New Reentry Center becomes first one stop shop of resources for recently released inmates

“Going through a difficult time, you feel alone. The Center for Hope has been a voice saying that you’re not alone. That you have a place to go. The lows of life, you’re not by yourself. People need that hope, I needed that hope,” said Idaho Falls Community Reentry Center member, Bradford Foster.

Foster is one of the numerous incarcerated individuals who will benefit from the new re-entry center at the Center for Hope.

“Right now a lot of the times people have to go all over the city to get the help that they need and bringing everyone together under one location is going to be such a benefit for people,” said IDOC’s re-entry manager, Timothy Leigh.

Having a one-stop-shop for re-entry services is something that the community has needed for quite some time according to the Idaho Department of Correction.

“This is really going to help bridge that gap that we have in our community and our re-entry services,” said District 7 probation and patrol re-entry specialist, Stephanie Taylor-Silva.

The re-entry center will begin offering their services on Tuesdays from 11-1 p.m., and 2-4 p.m. Individuals can come to the center at that time and receive assistance from different providers.

“Seeing the need of people not having access to stuff and getting released from prison, and not having the things they need to survive,” said Idaho Falls Community Re-entry Center correctional case manager, Kelly Rausch.

The re-entry center will assist these individuals with housing, employment, health and welfare services, and services with numerous treatment providers in our community.

“The guys say, ‘well there is a place that we can go to’ and that’s really powerful because once again, you don’t feel alone. You don’t feel like you’re out there by yourself,” Foster said.

The Center for Hope is located at 530 east Anderson in Idaho Falls.

Although there are specific times for the re-entry center, walk-in’s are still accepted.