Re-entry program is 'godsend' for young inmate

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Editor's note: In August, the North Forty News reported on the new Re-entry program at the Larimer County Detention Center, designed to help inmates with substance abuse and mental health issues so they don't keep returning to jail. This program would be expanded and new ones developed if Issue 1A passes in November. The following article looks at the progress of one inmate in the Re-entry program.

Steven Weaver, 26, really wants to meet his blue-eyed baby boy. His son Jadon is 10 months old, but Weaver has been in jail in Colorado for a year and has only seen photos of the child.

Being in jail is not a new experience for Weaver. He's been incarcerated 36 times--and in every case, he said, the reason has been drug or alcohol abuse. However, the young man said he's now "done" with drug use, and he credits his new resolve and confidence to the Re-entry program at the Larimer County Detention Center.

"The program has been a godsend for me," Weaver said.

Weaver moved to Colorado from Michigan in 2007 to be near his brother. He's determined to get his life together, kick his drug habit and stay out of jail. He's sick of being locked up and sick of "being sick and tired," he said.

The desire to be a good father to his son is also a big incentive. Jadon and his mother, Weaver's fiancée, live in Michigan, but despite the distance involved, Jadon's arrival has helped motivate Weaver to work hard in the Re-entry program.

Re-entry is geared to helping offenders like Weaver, who have gone directly to jail numerous times during the Monopoly game of life. Launched in July, the program provides intensive therapy and education to inmates who are dealing with both substance abuse and mental health issues. Participants are carefully chosen for the program and must be determined to better their lives.

Weaver meets all the criteria. Besides his substance abuse issues, he has several neurological and mental health diagnoses including bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, dyslexia and attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity.

Goals of the Re-entry program include helping people reclaim their lives and reducing the recidivism rate at the detention center.

Long drug history

Even though Weaver is still a young man, his drug habit is a long one. He started using marijuana, cocaine and opiates when he was 8 years old. Drug use was rampant in Grand Rapids, Mich., where he grew up; even his parents used illegal drugs. He figures he was addicted by age 16 or 17.

To support his habit, Weaver did some serious shoplifting, helping himself to expensive items like flat-screen TVs. He got caught three times, and at age 17, he said, "they just threw me in jail." There was no treatment program, but on the other hand, Weaver didn't think he had a problem.

Weaver went on to use cocaine, heroine and painkillers. "You name it, I've probably done it," he said. His drug use and mental health problems have led to poor health, suicide attempts, homelessness and numerous stays in psych wards.

He's had other life challenges as well. He didn't finish high school, and he reads at the fifth-grade level. Both of his parents committed suicide a few years ago. Re-entry has helped him to understand the mental health effects of that tragedy.

It's taken an effective program to help turn Weaver's life around. He's been through treatment programs before - in fact, about 30 times - and each time he has relapsed. "None of them has even come close to the Re-entry program," he said.

Dual approach

What is different about Re-entry? Weaver said the crucial difference is that the program focuses not only on substance abuse but on mental health issues as well, and how they interrelate with each other. "It's helped me deal with my drug problem and helped me recognize the mental health problems I have," he said.

There's also a focus on practical life issues. Weaver receives tutoring in reading and takes other classes to help him earn his GED. To cement his sobriety, he regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Cocaine Anonymous.

In a month, Weaver will enter the final phase of Re-entry, when inmates leave Community Corrections and go back to the community. However, unlike many other programs, Re-entry will still provide lots of support during this crucial transition time. Weaver will do this phase in Michigan so he can be with his family, but he will receive outpatient treatment, help with housing and medical needs and family counseling.

"I'll have a safety net," Weaver stated.

Weaver's family is proud of the progress he has made. So is his therapist, Tiffany Lehman, who is involved in several aspects of the Re-entry program. "This program is phenomenal," she said, noting that treatment costs much less than keeping people incarcerated.

"You look at all aspects of their lives and assess any gaps to allow them to move forward," Lehman said. "A lot of clients have just lived day-to-day, and this program allows them to look to the future and its possibilities."

For Weaver, future goals include staying sober, earning a GED, getting a driver's license and a car, and being a better father than the one he had. At some point, he wants to get back into the construction business. He also wants to give back by becoming a volunteer drug addiction counselor.

"I can now start rebuilding my whole life," Weaver said. "This program has made a huge, huge difference."