Many are familiar with the Bible verse Luke 2:7 which tells how Mary gave birth to her Son in a manger because there was no room at the inn.
The last part of this verse has been known to be co-opted in some form by people reentering the community after incarceration, and those still locked up. “I ‘m jammed up with my parole officer because my mom says it’s getting too crowded and I have to find some other place because there’s no longer room at the inn,” or “I can’t get released yet because there’s no room at the inn.” In these cases “the inn” means mom’s house and the half-way house respectively. But for some people on parole there is room at the inn, literally. The inn just happens to be the Edmore Inn located in Edmore, Michigan.
The Edmore Daily News reports that when John Compton began managing the Edmore Inn a few years ago he discovered that some of those residing at the Inn were people on parole. Instead of trying to slam the door on guests who happen to be on parole, Compton connected with the Michigan Prisoner Re-entry Initiative in an effort to learn more about parole and how he could better help those on parole who resided at the Edmore Inn.
The Edmore Inn has 23 rooms and now exclusively provides transitional housing for people on parole. The Daily News reported that due to budget cuts those on parole are limited to staying at the Edmore Inn for only 90 days, shortened from the original stay of 180 days.
In preparation for a smoother transition back into the community, the Michigan Reentry initiative assists residents of the Edmore Inn, as well as other returning citizens, with counseling, transportation and help finding a job.
Read more about how the Edmore Inn made room for a segment of the population many establishments choose to ignore.
|
|
|
|
