RICHMOND -- When Edward Williams entered the prison system in 1984, the Internet was an unknown, and he'd never touched a computer.
Once his murder sentence was over three decades later and he arrived back home, Williams felt like he had been dropped on a new planet. Everyone jabbered on cellphones and talked about apps. Most of his relatives, and many friends, were dead, and he now had to think about how he would earn money instead of having tasks assigned to him.
"Everybody wants you to come home, jump into the race and take off, but that ain't going to happen," said Williams, now 74. "They don't understand that prison has its own rules and regulations than the outside, and when you have been gone so long, you have to relearn everything."
On Tuesday, Williams shared his story at a ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Re-entry Success Center. Located in a former jewelry store in downtown Richmond, the center will help the formerly incarcerated find jobs and housing, access health services and get help with substance abuse and other issues, all under one roof. It formally opens Nov. 2 and will work primarily with people on parole and probation.
"In the past, someone in re-entry would have to go from place to place to get services," said Nicholas Alexander, the center's director. "What we've done is create a hub."
To continue reading this story by Karina Ioffee, go to: http://www.contracostatimes.co...ter-unveiled-ex-cons
Comments (0)