Some Nebraska inmates nearing release are now allowed cell phones

(The Center Square) – Nebraska prisoners who are close to finishing their sentences will be allowed to purchase cell phones under a new policy designed to help them find jobs.

The policy applies to inmates who have jobs outside of the prisons through a work-release program. The inmates will have to check the phones in lockers after returning to a correctional facility and also provide their phone passwords to prison staff.

The new policy makes sense, said Jim Jones, founder and executive director of a nonprofit group, Community Justice Center, which helps Nebraska inmates after their release from prison.

“If you are working out in the community, to have cellphones so prospective employers can call them back, it makes it a little bit easier,” Jones told The Center Square. “A cell phone and communication is a vital part of that environment.”

Inmates often find ways to have cell phones anyway, said Jones, who served time himself for robbery.

“This new policy puts everything out in the open instead of forcing them to be sneaky and deceptive,” Jones said.

Finding a job once leaving prison is a critical factor in the success of former inmates, Jones said.

“Long-term success is being gainfully employed, making a living wage so they can pay their bills and take care of their basic needs,” he said.

When Jones was in prison, cell phones were not widely in use. He was able to find a job as a dishwasher immediately after his release, and he had the support of his wife.

With the current job market, newly released inmates can easily find jobs, Jones said.

“Some people who never accepted felons are accepting them now because they need people badly,” he said. “It may not be a job that you like; you may have to work odd hours,. The guys who have trouble are the ones who try to be selective.”

Finding housing is more challenging for inmates than finding a job, Jones said.

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