got the same goals, (a) house, white-picket fence. Just because I’m a convicted felon doesn’t make it any different.”
Yamamoto is proud of his friend and has high hopes for his future, calling him a good human being and hard worker.
“That’s an absolute success story,” Yamamoto said. “He’s going to be just fine.”
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