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OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) -- Every second a mom spends behind bars, the child’s future hangs in the balance.
That’s why one local organization is making it their mission to keep connecting families.
An expansion of ReMerge in Oklahoma County will do just that.
“I can’t even truly put into words, I don’t think there are any, to describe what ReMerge has done for me,” said Katheryne Purser, a ReMerge graduate.
“I get to witness the magic that happens within our facility every day. The magic when you can give a woman a second chance. Give her an opportunity to be all of who she was meant to be but never given the opportunity,” said Erin Engelke, chief executive officer of ReMerge.
ReMerge is a pretrial diversion program, designed to help mothers who have been incarcerated.
“I came into remerge very broken,” Purser said.
“Women who’ve committed a non-violent felony offense, and quite frankly need a second chance. Need and deserve a second chance,” said Engelke.
On Wednesday, officials expanded the second-chance services for those mothers with the groundbreaking of a new $4.5 million graduate center.
“This will give us the opportunity to create a whole separate center dedicated to the 214 moms who’ve graduated from our program,” said Engelke.
The mothers go through a monthslong program with five phases of how to do life.
The center will give them a chance to break the cycle of addiction and then even give back by being a guide for others.
I got my high school diploma while being here and ReMerge assisted me in that. I was able to pass every test with flying colors,” Purser said.
Purser said for the first time in 38 years, she’s on her own. That’s all thanks to ReMerge.
“I got to really embrace who I was and understand that I am not who my past is,” she said. “Anybody that’s struggling, going through the justice system, reach out. ReMegre is where it’s at. I just can’t be more grateful.”
Construction for the expansion is expected to be complete at the end of the year.
