HALFWAY HOUSE PLAN UNDER FIRE

Tom Neumeyer wants a halfway house in Cape Girardeau for prisoners about to be paroled.

However, the Second Ward City Councilman believes that putting it in a wing of the Gibson Recovery Center will endanger the children at the nearby Parkview State School for the Severely Handicapped and the Head Start center, as well as the people living in the nearby apartment complexes.

The staff of the Gibson Center, 1112 Linden St., thinks their location is ideal. It's just across the street from other social service agencies -- the Cape Girardeau County Health Department and the Missouri Action Center -- and no greater danger to the neighborhood than the private residences where ex-cons might live unsupervised.

At its last meeting, the Cape Girardeau City Council tabled a proposed ordinance that would have banned the halfway house from the Gibson Recovery Center. The ordinance would prohibit halfway houses from locating within 500 feet of a school, a children's nursery or a residential zone. In addition, it would ban halfway houses from within 500 feet of group homes, convalescent homes, hotels, motels, motor courts or another halfway house.

Dick Decker, executive director of the Gibson Center, said the halfway house would pose no more danger than the Gibson Center's existing residential treatment center for drug and alcohol abusers.

The Gibson Center has a contract with the Missouri Department of Probation and Parole to operate a 20-bed halfway house for convicts who are within 90 days of their parole date.

The prisoners would live at the Gibson Center and find jobs in the community, Decker said. Security guards would watch them, doors would sound alarms if they walked out and parole officers could issue arrest warrants for clients who walked out without authorization, Decker said.

However, the guards would not be empowered to use force to keep the clients in, Decker said.

While there, the staff would coach the clients in life skills -- how to hold a job, how to keep track of finances, treat their drug or alcohol problems and generally ease their transition back into society, Decker said.

Currently, the Gibson Center houses 20 to 25 men trying to kick their drug and alcohol habits. Many are referred by their probation or parole officers. The programs uses the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous, with licensed drug therapists supervising. The center runs outpatient programs as well.

There are currently no halfway houses in Southeast Missouri, said Sharon Derrington of the Missouri Department of Probation and Parole. She works with current clients at the Gibson Center, and said she has never had a problem with any of them leaving and committing crimes.

Decker said the men in the program would not pose much of a risk because they would be screened, close to the end of their sentences and face the prospect of a return to the penitentiary for any transgressions.

Residents of the Heritage Manor Apartments, a complex of subsidized housing for the elderly and handicapped, are divided about the prospect of a halfway house just to the east.

"Me personally, I think I would be a little bit afraid of it," said Sheila Ferullo. With many single women and elderly couples, she fears break-ins like those that occurred late last year, although she knows they had nothing to do with the Gibson Center.

"I wouldn't want it," said Sandy Geisel. "They're all criminals, aren't they?"

But Elnora King said, "It don't bother me. The Gibson Center don't bother me, so the halfway house don't bother me."

Jewell Harris said she wished she had been informed about the proposed center, but "I certainly wouldn't mind."

Mayor Al Spradling III opposes the restrictions in the current ordinances. He said he would like to see the Gibson Center start the program.

There are no ideal locations, he said, but the city should ban halfway houses from low-density residential zones, and possibly place other restrictions.

The mayor said the proposed restrictions are so great, he doubts a halfway house could find a location that wouldn't violate them.

Neumeyer said the city planning department should check to find what locations would meet the proposed requirements. Because the Gibson is not a secure facility, and because residents may have committed violent crimes, he said, "I cannot comprehend what they were thinking" when the state approved moving the convicts to the Gibson Center.

Decker said that before he can open the halfway house, he will have to hold a public meeting about it. The public can also speak out about the issue at city council meetings.