Staff report

A woman who has spent more than a decade helping newly released inmates get back on their feet and stay stable in society has been named a "STAR" in Franklin County.

Dr. Kim Eaton's recognition as the employee of the month for May follows a month-long focus on inmates' re-entry into the community through a slate of events. She was busy for Reentry Month in April, having organized community movie nights, a kickoff event and press conference, a Comfort Kitchen dinner and presentation, a panel with the primary election candidates for county judge, a podcast with the Franklin County Coalition for Progress, a Waynesboro vigil in support of "community members and reentering citizens as well as their families who have suffered collateral consequences from their loved one's incarceration," and a Reentry Summit at Rhodes Grove Camp that included a panel of returning citizens and others, in addition to other work.

"She has worked tirelessly to engage the community in the Reentry initiatives for this month and has worked to highlight the importance of understanding the struggles of returning citizens and gaining community support for these individuals when they are returning to the community from incarceration," said a colleague who nominated her for for the county award.

More:Here's what it's like to re-enter society after jail

Eaton began working for Franklin County in 2005 to develop the Day Reporting Center, an intermediate punishment program that allows inmates to leave jail early if they follow certain rules. Now, she is the reentry and clinical quality assurance program director for the Day Reporting Center. She is also co-chair of Franklin Together, which includes the Franklin County Re-Entry Coalition and various sub-committees.

The re-entry coalition was officially established in 2015 following two years of development spurred by the county's Criminal Justice Advisory Board identifying a need to enhance and expand re-entry initiatives.

More than 75% of the county's spending is dedicated to the criminal justice system, even though just over 2% of county residents are involved in it, whether by incarceration, involvement in the courts, or being on probation/parole. As Franklin Together put in plain terms, "2.3% of the population is consuming 78% of the resources."

About half of the people who leave jail in Franklin County are back in jail two years later, according to Franklin Together. It costs 71 cents a day to keep one inmate in jail.

About two-thirds of the jail population have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, and 80% have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression.

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As manager of the Intensive Re-entry Case Management program, Eaton helps released inmates find housing and needed services so they can gain stability in the community.

"She does a great job representing the County and helping community members in jail as well as throughout the community," a nominating colleague said.

Eaton was chosen from among 14 nominees by the STAR (Special Thanks and Recognition) Committee.