When inmates in the United States are released, they face an environment that is challenging and often deters them from becoming productive members of society. Within three years of release, 67.8% of ex-offenders are rearrested, and within five years, 76.6% are rearrested, according to a recent report from Simmons University in Boston.

By any measure, those numbers are unacceptable.

Fortunately, more and more jails and prisons across the nation and here in southcentral Kentucky are taking added steps to tackle the challenges that contribute to high recidivism rates – the percentage of former inmates returning to jail. The Daily News’ Sarah Michels last weekend highlighted one of those efforts – the Second Chance Offender Rehabilitation and Education (SCORE) program, an initiative at the Simpson County Detention Center in Franklin.

What we learned is that the Simpson County program could – and should – serve as a model for jails that do not currently offer programs that address high recidivism rates.

“When you take a person that has been locked up for five years, and you turn them out with nothing into society, they don’t know where they’re gonna live, they don’t know where they’re gonna get their money, they don’t know how they’re going to eat and they don’t know how they’re gonna get there,” Simpson County Jailer Eric Vaughn said. “They’re going to go right back to what got them put in here in the first place … just so they can live. And until you stop that cycle, that’s where you’re going to be.”

Vaughn and Simpson County have tried to change that cycle with the SCORE program, which was launched in 2016.

Nonviolent inmates are able to spend time working outside the jail and 15% of the money they earn goes toward restitution, child support or other court fees, while the rest is put into savings. Inmates also have to complete certain classes, such as anger management, parenting and moral reconation therapy, to earn enough credits to work. To further sweeten the program, Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College can help the inmates earn their GEDs.

Local industries were initially reluctant to hire felons, said Steve Thurmond, executive director of the Franklin-Simpson Chamber of Commerce, but gradually came around. Today, amid a workforce shortage, companies are scrambling to attract SCORE program participants with competitive salaries and benefits packages.

That’s a win-win – for the inmates and the companies.

“It’s all kinds of crazy to say it was a good thing being locked up. It was really not, but with that SCORE program, I thought it was great,” said Carey Banks, who served time for drug offenses in the Simpson County jail but used the SCORE program to improve himself. Today, he’s out of jail and a month shy of his one-year work anniversary at Stark Truss, with three raises to show for it.

As in any program, there are some failures, but Vaughn said the success rate exceeds 75%. The program is spreading across the state; other counties are constantly calling, looking to mimic it in their own facilities.

“The SCORE program is returning better humans to society,” Vaughn said. “And we’re turning tax burdens into taxpayers.”

We congratulate Simpson County for its SCORE program, and we urge others without similar programs to follow their lead.