A recent report in a San Jose newspaper talked about a deficit that
Santa Clara County is facing. If the county cannot come up with a strategy this deficit could possibly close the Furlough programs, cut public nurses and immunization clinics for children. We asked the ladies at the furlough what they thought about the situation and what could be done or what should take the place of work furlough if it does shut down.

More Trust Can Get W.R.C More Money to Stay Open
Laurie Silva

Santa Clara County is confused. I've been here at work furlough since March 21, 2007. I must say it's a privilege to be here, but I'm here as a trustee from Elmwood correctional facility and not as a worker. I was denied being a worker because my job was with my family. I found that many girls here could be here as workers but since their jobs are with family, they have been denied.

Silicon Valley is an expensive place to live and many people with medium to lower class incomes have to come up with some family owned business to survive. Some of them are here illegally and can't work. Work furlough charges us workers $1600-$1700 a month to stay here versus $50.00 for being a trustee. But it's all about rules and work furlough could have a lot more money if they would take more consideration or trusted us more to be able to prove that we want to be here and want to get out. When we get out most of us have nowhere to go because we've lost our houses for having to be in jail. Maybe some people violate their probation and go back to jail. This just gives the county another chance to charge more fees for being in jail.  

Our children are our future, I don't see how Santa Clara County would even consider cutting free immunization for children. Children should be taken care of first. What about the NASCAR event San Jose has every year? Where does that money go? They need to rethink and re-budget these jails that are way over populated. Girls are like sardines in Elmwood. We wouldn't like to go back if women's work furlough closes. I feel that if we prove ourselves worthy we should get a chance to go home and restart our lives with our family instead of backsliding and being sent back to jail.

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Having WRC Around was a Blessing for Me
Sara Derrick

Spending time in jail is a degrading and depressing situation to be in under the best circumstances. For me personally having the opportunity to spend the remainder of my time at WRC, has given me a chance to reflect on my life, work, and on changing. I'm spending my time improving myself while living in a much more free environment. I'm able to wear my own clothes, work eight hours a day. I'm here as a trustee which will help me to transition into the workforce upon or before my release. They offer and mandate classes on drug recovery, self-improvement, computer training, etc.

I'm able to spend more time with my children in a pleasant environment. Others are able to learn daily and continue to work their regular job that could help to supply this place. I truly feel that as a recovering addict struggling even now with my addiction at the age of 48, spending 6 months in Elmwood under dirty conditions would not help to rehabilitate me in any way. In fact I'm sure I would have continued in my same destructive lifestyle. Maybe worse. But being in W.R.C has given me a brighter outlook on my future in a beautiful supportive environment. Closing W.R.C would be a big loss to our community. In fact we need more programs like this.

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Closing the Furlough Programs is a Bad Idea
Patrice Johnson

I think closing the furlough programs is a bad idea all around. However, I believe that perhaps if they were more stringent on whom they let in and allowed more people who have jobs to come in and continue to perform them it could work out. They shouldn't be so strict about the jobs being nine to five and that it could be a home care type of job or maybe someone who owns their own business, too. Then they could generate more dollars on their own and run things easier. Sometimes making and breaking the rules can be bad as well as good and sometimes we have to keep the rules.