Whitfield County Felon Believes More Support Is Needed For Convicts To Prevent Homelessness

WHITFIELD COUNTY, GA, (WDEF)-"William Thompson, Whitfield County Felon,"I was fortunate I have family, there’s some people here they got nobody when they come out they are just as lost as they was before they went in."

Thompson says he shared a cell with 30 year old Jonathan Foxx and believes his tragic train related death Wednesday night could have been prevented.

"There is homeless people all over the place in Dalton and throughout the surrounding area in and out of this jail, they just let them go without any help"

After being in and out of jail five times, Thompson says  there needs to be more mental health support for inmates to break North Georgia’s cycle of homelessness and crime.

 Counselor  Dr Stephen Bradshaw says too many young men are slipping between the cracks in our society.

"They are released they don’t have a plan for getting integrated back in society, its also common among our homeless population as well, that alienation and loneliness causes them to jump from city to city or job to job".

 Bradshaw a psychology professor at both Richmond Graduate School and Bryan College believes convicts can contribute to society if given the right support network.

"I don’t believe anyone is unredeemable, I don’t believe anyone has done anything that puts them as an outcast that they can’t be redeemed or used again or have life in their life"

William Thompson is hoping to return to work after being released just a few hours ago and added his mother and  faith saved him from a similar fate to that of Jonathan Foxx.

Reports form the Bureau of Justice Statistics show that in at least 30 states,  3 out of every 4 prisoners who are released get arrested again within 5 years.