Transcript Slide 1

Senate Criminal Justice Committee
Re-Entry Programs:
Reducing Recidivism and Promoting
Successful Community Re-Entry
October 4, 2011
William Carr
Assistant Secretary of Re-Entry
“While we diminish the stimulant of
fear, we must increase to prisoners
the incitements of hope, in
proportion as we extinguish the
terrors of the law, we should
awaken and strengthen the control
of the conscience.”
Dorothea Dix, Prison Reformer (1802-1887)
Recidivism and Successful
Community Re-entry
Agenda
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Re-Entry Facilities
Vocational Training
Identification Cards
Work Release Beds
Prescription Drugs Upon Release
Financial Assistance
Mental Health Services in the Community
Re-Entry Facilities
Northern Region:
• Baker
Southern Region:
• Demilly
• Polk
• Sago Palm
Re-Entry Facilities
Portals: A Single Point of Entry
RE-ENTRY FACILITY
RE-ENTRY PORTAL
OFFENDER REUNITED WITH FAMILY
ON-SITE CRIMINAL REGISTRATION
POST-RELEASE SUPERVISION ?
NO
OFFERED RE-ENTRY SERVICES
AVAILABLE AT PORTAL
YES
CONNECTED WITH PROBATION STAFF
OFFERED RE-ENTRY SERVICES
AVAILABLE AT PORTAL
Re-Entry Facilities:
Portals
• Designated release site for offenders returning to
a specific county upon release
• Locations
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Jacksonville Reentry Center (JREC)
Hillsborough County Portal
Pinellas Safe Harbor
Palm Beach County Portal
“The moment of release represents a critical point in time
that can make or break an inmate’s successful reintegration
into society.”
(Release Plan for Successful Reentry, Urban Institute Justice Policy Center)
Vocational Training
Occupational trades based on Agency for Workforce Innovation
and U.S. Department of Labor
– FY 2010-2011
• Vocational courses offered to 4,981 inmates
• Certificates awarded 2,190 inmates
– Primary recipients
• Inmates identified with the greatest need
• Youthful Offenders with no marketable occupational skills
• Adults with no marketable skills within 3.5 years of release
“Without education, job skills, and other basic services, offenders are likely to repeat the same steps
that brought them to jail in the first place…”
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal
Vocational Training
33 occupational trades offered within the Department include:
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Commercial Class “B” Driving
Building Construction Technology
AC, Refrigeration and Heating (HVAC)
Applied Welding Technologies
Automotive Collision Repair and Refinishing
Commercial Foods and Culinary Arts
Electrical
Environmental Sciences
Gasoline Engine Service Technology
Masonry Brick and Block
Plumbing Technology
Waste Water Treatment Technologies
Vocational Training
Specter Program
• A federally funded grant for Post-secondary
vocational training
• Inmates 35 years of age and under who
have a high school diploma or GED
• Programs operated at 7
institutions
Vocational Training
U.S. Department of Labor
In collaboration with U.S. Department of Labor and the
Florida Department of Education
– Will provide the opportunity for inmates to earn an
industry certificate from the Florida Department of
Education and U.S. Department of Labor
– Available for long-term and short-term inmates
– Program offering includes…
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Auto-body repair
Cosmetology
Welding
Landscaping
Housekeeping
Issuing Identification Cards
• Collaboration with Social Security Administration and
DHSMV to meet the requirements of the Real ID Act
• Currently 13 participating sites
• Social Security cards issued to inmates at all Institutions
• Since January
• 530 birth certificates issued
• 384 ID cards issued
“Proper identification generally is required to find employment, obtain
housing, or apply for public benefits that may be necessary to obtain medication or
other treatment services that can help reduce inmates’ risk of reoffending.”
(OPPAGA, Report No. 09-44)
Work Release
• Work Release is a community transition program
authorized by Florida Statute, which was introduced in
the Department of Corrections more than 35 years ago.
• Participating inmates must be within 14 months of their
release date.
• Work release allows inmates to be gainfully employed
while still being in a controlled environment.
Work Release Beds
• Statewide Community Release Program
3,992 – Total Beds
o Department Operated Facilities -20
2,133 (53%) – Total Beds
o Vendor Operated Facilities - 13
1,859 ( 47%) – Total Beds
Paid Employment
• Subsistence in FY 10-11
$6,748,739 General Revenue
o 20 Department Operated Facilities:
$6,748,739
o 13 Vendor operated (vendor retains all
subsistence collected) $0
Paid Employment
• Restitution, fines, court costs collected FY 10-11
$1,853,840
o 20 – Department Operated Facilities:
$1,011,471 (55%)
o 13- Vendor Operated Facilities:
$842,368 (45%)
Financial Assistance in the Community
FDOC and DCF entered into an Interagency Agreement
– DCF will provide a dedicated staff member to assist inmates
transitioning back into the community with the following:
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Determine eligibility for all ACCESS assistance programs
Process applications for Office of Disability determinations
Food Assistance
Medicaid
Temporary Cash Assistance
Prescription Drug Cards
• Provide offenders with access to discounted
prescription drug benefits to aide in the
reentry process
• Saved FDOC ex-inmates and probationers $28,000 since June
– 1,874 have used the card since May
– Save an average of 38% on prescriptions
– Individual saved 93% on a single prescription
“While access to in-prison health care services may be readily available,
continued adherence to treatment regiments following release is a critical
public health issue…”
(From Prison To Home, Urban Institute Justice Policy Center)
Mental Health Aftercare
Post Release & Work Release
Medications Policy
• Statute requires that an inmate be provided a 30-day supply of all
HIV/AIDS-related medication at the time of release.
• FDOC policy requires that all inmates prescribed psychotropic
medications will be provided with a 30-day supply of medications as part
of their mental health re-entry plan at the time of release.
• FDOC policy allows for inmates to be provided with up to a 30-day
supply of medications upon end of sentence (EOS) or transfer to a Work
Release Center (WRC).
• If the Work Release inmate cannot afford continuing health care,
including prescribed medications, the inmate is referred for evaluation
by a health care provider at the inmate’s assigned institution.
Process for Offenders Needing Post-Release
Outpatient Mental Health Services
180 Days
Treatment Plan updated
150 Days
Referral to DCF
SSI/SSDI
Application initiated
45 Days
Aftercare Appointment
Set with CMHC
Treatment Summary
Completed
SSI/SSDI Application
forwarded to SSA
30 Days
Treatment Summary
Forwarded to CMHC
and Probation/Parole
Inmate Advised of
Aftercare Arrangement
Release Medications
Order
Release
30 Day Supply of
Medications
Electronic Web-Based Substance Abuse and
Mental Health (SAMH) Referral System
Step 2:
Step 1:
FDOC staff enter referral
information into DC
Mainframe
Encrypted file transfer
DC
DCF
Mainframe
Server
Step 3:
DCF staff receives referral and
assigns community provider
Step 5:
FDOC staff obtains aftercare
arrangements from
aftercare database /
communicates information
to inmate.
Step 4:
Community provider receives referral
and posts aftercare appointment in
aftercare database.
Resources
William Carr, JD Asst Secretary , Reentry
[email protected]
Latoya Lane, PhD Director of Reentry
[email protected]
Dean Aufderheide, PhD Director of Mental Health
[email protected]