By Eric Feber
Virginian-Pilot
NORFOLK, Va. — Marianne Chalk recalls the anxiety of a female inmate incarcerated at the Chesapeake Correctional Center.
“She was in for the second time due to a drug problem, she was not a violent offender, and she once had a well-paying marketing job,” said Chalk, a volunteer with the Chesapeake Jail Ministries. “She was about to be released but was scared to death because she was homeless, had no job and knew of no program out there for her. ...
“In fact we know of many people in jail about to be released who will offend just to get back in, because there’s nothing out there for them.”
But now there is. It’s the faith-based, nonprofit “A Place of New Beginnings,” and Chalk is the executive director .
Picking up where the Chesapeake Jail Ministries leaves off, counselors help men and women released from the jail make successful re-entries into society.
“They help a person turn their life around while in jail, we help turn them to faith and hope,” Chalk said. “But after they get out, then what?”
Th at question stuck in her craw, so she and others decided to take action .
Two years ago, a group of concerned citizens - many with the Jail Ministry - formed a board of directors: Chalk, plus Billy Bryant, past president of the Chesapeake Jail Ministries; Terrance Mardenborough, with the Chesapeake Jail Ministries; Larry Ryals, associate pastor with the Deep Creek Baptist Church; Lt. Col. James J. O’Sullivan with the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office; Maj. T.B. Branch, with the Chesapeake Police Department; and R. McIlwaine Keever, founder of the non-profit Neighborhood Housing Foundation .
Chalk said New Beginnings then created an advisory board made up of prominent Chesapeake individuals , including Commonwealth’s Attorney Nancy Parr; Linda Rice, provost of the Chesapeake campus of Tidewater Community College; Britton Joyner, chaplain of the Chesapeake Jail Ministries; and Linda Boyette, senior supervisor with the Chesapeake Health Department .
So far, the effort has been publicly endorsed by Chesapeake City Manager William E. Harrell who said the program “will have a tremendous impact on our city,” and Sheriff John R. Newhart who said it “will assist in making our communities, and the city of Chesapeake, a safer place.”
Chalk stressed that it is a public-safety issue.
“Our jail was built for 543 and currently it holds about 1,200 with the population growing all the time,” she said. “People may say ‘not in my backyard,’ but they’re in our backyard, and we need to address this problem by making sure they don’t come back.”
Chalk said the effort is based on faith.
“Going from the Jail Ministries to this re-entry, we’re using a Christian approach, which gives us the freedom to share our faith with the people we help,” she said.
Chalk said the program will help identify the needs of men and women about to be released and pair them up with a counselor. These mentors will help create “life recovery” plans, hook them up with existing community self-help programs , help find employment and establish safe housing.
The candidate fills out an application, and after meeting certain criteria is matched with a case-management counselor.
“They meet even before the inmate is released,” Chalk said, "... This way we develop a rapport and then the full-blown process takes place. “
Chalk said the initial goals are housing and employment.
“To do this we’re establishing partnerships with employers and businesses who will be willing to offer these individuals jobs. Most of these people are not violent offenders or dangers to the community; many have gotten into drugs. ... While in our program they will undergo random drug and alcohol testing.”
Chalk said New Beginnings will be funded through donations and fundraisers .
“I have high hopes the money’s there, I think Chesapeake will help us help people who really need it,” Chalk said. “We really, really want to give these people hope, a new life. “
Copyright 2009 Virginian-Pilot