It's tough for many Coloradans to find good jobs and affordable places to live but for former inmates the obstacles can be so daunting that they end up back behind bars. A new website called remerg.com is trying to help make the transition to the outside world a little easier for those who have spent time in the correctional system.
Along with housing options and job listings that include companies willing to hire people with felonies on their records, the site offers contacts for medical care and legal assistance as well as other resources.
Founder Carol Peeples says after spending decades working on prison reform, she noticed the need for a one-stop shop for people getting out of prison. She hopes the site will cut down on Colorado's high recidivism rate: About half of all people leaving the state's prisons will return after three years.
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Steve Mursuli is the technical director for remerg.com. He spent three years at a minimum security prison in Canon City.
"When you come out, you really don't know what's out there to help you," Mursuli says. "You kind of think you're alone. So you're basically starting life over. "
Mursuli hopes the website will help others like him find a new life outside prison walls.
