Justice Dept. Provides $10 Million for Re-Entry Programs

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice announced more than $10 million is available in federal funding to help states with inmate re-entry programs.

The federal grants are intended to assist states in the development, implementation, enhancement and evaluation of re-entry strategies and programs as part of President Bush’s Prisoner Re-entry Initiative.

“Supervising offenders in the community and preparing offenders for their return to their communities is a critical criminal justice priority,” says Jeffrey Sedgwick, acting assistant attorney general for the Office of Justice Programs.

Targeting high-risk adult and juvenile offenders, the Prisoner Re-entry Initiative is designed to reduce recidivism by preparing offenders for their return to society and helping them access employment opportunities and support services in their communities.

Attempting to transcend the traditional demarcations between the correctional and community settings, PRI provides development funding for model re-entry programs that begin in correctional facilities during the inmate’s incarceration and continue to provide support and services through their transition to, and stabilization in, the community after release.

In related news, the Council of State Governments Justice Center launched a interactive Web-based tool designed to help state and local governments improve prison and jail re-entry outcomes for inmates and communities.

Developed with support from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance, the tool provides a survey of different offender risk-need assessment instruments used in corrections systems throughout the United States.

“The only way we can stop the cycle of recidivism is to start planning for an individual’s return to the community from the very first step he or she takes into a prison or jail,” says Justin Jones, director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. “Prison and jail officials need the latest thinking on assessment tool options to inform prison and jail programming, as well as decisions about release and community supervision.”

Typically collected through offender screenings and evaluations conducted before sentencing and during incarceration, information in the offender profile is used to make decisions in the management of risk, delivery of treatment and services, and the allocation of resources during re-entry. Offender profiles should be updated regularly during the offender’s incarceration and during any subsequent period of community supervision.

“One reason this tool is so valuable is because it allows staff to search for key information at particular decision points, such as admission to a facility, or to search by topic areas, such as risk and security classifications, mental health, substance abuse, education, employment, housing, family relationships, and financial status,” says A.T. Wall, director of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.

“Each of these categories includes descriptions of information to gather, examples of validated assessment instruments, resources and recommendations about prioritization, and suggestions for who should be charged with collecting each kind of data,” Wall says.

The online resources and Web-based assessment tool are part of a larger Justice Center initiative, which is due for release through the Re-Entry Policy Council in fall 2008. Resources will include a comprehensive policy guide and case studies detailing the experiences of jurisdictions in implementing recommendations designed to improve assessment processes, officials say.

The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that provides policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels with nonpartisan advice and strategies to increase public safety.

Justice Center Web-based Assessment Tool
www.tools.reentrypolicy.org/assessments/chart