Elkhart felon featured in "Inmate to Roommate"

ELKHART, Ind. -- William Steel, a convicted felon now living in Elkhart, is featured in A&E Network's new series "Inmate to Roommate".

The show follows the lives of newly-released inmates trying to make a new life for themselves, while living in someone else's home.

According to The Bureau of Justice Statistics, more than 70% of state prisoners get arrested again within the fist five years of being released. One large culprit for the high rate of recidivism is the lack of stable housing.

"I hope people will see this as an opportunity to interact with prisoners and not be so afraid. A lot of guys just want somebody to give a crap about them, frankly. and they would make some changes if they had somebody that cared." Steel said.

The series premiers August 18^th at 10 p.m. on A&E.