STAR Services.

Pre-Release Transition.

In 2014, the STAR Project added a paid staff member to work as a Transition Specialist at the Washington State Penitentiary. For many years, STAR volunteers provided insight and assistance to those still incarcerated who wished to attend college (or continue their studies) post-release. Our Transition Specialist held individual appointments with participants to fill out FAFSAs, college applications, financial aid forms, scholarship applications, and class registration. Additionally, the Transition Specialist helped address defaulted student loans and Pell grants as well as Selective Service issues. Working together with DOC staff, the Transition Specialist strove to build a network of support for the participant, both while incarcerated and on the intended campus once released. Since 2014, the STAR Transition Specialist had served over 1,102 individuals at Washington State Penitentiary.

In September 2018, STAR changed the way the Pre-Release Transition program works. Through a cooperative agreement between Washington State Penitentiary and Walla Walla Community College, a new Reentry Navigator position was created at the penitentiary. This position duplicated many of the duties the STAR Transition Specialist had previously performed.

STAR is committed to providing services to people exiting from Washington State Penitentiary and reentering the community of Walla Walla. To this end, STAR now coordinates these cases with the Reentry Navigator from Washington State Penitentiary. STAR's Reentry & Employment Specialist provides reentry and employment case management services for people who are incarcerated.

General Case Management.

When people exit prison/jail they often have no official form of identification, no access to health care/insurance, have large legal fees, and face civil legal matters they were unable to address while incarcerated. They also are frequently required to stay in communities where they don’t have a solid support network and need social/emotional support as well as financial and logistical services. The STAR Project provides case management for participants entering into services, participants who are currently receiving services, and for participants exiting services. Generally, participants receive more intensive case management upon entry and transition to a more self-sustaining model of assistance as they gain financial and emotional stability.

Upon arriving at STAR, participants’ needs are assessed and an appropriate course of case management is determined in collaboration with the participant.  Referrals are made to STAR housing and employment services, as well as to contacts within the community at large. STAR also assists in addressing the participant's access to health services. Participants are guided through the steps that must be taken to get their needs met and supported in achieving goals they set for themselves in these areas. 

Additional needs often arise for our participants that do not fall into the aforementioned categories, and these needs are addressed by case management as well. STAR Project case management has assisted participants in navigating Legal Financial Obligation payments, child support and custody issues, the acquisition of state issued ID, temporary resolution of transportation issues, and various other needs as they arise. Our goal is to do everything we can to facilitate a successful and permanent transition from incarceration to community. As a result, case management can be as individual as the individuals themselves.  

As part of case management services we facilitate a weekly Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) group. This is a cognitive behavioral therapy program developed specifically for implementation with people exiting prison/jail.

Moral Reconation Class : This class provides group therapy that guides participants through the process of changing the way they think about themselves, others, and the world around them. MRT seeks to help participants escape the prisons they have created for themselves in their minds and is offered free of charge to STAR participants. Sessions are mandatory for those receiving housing services through STAR.

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Housing.

Finding stable, livable, affordable housing for our participants is one of our most difficult tasks. In fact, people exiting from prison or jail  are considered to be at a high risk for chronic homelessness. Justice-involved individuals often end up homeless, living on a friend or relative’s couch or on the streets.

We are dedicated to helping justice-involved individuals with transitional housing. One of the biggest obstacles is finding landlords who will rent to our participants and give them a second chance. We have developed relationships with a few local landlords who have agreed to work with our participants. Though very limited, we have been able to secure apartments with these landlords. STAR's support of rental assistance subsidies can last up to 60 days for those individuals who have been recently released from jail or prison. This opportunity has offered housing stability for our participants, which gives them a start to become self-supporting.

STAR Project participants involved in our housing program are required to attend our Ready to Rent program, which teaches them the skills they need to become successful renters in the future. Ready to Rent is a 6 week program that STAR housing participants must attend once a week, after which they receive a certificate of completion.

The STAR Project often partners with several other agencies regarding housing matters. For example, we help participants who are in recovery arrange to live in one of the three local Oxford houses, which is a local network of drug and alcohol sober living houses.

Ready to Rent Class : Ready to Rent is a six week course that guides participants through the ins and outs of rental housing. Participants will engage in interactive lessons on dealing with landlords, the responsibilities of maintaining a property, budgeting money and paying rent and utilities on time, and other skills needed to be a successful renter. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will have earned a certificate of completion that can be presented to landlords as evidence of having successfully completed Ready to Rent. This course is free of charge to participants and is mandatory for all participants receiving STAR housing. 

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Employment.

For our participants finding employment, even with an education, can be difficult because of hiring practices that disqualify applicants with felonies before they ever get a chance to discuss their qualifications.

One of the ways that some employers can be persuaded to give people with felonies a chance is by explaining the work opporrtunity tax credit as well as the Washington State Bonding Program to them. These programs reward and provide insurance to employers who employ “difficult” to employ people. 

Besides directing prospective employers towards these services, STAR also can help participants with job readiness, resumes and cover letters, and with referrals to WorkSource, BMAC Jobs, 70 Million Jobs and the Department of Vocational Rehab. STAR's Reentry & Employment Specialist helps people with job readiness skills, makes referrals to employers, and builds relationships with potential employers. The Reentry & Employment Specialist is also responsible for conducting in-reach to the Walla Walla County Jail.

Employment Readiness Class : This course helps participants by teaching them essential resume, job seeking, and interviewing skills.

Call for Availability.

Education.

One of the ways that our participants can support themselves and increase their potential to successfully integrate into the community is by pursuing education. Our participants exit prison/jail with anywhere from a Bachelor's degree to not having finished high school. 

We start at the very beginning of this process by assisting participants to work through the sometimes confusing FAFSA application process as well as the college application process. We have a strong partnership with counsellors, admissions and program directors at WWCC, which allows us to fully support participants throughout the entirety of their time at WWCC.

Our participants have successfully completed programs from HVAC, Welding, and Automotive Tech all the way to CDL, Sustainable Energy, and Culinary Arts.

Mentoring.

The STAR Mentoring program connects community members to people who are incarcerated, with the goal of creating a long-lasting mentoring relationship that will help people stay on track after they release. STAR mentors can come from all walks of life and may or may not have experience in the criminal justice system. The unifying force behind each STAR Mentor is a desire to help improve their own community by being a listening ear for some of our most vulnerable community members.

The safety of our mentors is important. All mentors will be able to use STAR’s PO box for letter writing while the STAR participant is incarcerated. Once a participant is released from incarceration, mentors may use the STAR office or attend monthly group dinners to meet up with their mentees.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact us at info@thestarproject.us. We will ask that you complete a brief application and attend a orientation meeting.