Good Evening PTO! My sister and I both work for a girls detention center in Florida. We have recently become rather interested by the idea of opening a halfway house for young ladies who are adults, exiting the Juvenile Justice System.

The only trouble is, I can't seem to find the right way to research it online. I could go to the library, BUT I livein a TINY town, and our library is the size of my livingroom.

If anyone has any information, or could point me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it!

I would suggest visiting an existing halfway house. If there are none in your area, then perhaps calling on the phone. Almost all tiny towns in Florida are somewhat near a large city and they have alot of halfway houses there.

You should also have a Crisis Line Information and Referral Service that covers your area and they should be able to supply you with information on an existing halfway house.

There is alot out there about federal and state funding for them. Of course strict criteria has to be met. Usually the zoning board gets involved if you are planning on having it in the city.

Good luck to you. I think it is a worthwhile endeavor and certainly we need more of them.

Thank You Babygirl! I will do that!

I too am trying to open a halfway house, but not here in Florida (sorry). The best thing I found was to go and visit various shelters and halfway houses. I was ashamed at the halfway house I visited, it was very sad. Long story short, I am starting an employment agency first to target ex offenders, then the halfway house in early 2007. If I can be of any help feel free to message me. It's best to try and get an idea what the community acceptance level will be, unfortunately you are going to run into the "not in my backyard" attitude a LOT.Contact parole/probation officers, see what kind of input they have, they can be very very helpful. Also, contact the Salvation Army in your local area and the United Way, both are very supportive towards halfway house start ups. Keep up your goal, these people need us!

Anyone know of any in Southern California. I am having no luck locating any home for my father. He is getting released in 9/06 please any info pass on to me.
I think our goverment needs to prepare some inmates that have served for a period of time. Get them ready to be back out in society make sure they are able to survive and not go back to the drugs or what ever it is that put them there in the first place. I wish I could afford to open some half way houses. To assist men and women in getting there lives back and making something better for them selves. GOD BLESS ALL!!!