PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A Pasco County program is working to stop what advocates describe as a revolving door for people caught in cycles of crime and drug addiction.
For one young man, who did not want his face shown, life after jail has been a difficult transition. He is trying to find stable housing and steady employment, but said many employers and landlords are reluctant to take a chance on someone with a criminal record.
"It's hard out here, especially when you don't got the resources or you just don't know the connections, and you don't know the people. And you are lost," he told Tampa Bay 28 reporter Erik Waxler.
Julia Pauls said her organization aims to provide those connections and resources.
"We help them with everything. I don't care if it's a shoelace, a lawn mower to start a business."
Pauls is a volunteer who runs The End Recidivism Project Extreme in Pasco County. She said the goal is to offer support and encouragement to prevent people from reoffending.
"We should give them the benefit of the doubt and help them as much as we can so that they'll know that there's somebody who cares so they won't be doing the same thing over and over, repeating this vicious cycle."
Daniel Dillard, who has overcome his own lengthy criminal record, now works alongside Pauls, counseling troubled youth. He said he spends significant time mentoring and guiding them with his non-profit, called Rise Up: Youth Advocacy Program.
"I spend as much time as I can with them. I make sure they go to school. I check on them with their parents. I'm totally involved in anything they try to do that's productive."
A study found that more than 40 percent of inmates released from the Pasco County Jail return. Advocates cite limited funding for inmate support and rehabilitation programs as a contributing factor.
Pauls said she has helped more than 600 people since launching the project.
"We don't call them criminals. We don't call them ex-felons. We don't call them anything but returning citizens."
Supporters say donations can help sustain the effort, but they emphasize that community involvement and changing public perception are equally important.
"My past, and trying to get people to see the inner side of me, or just what they see on the outside. Just give them a different perspective of me," he said.
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For more than 15 years, Erik Waxler has called Pasco County home. He’s dedicated to helping his neighbors solve problems and celebrate those who help others. Share your ideas and tips with Erik below.
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