Alva Review-Courier -

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — It has taken more than a year to move from a jail cell to an office desk, but for Brandi Davis, a recovering opioid addict who faced a lengthy prison term, time has proven to be an effective teacher.

No longer wanting to rush through her recovery program, and content to build a new life one step at a time, Davis is at peace with the process.

"I didn't get the way I was overnight," she said.

Davis was arrested in February 2017 for allegedly stealing a $24 hoodie from an Oklahoma City department store. She also allegedly possessed an empty syringe.

Having spent time behind bars for crimes to fund her drug habit, Davis refused to bail out of jail. Instead, she spent nearly four months there, hoping to enter rehab and avoid prison.

On a recent morning, she took a break from her job as a business development associate at the Better Business Bureau of Central Oklahoma, relaxing in a quiet and spacious conference room, about five minutes from the clatter and crimp of the Oklahoma County jail.

"The support I have is unbelievable," she said.

It has come in the form a young attorney in the Public Defender's office who connected Davis to a recovery program. A judge who preferred she undergo treatment instead of incarceration. Counselors in ReMerge, a nonprofit program working with mothers of minor children or pregnant mothers to keep them out of prison.

That's in addition to health care providers, program volunteers, housing coordinators, job skills experts and now, an employer who hires recovering addicts. It has perhaps taken dozens of Oklahomans to get a fellow Sooner here — cleaned up, employed, into an apartment and reconnected with her preteen daughter.

Is the effort worth it? Who else will undertake it? Oklahomans face those questions — and the stark alternative.

The Sooner State has the second-highest overall incarceration rate in the nation. For nearly three decades, Oklahoma has led the U.S. in female incarceration rates, with no sign of relenting.

The female prison population grew 30 percent between 2011 and 2016, according to the Oklahoma Justice Task Force, commissioned by Gov. Mary Fallin.

In a 2017 report, the task force said 83 percent of female prison admissions were for nonviolent crimes, with 42 percent for drug crimes alone.

At the current pace, Oklahoma's prison population is projected to grow 25 percent, or by more than 7,200 inmates by 2026, the Oklahoman reported . One-quarter of the overall growth will be driven by increases in the female prison population, which is projected to grow by 60 percent, according to the task force.

The projected prison population growth is estimated to cost the state at least $1.2 billion to build three new prisons and an additional $700 million in operating costs over 10 years.

While politicians debate laws, social workers handle cases and courts navigate alternative sentencing routes, those calling for criminal justice reform say there is one group of Oklahomans who can immediately help stanch the flow of Sooners into the prison system.

Business owners should open their shops to those like Davis, who are looking to get back on their feet and avoid the lifestyle that leads to incarceration, advocates of criminal justice reform say.

It is not just the time a loved one spends in prison that can be disastrous for a family, but the "collateral consequence" of what a conviction brings, said Kris Steele, former Republican speaker of the Oklahoma House and chairman of Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform.

A conviction is a red flag for employers. Unstable employment leads to unstable housing, which creates the type of environment that leads back to crime and incarceration, Steele said.

"If we can avoid the systematic sending of low-level offenders to prison, it saves the state money and produces a much better outcome," he said. "Without a doubt, more businesses need to become second-chance employers."

Davis is just one of BBB's hires from ReMerge. The practice started around early 2015, and many of the new hires have come through referrals by ReMerge participants and graduates.

"It has absolutely transformed our sales department," President and CEO Kitt Letcher said.

The fancy title — business development associate — means those like Davis offer businesses the opportunity to become BBB-accredited. Working off commission, they might make more than 100 phone calls a day.

Beyond their job training, those going through ReMerge often bring life skills to the office. Tenacity, hard work, taking rejection and moving on are keys to success, Letcher said. A recovering addict's drive to stay sober often translates into a drive to excel at work, she said.

Steele agreed.

"Justice-involved individuals over time tend to be better employees because they are so thankful for that opportunity to work," he said. "They see it as an honor and give their best effort every day to have the opportunity to be back in the workforce. So many individuals caught up in the justice system are resilient people who persevered, talented and determined, and who have faith in overcoming adversity. They are remarkable individuals for employers who are willing to take that chance."

The partnership between BBB and ReMerge has been successful, in part, because the new hires know their history isn't being used against them.

"From an employer's perspective, it's giving them a place to come to work where they don't feel judged," Letcher said.

For businesses looking to become second-chance employers, a key issue is understanding that recovering addicts and those out of jail or prison are often participating in programs to help them maintain their sobriety and freedom.

In the case of Davis, she works four days a week and spends another on her recovery program.

"The biggest part we want to be able to give them is flexibility," Letcher said. "We build it into our work. They need a lot of flexibility. They're not looking for a handout. They're looking for an opportunity to make their lives better."

Davis is in phase three of four in the ReMerge program, a period when those in recovery start becoming a part of the community again, through work and education.

"The employment piece is so critical," ReMerge Executive Director Terri Woodland said. "It is the most predictive factor for recidivism. People in a diversion program or coming out of prison — the employment piece is the No. 1 predictor. If they don't get meaningful employment quickly, the chances of them returning to the criminal justice system increases exponentially."

On March 27 in Tulsa County, 23 more women graduated from Women in Recovery, an alternative to incarceration for nonviolent women battling alcohol and drug addictions.

In partnership with the George Kaiser Family Foundation, the 18-month program treats women whose addictions typically range from 13 to 15 years. The majority of them has never been treated for substance abuse, and has been entangled in the criminal justice system for some time, said Mimi Tarrasch, senior director.

Women in Recovery has a slate of programs that includes intensive employment training. The nonprofit also has about 35 business partnerships.

What has the impact been? Tarrasch points to the decline in the number of women sent to prison from Tulsa County over the last few years.

From fiscal 2014 to fiscal 2015 that number fell by fell by 32 percent. The decline over the last three years was 61 percent, according to figures provided by the Department of Corrections.

"We have to better inform our business community to open the door to individuals who have pending charges or a felony," Tarrasch said. "If businesses don't hire them, women can't be self-sufficient, and they can't take care of themselves, and they can't take care of their children. And that begins the spiral of incarceration."

A monitor in the BBB office scrolled through the names of business development associates, tallying their phone calls next to a photo of each of the workers. The photos look like selfies posted on social media. Davis and her co-workers laughed and shared stories about where the photos were taken.

"It's a really great place to work," she said.

Hers is the kind of story, so far at least, that has those working for criminal justice reform pushing for more employers to take a chance on those trying to put their lives back together.

"Certainly the people of Oklahoma are not worse than people living in other states," Steele said. "As a lifelong Oklahoman who loves my state very much, we do very little to address the pathways that lead to female incarceration."

Those pathways include domestic violence and unresolved trauma, untreated mental illness and addiction, poverty and limited education, as well as low self-esteem, Steele said.

"Our prisons should be reserved for people who are truly dangerous and pose a public safety risk, not those better served through better treatment," he said.

Davis looked forward to more time with her daughter, and upcoming episodes of "The Voice" TV show, featuring Adam Levine and musicians competing for fame and fortune.

She's a year closer to the normal life.

"Everything is just awesome today," Davis said. "It was a very sad and dark place I was in. Today, I enjoy waking up."

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Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com