Corrections officials will tell you that most inmates regret they did something stupid; they want to do their prison time; and, most importantly, they have a sincere desire to change. Yet, correctional officials will also tell you that those who want to change simply don’t know how. We, JUST US, can bring to these inmates our educating talents, our opportunities for employment and our moral inspiration. Combined, they will inspire change and lasting JUSTICE reform.

I am a retired criminal justice architect with 40 years of experience. I am now an apprentice in the “face to face” experience of working with inmates wanting to change. I’m a volunteer for “Jobs Partnership,” a faith-based group working with jail and prison inmates to help them upon release get a job and keep a job. Lack of employment upon release is the number one reason for recidivism. This jail program consists of 12 classes over a six-week period focusing on the importance of work-place knowledge, desire, and attitude — influenced by character and shaped by faith. We recently graduated our first class at the Peoria County Jail. There I witnessed the core of what will ultimately accomplish justice reform – inmates with the desire to change and a better knowledge of how.

Imagine the JUSTICE reform and collateral affects if the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics could report a reduction in recidivism rates from 65 to 75 percent down to 10 to 20 percent. Please consider joining us, over 100 Jobs Partnership volunteers, in our effort to heal this broken system. I believe the rewards for JUST US and the JUSTICE system will be eternal.

Ron Budzinski

Retired National Director of Justice Architecture for Dewberry Architects

Jobs Partnership, 602 W. Richmond,Peoria, IL 61606

(309) 682-2360 / jobspartnershippeoria@gmail.com

(See a news feature on Ron Budzinski and his volunteer work at the Peoria County Jail in the November 2015 issue of Community Word.)