Volunteers Help End Revolving Door Of Mentally Ill & Homeless In Jail

By Shaun Boyd

DENVER (CBS4) - Shannon Clifford's journey through life is an against-all-odds kind of story. Homeless at age 18, addicted to drugs and mentally ill, he became a regular at Denver jail.

"I was just so sick of going to jail."

Now, he's sober, employed and looking at getting his own place after Volunteers of America met him at the jail door, and hasn't left his side.

"They reach out to me every day. 'How are you doing?' (Their help) stays on me, keeps me motivated to do the right thing."

Denver's Public Safety Director Troy Riggs invited Volunteers of America into the jail after learning that half of those who were being put behind bars each night were on mental health holds. Many of them, he says, are released, with nowhere to go and no treatment, only to end up right back at the jail.

"This is a new day in public safety," said Riggs, who, along with Mayor Michael Hancock, is determined to end the revolving door for those mentally ill and homeless by getting those individuals help before they walk out the jail door.

"We have to have a conversation as a community. Do we really want the jail to be the number one provider of health care for those with mental illness?"

He admits it won't be easy.

"It takes time and it takes effort and it takes someone loving someone holding their hand, holding them accountable, but also encouraging them. Far too often, we provide people with information, but then they leave the door of the jail, and they still have their mental health issue," he said. "They don't have someone to hold them accountable or someone to be their advocate. If we can get them someone to be their advocate before they leave jail, that meets them at the jail door, we believe they're prone to be much more successful."

Brenton Hutson heads-up the program for Volunteers of America.

"It's hard not to see the moral imperative that is facing us." A Marine veteran, he has found a new way to serve. But -- pointing to Shannon Clifford -- admits his motives aren't entirely selfless.

"When you see him light up at the idea of something as simple as housing, it puts things in perspective and help you to realize not only how fortunate I am, you are, we are but how much further we as a society have to go when something so simple as a roof over your head can provide so much joy, and there are so many people out there without it."

Clifford, who is now getting treatment, says he never thought he would have his own place. Most people, he says, shun someone with a criminal record.

"They embrace you. They bring you in. They try to comfort you, show you a different way. I appreciate that," Clifford said.

Riggs says the inmates they're targeting are non-violent offenders. Statistics show, if they leave jail homeless, they are seven times more likely to end up back behind bars.

"What we're talking about here is what the future of public safety is all about. Let's deal with the root causes. Let's have long term plans. Let's not just think about next year. Let's not just judge ourselves on things from year to year, but let's start looking at trending, let's look long term. Let's try to deal with some of the substantive issues that lead to mental health, that lead to crime, that lead to degradation of quality of life."

Volunteers of America is receiving marijuana tax money to help fund the program.

Shaun Boyd is CBS4's political specialist. She's a veteran reporter with more than 25 years of experience. Follow her on Twitter @cbs4shaun.