For the past three years, I have had the privilege of working with a non-profit organization helping women and families. In that time I have seen women, with children, desperately seek help because their husbands have been incarcerated and the ripple effect of not having a breadwinner in the family causes them to lose their primary means of support. No money for rent, and then no place to live.

If the mother works and the children are in day care, she must now stay home and will no longer be contributing financially. No money for food, and the mother must seek help from the Food Bank or Manna Soup Kitchen. No easy task.

Christian Champagne advocates for programs that identify root causes of criminal behavior and will continue to put programs in place that are alternatives to incarceration. Programs, hopefully, that will safely reintegrate offenders into the community and preserve the family unit. Finding a solution to mass incarceration begins with your vote.

I urge you to vote for Christian Champagne and help strengthen our communities at the same time.

Shauna Agnew

Durango