Jail program equips inmates to be successful upon release

Anyone meeting Jenna Kanter for the first time might be well advised to buckle up. A talk with Kanter is a high-speed ride as the reentry coordinator for the Tuscarawas County Jail gives a verbal tour of the many services she helps provide to inmates reentering the community.

“I’m passionate about my job and very passionate about this field,” the 24-year-old Kanter said.

That passion is on display, not only when she talks about the jail program, but also in the growth Kanter has brought to the program in just two years on the job.

Kanter holds a dual Bachelor/Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice through City University of New York. Upon graduation Kanter set her sights on returning to her hometown to serve the inmate population in Tuscarawas County.

The help she provides connects inmates to a wealth of area resources while they are still incarcerated so that upon release they are better equipped to successfully reenter the community, which can reduce the rate of recidivism or reoffending and being returned to jail.

“There are basically three layers of reentry: mental health, substance use and basic needs,” Kanter said.

The three are intertwined, according to Kanter. “If someone has a substance-use issue and no housing established for when they leave here, the only thing they know is couch surfing, and that puts them right back with the people they used with.”

The river and the life jacket

Kanter said the success of the program relies on the willingness of the inmate to change.

“I always give this analogy to the inmates,” Kanter said. “Here at the jail, I’m connecting them with a variety of services. That’s putting the life jacket on them that connects them with resources and support. They have to get to the other side of the river, where that life of recovery is. If you take the life jacket off, you’re going to drown and end up back in jail or overdosing or who knows what could happen in that river? So the idea is to keep that life jacket so you can get to the other side.”

Services offered

According to Kanter, connecting inmates to community resources quickly is important. “Reentry has to be rapid because most people are here for as little as a couple of days or weeks.”

Tele-counseling is one of the more important services, Kanter said. “We work with OhioGuidestone and SpringVale for mental health and substance-abuse counseling while they are here. Again, the goal is for them to continuing using those services once they’re released.”

Any service that includes mental health and substance-abuse treatment is critical. According to Kanter, the majority of crimes for which people are sentenced to the Tuscarawas County Jail are drug-related, either directly or indirectly.

A Medication Assisted Treatment Program also is used inside the jail using a medication that blocks the craving for alcohol and opioids. “Not many inmates are opting into that, but they are aware of it and can take that step when they’re ready,” Kanter said.

Kanter said all of the services are offered on a “when you’re ready” basis. No one is forced to participate in anything or given special privileges for doing so.

Kanter also connects inmates with medical insurance through the State of Ohio, food stamps and employment opportunities through Employment GPS, a service of Goodwill Industries, and Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities.

“I can also connect people with housing, and the No. 1 resource for emergency housing is the homeless shelter, mainly because of the lack of affordable housing that can be accessed quickly in Tuscarawas County.”

Life 101

Kanter created a program she calls Life 101. For now the program is focused on financial literacy, bringing in counselors from the DoverPhila Federal Credit Union to conduct a three-week class twice a year.

“That’s key for some of these folks because they’ve never known how to control their money or fix their credit or do similar things,” Kanter said. “I definitely want to add more lessons on topics like applying for a job, writing a resume and other life skills.”

Kanter also established Resource Mondays at the jail. “Every Monday I teach the inmates about a different resource, like housing, transportation, food or clothing,” Kanter said.

Kanter is thankful for community groups and individuals who voluntarily provide support inside the jail.

“Different churches come in, AA comes in and Kathy Bazaar provides one-on-one peer support for addiction recovery. We also utilize SMART Recovery, a curriculum-based substance-use treatment program that has been super successful and that the inmates really enjoy,” Kanter said.

As the crisis intervention team coordinator for the county, Kanter trains first responders how to intervene in a crisis situation.

“The idea is to help divert people who are in a crisis out of the criminal justice system into where they need to be, and the first responders on the front line have the ability to divert people themselves,” Kanter said.

Kanter has created business cards first responders can share with people they encounter in the midst of a crisis. The card includes a phone number, a QR code that can link people to local resources and the local substance-use Hope Line number.

On the horizon

Kanter was excited to learn the jail has secured funding to bring in a staff clinician.

“The clinician will provide assessments for substance use and mental health so that we get a good foundation of where this person is and what they need,” Kanter said. “I want the community to know that these are programs and resources that are eventually going to help our community. A decrease in crime is a decrease in individuals coming in here and costing taxpayers money. And if we can help them get back on their feet successfully, they will no longer need public assistance.”

Kanter said she feels like it’s a punch in the gut when inmates do return. “You’re rooting for these people and telling them they can do it, just stay connected, and you feel so motivated for them. It’s definitely painful for me when they come back. It’s like gosh, I wish you had the same belief in yourself that I do.”

Kanter credits Sheriff Orvis Campbell and Capt. Ken Engstrom for what she calls phenomenal leadership.

Campbell said, “I feel like I’ve hit a home run. We interviewed a lot of applicants, and a lot of them checked all the right boxes in terms of experience. But when Jenna came in, she just blew everybody away, including people from the ADAMHS Board. She’s perfect for this position because you have to have the ability to hang tough and stay on mission, and man, nothing seems to get her down. She just keeps going and going and going.”

Kanter recalled the interview and the job offer. “I just spewed my passion about working with inmates,” she said. “A couple of weeks later, he called and said, ‘Out of all the people we interviewed, you are the least experienced but the most passionate, and for that, I’d like to offer you the position.’”

Based on the success of the program, Campbell said the jail has received funding to turn some unused space into a reentry classroom and counseling room.