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| Former Ga. inmates paired in parole mentor program |
| By AP |
| Published: 09/29/2003 |
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A Macon parole officer is teaming up young former inmates with older ones as part of an experimental program aimed at keeping ex-offenders from returning to prison. The program, run through the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, pairs young, unstable parolees with older, established, law-abiding parolees. Parole officer Jim Waite said he thought of the program while working with Mike Evans, a 21-year-old parolee who, like some of his other clients, was ''on the verge of disaster.'' ''We were about to lose him,'' Waite said of Evans, who pleaded guilty of vehicular homicide in 1998. ''He had stopped reporting and couldn't find a job. ... I knew there had to be something we could do.'' Waite quickly thought of Damon Farmer, 37, who had been out of prison several years after serving a sentence for forgery and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. He recently completed the parole program after four years. Waite soon introduced the two men, who have since become good friends. Several times a week, the two talk by phone and meet to watch football games or just to chat. Farmer, who works as a truck driver, said the program has helped him with his own life. ''It's been an experience,'' Farmer said. ''I'm trying to put my past behind me, but this has helped me give back. I just don't want to see him do the same thing I did. ... I want him to get his life together.'' Evans and Farmer are one of two pairs currently working in the program, which Waite said is getting attention from authorities from across Georgia. He said he hopes to one day see similar programs in every county in the state. According to research by the Georgia Parole Board, young parolees are most susceptible to difficulty while readjusting to life outside prison bars. |
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