North Carolina’s Serious & Violent Offender ReEntry

Initiative:

Going Home A Systemic Approach to Offender

Reintegration

Justice Systems InnovationsNC Division of Mental Health, Developmental

Disabilities & Substance Abuse Services

Going Home InitiativeGoals

• To ensure public safety by reducing recidivism through successful community reintegration.

• To create a sustainable transition & reentry process that ensures coordinated services & supervision for offenders released from prison.

• To establish a statewide network of government agencies, community & faith-based organizations, businesses & citizens committed to successful offender transition & reentry.

Dur

ham

1

4

Ala

man

ce

15

Alexander 22

Alleghany 23

Anson 20

23Ashe

Avery 24

2Beaufort

6 Bertie

13Bladen

13Brunswick

Buncombe28

Burke 25

Cabarrus 19

Caldwell 25

3 Carteret

Caswell 9

Catawba 25

Chatham 15

Cherokee 30

27 Cleveland

13Columbus

3 Craven

12 Cumberland

Dare 1

Davidson 22

Davie 22

Duplin 4

7 Edgecombe

Forsyth21 9

Franklin

27 Gaston

1Gates

30 Graham

9

Granville

8 Greene

Guilford18

6 Halifax

Harnett 11

Haywood30

Henderson 29

6 Hertford

Hoke 16

2Hyde

Iredell 22

Jackson30

Johnston 11

4 Jones

Lee 11

8 Lenoir

Lincoln 27

McDowell 29

Macon 30

Madison 24

2Martin

26 Mecklenburg

Mitchell 24

19

Montgomery Moore 20

7 Nash

New

Hanover 5

Northampton 6

4 Onslow

Orange 15

3 Pamlico

Pender 5

Person 9

3 Pitt

Polk29

Randolph 19

Richmond 20

Robeson 16

Rockingham 17

Rowan 19

Rutherford 29

Sampson 4 16

Scotland

Stanly20

Stokes 17

Surry 17

Swain 30

Transylvania 29

2Tyrrell

Union 20

9Vance

Wake10

9Warren

2Washington

24Watauga

8 Wayne

Wilkes 23

Wilson 7

Yadkin 23

Yancey 24

Pasquotank

Perquimans

Chowan

Currituck

Camden

NC Reentry Cluster Communities

Region 1

Region 4

Region 3

Region 2

Clay

30

North Carolina’s Offender Re-entry Process

Offender Management Model (OMM)

Clinical Assessment

IndividualizedCase Plan

CBI

SubstanceAbuse Svcs

Employment

Medical ServicesHousing/Food/

Clothing

Education/Voc Training

Transportation

Continuous Case Management and Case Staffing

Mental HealthServices

Phase 1: Division of Prisons

•Make a plan for the offender’s reentry

•Participate in programs such as education, substance abuse & mental health treatment, life skills & job training

Phase 2: Community Reentry

•Ongoing review & monitoring of the offender’s reentry plan

•Participate in programs for needed services, such as supervised housing, job placement, education & treatment

Phase 3: Long-term Support

•Long-term accountability for reentry plan

•Participate in aftercare treatment, ongoing mentoring, & support groups via community-based organizations

Target Population

• Released from prison with at least 90 days of community supervision (e.g., parole or post-release supervision)

• Age 18-35 at time of release

• Going home to one of the cluster communities (see map)

Target Population Profile

Variable Western Wake/ Durham EasternCrime Group Public Order (56%) Personal (73%) Personal (57%)

Crime Category DWI (50%)Assault (20%)

Robbery (37%)Assault (23%)

Assault (27%)Robbery (23%)

DWI (23%)Race White (65%) Black (81%) Black (75%)

Age Group18-2122-2728-35

11%37%52%

13%49%38%

14%37%49%

Reading Level(median)

8.3 – 8.8 9.8 – 10.2 9.3 – 9.8

DARTAssignment

76% 57% 57%

SMI Diagnosis 9% 5% 8%

Phase 1: Institution

• Plan for the offender’s reentry

• Participation in programs such as academic & vocational education, substance abuse, & life skills

• Work on the unit or through work release, or participate in vocational programs or job training

• Receive medical & mental health treatment as needed

Institution Process

• Generate list of eligible inmates 12-15 months prior to release

• Review list, verify eligibility, & contact case managers

• Discuss Going Home Initiative & schedule initial meeting

Institution Process (contd)

• Review inmate’s file • Conduct Team

meeting w/ Case Manager & Inmate (w/in 12 mos.)

• Complete needs assessment, OTI & Common Assessment

• Modify case plan• Conduct Team

meeting w/ Case Manager & Inmate (w/in 6 mos.)

• Review case plan• Make recommendations

for conditions of release• Conduct Team meeting

with Case Manager & Inmate (prior to release)

• Review case plan & make initial recommendations for community case plan

• Develop release schedule

Intended Outcomes

• Improve coordination of program & service delivery in prison

• Identify transition & reentry needs earlier

• Increase accountability for expected outcomes

• Institute an outcome-oriented case planning process

• Initiate a seamless transition from prison to the community

• Education (academic & vocational)

• Vocational Rehabilitation

• Drug/Alcohol Recovery Treatment (DART)

• Character Education• Transition Aftercare

Network (TAN)• Employment (Work

Release, Corrections Enterprise)

DOC Programs, Policies & Procedures

• Cognitive Behavioral Interventions (CBI)

• JOBSTART/JOBSTART II (Job Preparation for Offenders)

• Mutual Agreement Parole Program (MAPP)

• New Case Management policy

• New Transition policy• Transition Envelope

Phase 2: Community Reentry

• Ongoing review & monitoring of offender’s reentry plan

• Participate in programs for needed treatment & services, such as supervised housing, job search & placement, academic & vocational education & treatment

• Develop mentoring relationship & supportive networks

Community Process

• Initiate 24-hour shadow (community mentor)

• Establish basic support system

• Begin probation supervision

• Develop community case plan with expanded Transition Team

• Monitor case plan • Participation in

programs & services

• Focus on housing, employment & mentoring

• Continue on-going case management

Intended Outcomes

• Re-assess offender for risk & need

• Monitor outcome-oriented case planning

• Increase accountability for expected outcomes

• Improve program & service delivery system in the community

• Emphasize specific transition issues such as housing, employment, mentoring & treatment

Phase 3: Long-term Support

• Identify goals for long-term accountability

• Participate in continuing care, mentoring & support groups

• Continue monitoring of reentry plan

Long-term Process

• Provide supportive network for offender

• Build capacity of community partners to provide supportive network for offenders

• Promote and cultivate relationships among network partners

• Conduct training and provide technical assistance and workshops

Intended Outcomes

• Establish long-term support & networks in the community

• Build capacity of communities to hold offenders accountable

• Build capacity of community-based organizations to support offenders in transition

• Share accountability for expected outcomes

Keys to Offender Reintegration

Pre-release planning & preparation

Post-release transitioning & supervision

On-going community support

An interlocking process involving the correctional system w/ state & local partners:

Close supervision from day of release through transition by probation/parole officers, in concert w/ local law enforcement & community-based partners, is essential for keeping the offender focused on his/her reintegration case plan.

Post-Release Supervision

• Close supervision monitoring of the offender from the day of release through the end of the transitional phase by probation/ parole officers, in concert with local law enforcement & other community-based partners.

• This is crucial to keeping the offender on task in pursuing his or her reintegration case plan.

The Four C’s of Partnering

CommunicationThe free sharing of information and

knowledge.

CommitmentA good-faith pledge by all partners to do whatever each has resources to do, with no concern for who

gets credit.

CoordinationA sequenced plan of action, agreed to by all parties, delineating who will do what, when

& for what duration.

CollaborationA spirit of willing

cooperation & mutualrespect that allows different

entitiesto share a common vision to

contribute to the process.

5. Reintegration Culminates in the Community

• The ultimate challenge of the reintegration process occurs in the community.

• The community partners who will assume primary respons-ibility in this stage must be increasingly involved in the process as it progresses, ensuring continuity of support leading to offender reintegration.

Objectives of the Local Partner Process

• Increased understanding of the criminal justice system, corrections & offenders

• Enhanced ability to respond to public safety issues, as well as community concerns

• Integrated local resources & agency work• Enhanced problem-solving skills around

common interests• An educated, diverse core group that can

explain program & resource needs for system integration

Local Partner Process: Critical Elements

• Define a mechanism to facilitate two-way communication; All parties directly involved must be committed to the mechanism

• Representation from all appropriate segments of the community

• Define the roles & responsibilities of each partner

• Direct involvement in decision-making process

• Clearly defined procedures to hold each other accountable

• Each partner’s needs & limitations are acknow-ledged & addressed

• Orientations for all partners to learn about each other

Local Partner “to do list”

• Conduct resource mapping in major need areas: housing, employment, mentoring/life coaching & treatment

• Develop job description for contractual JobLink staff

• Build network capacity by participating in training & requesting technical assistance

•Develop leadership structure•Develop regular meeting schedule•Develop local Memoranda of

Understanding & standard operating procedures

•Tour local prison & build relationships with staff