WINSTON COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- While we usually think of prison as a place of punishment for those who commit crimes, it also serves as a place to reintegrate inmates back into everyday life.

Area jailers have long seen a troubling cycle.

- Advertisement -

“We’re starting to recognize that there’s a problem that people are going to jail and they’re getting out of jail and coming back to jail again for the same problem

we have several programs at the Winston county region facility that we try to push our inmates to try to help them,” said Sheriff Jason Pugh.

These programs help inmates earn their GED’s and learn life skills. But these only can do so much.

“I think an uncontrolled environment tells you more about an individual. So, I believe in reputable re-entry programs that give an opportunity for people to deal with them on an individual basis, to make sure mentally they’re ready to go back into the workforce. So, those are challenges just coming to the workforce and trying to work with someone that not that wasn’t in prison with you,” said Sharon Jones.

Jones has worked with former inmates for over a decade. She knows one of the hardest challenges they face is landing a job. She helps them overcome that challenge.

“We believe in exposure and interacting with corporate people kind of changes the mindset, and we have a position available we employ them but the training consists of three months, and we use American Hotel Educational Lodging Institute. We believe that people can be hospitable at any level, so we just want to show them handle corrective criticism on how to handle problems that occur with individuals,” said Jones.

Sheriff Pugh says he wishes correctional facilities could do more to help inmates, but it all comes down to one thing.

“Think it’s more of a funding issue than anything else I think everybody would like to see more of that done I just don’t think the money is being made readily available for that,” said Sheriff Pugh.

Sheriff Pugh says many inmates want to get on the straight and narrow after leaving jail. But they often end up back in the same environment they came from, causing them to fall back into old habits.

He says the best thing for inmates is to come back to a supportive family and community; that’s when he sees real success.