Anonymous/Pre-release CenterKalispell city council
01 First Avenue East
Kalispell, T 59901
>. .
Gear readers,
Attn: Mayor Pam Kennedy &
All Council Members
Rhone: 758.7756
I have printed and read the comments from the city council minutes from the meeting held on
April 6, 2009 regarding the above issue and would like to praise the council for voting in favor
for the pre-release center.
1 would also like to offer a few viewpoints from someone who was horn in Kalispell at the old
hospital in 1963 and got in trouble a couple of years after high school. I thought that the old
jail had rough conditions to spend the night in, but it was nothing like the close 111 units at
Deer Lodge. After that for a couple of weeks, I was introduced into the general population
with all that entails and then to. the youth camp in swan Lake for a year.
s the process was working to correct our way of thinking and behavior, myself and 50 other
residents could not wait to get back to home. We taped to the parole board through our
counselors monthly and appeared before the board in three month intervals. If we weren't
ready for full releases in many cases, a halfway house was a very viable alternative and it
usually took two or three appearances before the board before they would approve such a
plan. our plan also had to include a support system, like going to meetings and having a job.
With being from Kalispell, I did not errant to go to a halfway house in Billings, Butte or
Missoula, as I would be away from my family, which was a better support system than all of
the meetings in the world. I also had many contacts in Kalispell for finding work and allowing
rite to meet my goal of getting back to being a productive member of society.
My point is that all of the residents who are paroled to the prerelease center are really trying
to put their past behind them and make something of their lives. If they aren't of that mindset
and want to get a bottle from the liquor store or go to sawbucks or Scotty's before they go
back to the center, well, they need to be violated and sent back to dose I or 11 and do some
more hard time. If they don't even commit any other crime other than having a beer, that will
net them one (1) year before they even see the parole board again_ our system is designed
remarkably well and has checks and balances to deal with the idiots who surface from time to
time. Ha! That was nee, once!
'raise to Jim Atkinson for his opinion about the troubled individuals in our valley who need
some tools to get their lives back on track. I feel it is our responsibility to show them that
there are people who care about them, rather than people who care for them, as they need to
accept responsibility for their own actions.
Continued -
Another thing to consider is bringing business into our valley. I understand that this will create
several more jobs and with our unemployment being what it is, don't we think that this is a
viable solution?
If there are more people working, there will be more money to purchase property and Doug
Denmark's selling customers will have more people looking to buy. Also, if there are more
people working, the Penrod's will have more people wanting to recreate on the weekends.
As for the opinion of Mr. Ashcraft of Lakeside and Mr. Guilbault of the Hilton Garden Inn, it is
my opinion that our valley will continue to get tourists due to our natural resources. The
businesses that are here will continue to get their share of these dollars. Now I don't know
how they do their bookkeeping, but I have never been able to make 12 months worth of
payments off of 3 or 4 months of sales because I catered to the tourist. Yes, we appreciate
their business, but we need to appreciate those who are here 12 months a year and attract
more of this.
Perhaps Mr. Ashcraft should just retire. Perhaps Mr. Guilbault would want to sponsor a Board
Of Probation & Parole meeting at his property sometime, so they can see how the Northwest
Montana Transition Center is working out. Perhaps the Penrods might want to consider their
spiritual background that is reflected in various pieces of scripture that are posted around their
business.
Lastly is my thanks to all of you for keeping Kalispell as nice as we possibly can. It remains a
nice place, due to people like yourselves, who have their heritage in our valley. There are
many good ideas that come from other places, but if those places are so good, why don't
those transplants move back to where their ideas came from and leave us to our valley.
A Lifelong Resident Of Kalispeg