Haven't been there yet, but it's nice to see this newly opened café, part of the Kalamazoo Probation Enhancement Program, getting some state-wide attention.
Image: Governor Snyder and other officials at the newly opened Walnut & Park Coffee Shop, part of the KPEP program (Kalamazoo Probation Enhancement Program).
Image Source:
WTVB
Quote:
Governor signs corrections bills in Kalamazoo café
John McNeil, WTVB News
Thursday, March 30, 2017
KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM/FM) -- Gov. Rick Snyder and a group of Michigan lawmakers came to the Walnut and Park Coffee Shop in Kalamazoo on Thursday to sign a huge criminal justice reform package into law. The initiative includes 19 different measures. It makes a number of technical and program changes to employ best practices to successfully reintegrate prisoners back into their communities, find them jobs and to reduce the rate of recidivism, which currently stands at about 75 percent. State Sen. John Proos, R-St. Joseph, sponsored several of the bills, including an update of the swift-and-sure sanctioning model.
"The swift and sure and recidivism measures are about putting best practices to use to reduce crime, help more prisoners become productive citizens and keep young people from engaging in a life of crime," Proos said. "Recidivism is a huge cost to the state and our communities. This new approach will use incentives and evidence-based supervision practices to reduce parole and probation violations and the repetition of crime."
The coffee shop in Kalamazoo employs parolees and probationers.
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