A BLUEPRINT TO A SUCCESSFUL RE-ENTRY PROGRAM

Facilitator: J. McKinzie, BBA,M.EDShelby County Division of Corrections

13th Annual NPCL ConferenceJune 8-11, 2011

Arlington, VA

INCARCERATION RE-ENTRY STATISTICS

•285 millions men and women are incarcerated in the U.S.

•95% of all state prisoners will be released from prisons.

Since 2000, there has been a release increase of 20% which means approximately 9 million people are released back into

the community.

But the question is, how are we going to assist them in their re-entry

State of TN National Average

Parolee 8,721 1863 per 100000

Probationer 49,302 447per 100000

Incarceration 29,369 Approx. 285 Million

Preparing for Re-entry

• Building positive relationships • Understanding dysfunctional

relationships • Establishing safe boundaries • Effective communication • Roles and responsibilities • Identifying fears and expectations • Identifying resources necessary for a

successful release • Planning that first day "outside" Very

Important• Re-Entry Plan

REALITY OF RE-ENTRY

What About the Boot?

GO! Defend for yourself • How? • Needs support system • Who?

Go! Back into your community • Old Habits, • Life Style Addictions Issues

GO! We will see you in 2 to 3 years (recidivism)The tendency to relapse into a previous undesirable type of behavior, especially crime.

Recidivism or a new undesirable behavior will occur if we don’t have a post-release, follow-up initiatives in place for a successful re-entry

MYTHS ABOUT RE-ENTRY

Are They Really “FREE”?

• Probation • Parole• Discrimination/Prejudice • Mindset

There is a Process to become “Free” just like it was a process that lead to incarceration.

A series of steps or actions directed toward a specific aim of change and development

Re-entry Agencies must assist in a successful re-entry

WHEN PRISONERS COME HOME

Family Concerns

• When will he/she get a job? • What if he/she does not remain clean

and sober? • Will we recognize him/her? • Will he/she go back to their old

lifestyle and friends ? • What is his/her new role in the

family? • When can we trust him/her again?• (checkbook, discipline, intimacy, etc.)

CHALLENGES OF RE-ENTRY

• Getting a job • Staying clean and sober • Building positive, and established new

relationships • What is my new role going? • Fear of failing (this is huge) • Trust will have to be re-built and will take time • What are the expectations of each family

member and how can those be prioritized?

RE-ENTRY PROGRAMS

PRE-RELEASE PROGRAM• 12 Hrs Life Skills Program • Vocational, Trade & Apprentice • Ex-offenders Employment Service • Post-release Reporting Agency• Re-entry Resource Center• Family Group Conference• Addiction Relapse Prevention

Re-Entry Programs Diagram

Free Counseling Services

Pre-Release Post-Release

Ex-Offenders Employment Agency

Addictions Program

Certification Program/GED Prep

Transitional Housing/Mission

12 Hrs. of Life Skills

Support Groups

Family Group Conference

Job Readiness

College/Trade Enrollment

Monthly Reporting System

Crisis-Ex-offenders Hotline

Mentoring Program

Community Resource

Entrepreneurship

Correctional Reinforcement

RE-ENTRY OUTREACH

Counseling

Prison Mentoring Substance Abuse Program

Community Resources

Program Support Cycle

Housing

Resource Center

Education/Training

Substance AbuseAddiction

Financial Support

Employment

CHANGES IN LAWS & POLICIES• Child Support Laws-

• Alternative to locking up Fathers (Job placement for fathers)• Geared toward the mother• Enforce more than financial support (Paper Dads) • Suspend order while incarcerated without warrant • Amnesty program for arrearage (Go back 5 to 10 years) if the

father volunteers in the community or with activities/event that involves children and families, with the involvement of his children.

• Percentage of support should be invested (CD, mutual fund, annuity, etc.) released to the child when aged out (18 or 21)

• Non-enforcement of support order for unwed mothers after 2014. • Suspend order while incarcerated without warrant

• Felony Status- • Modify/amend how long a felony is active (7-10 years as Credit)

• Voting Rights-• Voters rights restored upon release, if no legal obligations are

active (Restitution, Parole and Probation)

• Job Opportunity-• Remove question #7(criminal background) on most applications

about incarceration

Age Group18-2117%

22-2542%

26-3021%

31-354%

36-408%

over 408%

RE-ENTRY ORGANIZATION POSITIONS

• EDUCATION COORDINATOR-responsible for GED, vocational classes, trade/skills building, career builder

• RE-ENTRY COORDINATOR-deals with post and pre-release re-entry. Responsible for all transitional issues from jail to home.

• SUBSTANCE ABUSE & ADDICTION COORDINATOR-deals with pre and post addiction issues (not limited to drugs and alcohol)

• EMPLOYMENT COORDINATOR-deals with all pre and post employment opportunity issues

• COMMUNITY RESOURCE COORDINATOR- resources within the community that will assist with re-entry

• PROJECT CASE MANAGER-deals with all pre and post release issues on a one-on-one basis per individual needs

Drug Game, Negative & Criminal-Minded People, Crime, Domestic Violence, Alcohol &

Drug Abuse, Addictions

There Is A Price to Pay for Re-entry

THE DOWNSIDE TO NO RE-ENTRY PLAN

OLD HABITS + NO PLAN = RECIDIVISM/INCARCERATION

?

Thank You and

Have a Successful Re-entry Program