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SD public defense duties shift from counties to state; SCOTUS appears skeptical of restricting government communications with social media companies; Trump lawyers say he can't make bond; new scholarships aim to connect class of 2024 to high-demand jobs.

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The SCOTUS weighs government influence on social media, and who groups like the NRA can do business with. Biden signs an executive order to advance women's health research and the White House tells Israel it's responsible for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

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Midwest regenerative farmers are rethinking chicken production, Medicare Advantage is squeezing the finances of rural hospitals and California's extreme swing from floods to drought has some thinking it's time to turn rural farm parcels into floodplains.

Life After Prison: Missouri Confab Focus

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Friday, November 16, 2018   

UPDATE: On Wednesday, 11/14, President Donald Trump indicated support for a prison reform bill observers believe has a chance for bipartisan Congressional passage which includes improving rehabilitation programs.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – When Missouri hosted its first conference to address how to ease societal impacts when people get out of prison, about 40 people attended. This week, more than 600 people are on hand for the 13th annual, sold-out event.

Conference founder Wendell Kimbrough is chief executive officer with the Area Resources for Community and Human Services, known as ARCHS. He says it's the one time each year the state Corrections Department sits down with all the organizations that have a stake in reentry success, to determine if what they're doing is making a difference for ex-offenders in several key areas.

"Helping them reengage with family, helping them reengage spiritually, and then most importantly, help them find a job that will allow them to become a contributing member of society," says Kimbrough.

Kimbrough says ARCHS operates nine programs that serve people released from prison, with the goal of increasing their earnings and public safety, and decreasing recidivism. Missouri's Kids Count program notes that children with a parent in prison have higher rates of homelessness and poor developmental outcomes – which reinforces the need for these programs and services.

Kimbrough says everyone makes mistakes in life, but most get a second chance, and he believes the same should apply to people convicted of a crime. To do that, Missouri has multiple organizations that teach trade skills and offer educational classes in prisons.

Kimbrough adds that reentering society also involves learning "soft skills," such as how to interview for a job.

"How to dress properly for an interview, how to manage your anger when you disagree with someone or when someone speaks in a harsh tone," says Kimbrough. “Those kind of things absolutely help the person become more successful when they are released."

To improve their chances for success upon release, people in Missouri prisons who haven't earned a high school diploma or equivalency certificate are required by law to participate in adult basic education classes.


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Corporate partners sign contracts to offer a graduate assistantship and pay the students. In turn, MSU pays the graduate assistant's tuition, fees and salary, so the assistantship is directly tied to the academic experience. (pressmaster/Adobe Stock)

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