Success or Recidivism The Power of Standards and The Plan

Success or Recidivism

The Power of Standards

and

The “Plan”

Career Tech Skills Centers (CTSC)

What is a Career Tech Skills Center?

Department ofCorrections

Department of Career & Technology Education Department of

Education

Board of CareerTech Board of Education

TechnologyCenters

ComprehensiveSchools

Business &Industry

Career Tech Skills Centers CareerTech

Learning Network

Regents ForHigher Education

Superintendent of Schools

CareerTech ProgramsWithin DOC Facilities

Occup. Training WithinPrivate Prison

JuvenileOccup. Programs

Chair

Universities & Community Colleges

Oklahoma Statistics

• Rank second in the incarceration of women per capita in united states

• Rank fourth in the incarceration of men per capita in united states

• One in eight Oklahoma families has an immediate member incarcerated

• Oklahoma discharges 8,000 inmates annually

Possible Outcomes for Discharging Inmates:

1. Success

2. Recidivism

How can we have a positive impact on recidivism?

Can we do the “same old thing” and expect “different results”?

Challenges of Re-entry

• Time consuming

• Long term process

• Requires planning – pre-release and post release

• Daily reinforcement of issues

• Finding information and getting assistance for releasing inmates

What is the Economic Impact of Lowering Recidivism?

•Fewer inmates in system

•Larger tax base

•Social programs reduced

What are the hidden costs of recidivism?

•Court and prosecution cost

•Family dependency on assistance programs

What are the hidden costs of recidivism?

• Lower tax base, not employed, no productivity as an employee

• Child support • Higher costs to government,

competition for funding of corrections

CTSC Re-Entry System Components

Pre-release – identifying and removing barriers to successful re-entry. Focus on career technical education, life skills and employability training

Post-release – support system to assist in the removal of barriers both real and perceived

Pre-Release Components

• Academic Enhancement• Career Technical

Training• Develop Life Success

Plan• Life

Skills/Employability• Remove Barriers to

Success

Career Technical Training

• Student are aligned with programs based on interests, past work experience and ability to benefit

• All Skills Centers programs are competency based

• Training modules duplicate industry process and quality expectations

Life Success Plan

• Instructor and student focus on issues contributing to success. Mutual planning must take place for student buy-in and for real change to take place.

• Establishes responsibility and accountability by identifying expectations and developing a plan of action. Student centered and competency based delivery systems become easier to manage.

Life Success Plan/Employability

• Identify barriers for re-entry to community and workforce

Life Success Plan/Employability

• Develop a “plan” to secure information prior to release, includes credit history, Department of Public Safety reports, fines, child support, plans for restitution, etc

• Identify housing, transportation and employment needs

Life Success Plan/Employability

• Financial planning, budgets, leases, credit cards, banking issues

• Managing personal affairs• Resume and portfolio development• Interview skills• Employment search• Finding assistance and help for specific

needs

Skills Centers Standards

• Used as a tool for both student and instructor to set clear expectations

• Students are pre and post assessed

• Training specific to knowledge base

• Plan for the future – address issues and challenges facing discharging students

Seeking and Securing Employment

•Prepare to search for employment.

•Search for a job using proper techniques.

•Interview for a job.

•Retain a job.

•Develop a plan of action.

Management of Personal, Family and Business Matters

•Organize and maintain data.

•Maintain a filing system.

•Utilize sound risk management techniques.

•Understand probation and parole status.

•Know driving privilege requirements.

•Understand auto insurance requirements.

•Sex offender registration.

Personal Interaction and Human Relation Skills

•Respect others, maintain self-confidence and positive self-esteem.

•Be tolerant of others

•Exhibit positive attitude toward work skills and potential for success.

Successfully Managing Finances

•Understand the differences between gross and net income.

•Create and manage a financial plan.

•Create and manage a basic budget.

•Identify basic banking services.

•Identify basic types of retirement plans and issues associated with them.

Possessing and Demonstrating Positive Character Traits

•Respect for others and fairness.

•Model traits reflecting trustworthiness.

•Model traits consistent with positive value system.

Family Relationships

•Positively communicate with family members.

•Positively communicate with spouse.

•Exhibit positive parent-child relationships.

•Child support and payments

Legal Responsibilities and Rights•Selective Service Registration.

•Firearms ownership for ex-felons.

•Voting Rights after release.

•Locate and Access Social Services.

•Social Security Laws.

•Pardon and Parole responsibilities (report in 72 hours)

•Sex offender registration

Mathematical Operations

•Whole Numbers

•Fractions

•Decimals

•Percents

•Measurement

•Geometry

Team Approach and “The Plan”

• Transition Specialist is Team Leader

• Academic Instructors• Career Tech

Instructors• Student

Survival Rates Compared: General Population and Career

Tech• Three Year : General

Population is 72%

• Five Year : General Population is 64%

• Three Year :Career Tech is 81%

• Five Year: Career Tech is 74%

Economic Impact of Reducing Recidivism by 10%

• 8,000 Inmates released annually

• 8,000 X 10% = 800 Inmate difference

• $16,600 per Inmate Housing Costs

• Projected Economic Impact : $13,280,000 per year

• Over five years: Approximately $66, 400,000

Oklahoma CTSC Statistics FY 2004

• 2,086 Students served in 59 programs

• Average daily enrollment 935 students

• 87.73% returned to workforce gainfully employed

• 62.27% were employed in areas directly related to training

• Average reporting wage $8.59

CTSC Economic Impact

• Reduce Recidivism by 10%

• 2,086 X 10% = 209

• 209 Inmates Incarcerated at $16,600 = $3,469,400.00

• Five Years Savings for Oklahoma Tax Payers - $17,347,000

Oklahoma CTSC Statistics FY 2004

CTSC Graduates not in workforce:

• Graduates status unknown –21

• Unemployed, not seeking – 19

• Unemployed actively seeking – 30

• Back in system – 12

• Continuing education - 13

Offender Employment:Why It Matters?

• An unemployed offender is three times more likely to return to prison

• An unstable employment record is a major predictor of continued criminal conduct

Re-entry Preparation

• Occupational Training

• Enhanced Applied Academics

• Life Skills/Employability

• Post-Release Needs Assessment

• Preparations for Re-entry

Post - Release Services

Located at Workforce Oklahoma Offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa

Coordinate services for graduates seeking assistance

Workforce Oklahoma Offices Services Include:

• Legal services

• Credit counseling

• Parenting Education

• Drug/Alcohol Recovery

• Medical services

Workforce Oklahoma Offices Services Include:

• Employment services – job searches, resume development, GED preparation

• Social Services

• Veterans Services

• Family support – child care, housing, rehabilitation services, etc

Department of Labor Grant

• Serve Young offenders 16 to 21 years of age

• Infra structure in place, adding academic components and additional transition specialists

• Received $1,000.000 to implement system. One of eight grants issued for maximum amount

Jim Meek, Ed.D.Assistant Superintendent

Career Tech Skills Centersjmeek@okcareertech.org