In Wyoming, it costs $239 a day to incarcerate one individual. It costs $17 a day for a Resident of Hope House to receive safe, sober housing and access to coordinated care including mentors, employment, healthcare services, transportation, and counseling. Hope House breaks cycles of addiction and incarceration.
The Problem of Addiction.
Wyoming faces unique challenges regarding drug and alcohol addiction, and current “solutions” aren’t working. Wyoming’s drug arrest rate is the second-highest in the U.S. and has increased considerably in recent years. In 2010, less than one-fifth of people in Wyoming state prisons were serving time for drug crimes. By 2016, that number had grown to one-quarter.
Hope House’s Approach to Addiction.
Research supports the effectiveness of recovery residences. Unlike traditional housing, recovery residences promote recovery from alcohol and drug use by providing formerly incarcerated individuals with a community of accountability and peer support. Moreover, Hope House provides the structure that residents need to bridge the gap between incarceration and life on the outside.
The Problem of Recidivism.
Nationally, at least 44% of prisoners were re-arrested within one year of their release from prison. Housing problems are often an underlying factor for people’s involvement with the criminal justice system. Housing interventions help lessen criminal justice involvement.
Hope House’s Approach to Recidivism.
Exiting jail is a major risk factor to housing stability. There is a large overlap in populations experiencing homelessness and prior involvement in the criminal justice system. Formerly incarcerated people are 10 times more likely than the general public to become homeless. This revolving door of incarceration is perpetuated when people are not connected to the housing and services they need after release.
When people are stably housed, they have fewer recorded non-violent offenses. For example, people commit fewer survival crimes (offenses like theft, robbery, trespassing, and loitering), which are chief reasons people with low-level offenses are re-incarcerated.