Reentry housing facilities, more commonly known as halfway houses, are an important step for inmates transitioning into the community. Halfway house residents are still under supervision from the state or federal correctional institution from which they were released. Halfway houses are meant to provide structure while a returning citizen finds a job, a place to live and obtains community resources.
Dismas Charities Incorporated is a leading entity in the world of reentry facilities, having 31 halfway houses in 13 states, including two in Florida.
One of its facilities in Orange County, Florida was the scene of a shocking act of violence on March 21, when gunmen opened fire into a building housing federal inmates.
A bullet struck a male employee in his sixties, according to the Orlando Sentinel, which reported that the employee was not the intended target. The Sentinel added that the suspect’s vehicle was found abandoned and burned a few miles away.
While the Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting, it is not clear at this time if a federal investigation will also take place.
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