Power for a better way of life
NITRO, a pilot program that educates former convicts and repairs their self-esteem, their faith in themselves and their part in something larger than themselves, may be the answer to a desperate situation in Idaho. And if NITRO isn't that answer yet, the burden is incumbent upon all who have reservations about such a program to ensure that those reservations are addressed and the program is proven to be a success.
Having been part of the judicial system as a prosecutor, I know how desperate our criminal justice system is for change. Conversations throughout the system revolve around "frequent fliers" - repeat offenders - and the fact that people in the system will never change. As a proponent of public safety, I sometimes find myself wishing we could take people who abuse the rules of society, lock them up and throw away the key. In some cases, that is absolutely the correct approach. However, that is truly a rare, rare instance when that approach is appropriate. A person who sells marijuana, a person who burglarizes a home and a person who rapes another each need a punishment. However, they don't need to be punished the same way.
Under the current system, far too many people serve every minute allowable under law incarcerated because of probation violations and parole revocations, only to go out and reoffend after the sentence is completed. In fact, Idaho Department of Corrections data shows that failed parolees and probationers occupy 41 percent of the prison beds in Idaho.
Not nearly often enough, a run in with the law helps turn a life around. This needs to change. Part of that change will come through comprehensive legislative reform being sought this year that will give judges and probation and parole officers more tools to help those who can make a change to be productive members of society. But even with legislative changes, community resources have to be part of a system that helps rebuild broken lives. This means communities have to be creative in the areas of mental health, support structures and skill development, among others.
NITRO is just that sort of program. I met with and collected the resumes of a few of the recent graduates from the inaugural class last week. After listening to presentations by Ron Nilson and Frank Genetti, I was trembling with excitement for the triumph the graduates had achieved. It was the opposite of the heartache we see in the criminal justice system day in and out.
To those who are concerned about the unorthodox approach of a program hosted at a public education system, I offer the following: I am sensitive - nay, fanatical - about the separation of church and state required by our Constitution. The only way for religion to be fully practiced freely in a meaningful way that guides so many of our lives is to keep the government free of it. This program does not violate those principles. What this program does do, is take broken people, give them a sense of self-value, help them see something larger than themselves, give them some of the most marketable skills in today's economy, and give them a clear starting place in life where once there was only confusion.
NITRO has given its first class hope. It has given employers hope. It has given me hope. And it should give hope to all who yearn for safer communities and a better system.
Idaho Rep. Luke Malek is a Coeur d'Alene resident.