Release Planning for Successful Reentry

1 DRAFT: Not for circulation or Distribution Release Planning for Successful Reentry A Guide for Corrections, Service Providers, and Community Groups Nancy La Vigne Elizabeth Davies Tobi Palmer Robin Halberstadt RESEARCH REPORT SEPTEMBER 2008 URBAN INSTITUTE Justice Policy Center URBAN INSTITUTE Justice Policy Center 2100 M Street NW Washington, DC 20037 September 2008. The Urban Institute. All rights reserved. The Urban Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy research and educational organization that examines the social, economic, and governance problems facing the nation.

2 The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders. This research was funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Grant Number iiCONTENTS iv Executive 2 4 What Is Release Planning ?.. 5 How Does Release Planning Fit into the Broader Process of Reentry Planning ?.. 5 Who Is Responsible for Release Planning ?.. 5 How and When Does Release Planning Occur?.. 6 What Are the Key Components of a Release Plan?.. 7 Basic 8 8 Clothing and 10 Financial 11 Identification and Important 12 13 Employment and 15 Health 17 Physical 17 Mental 19 Substance 20 Support 21 What Are the Opportunities and Challenges of Release Planning ?

3 24 Engaging the Released 24 Supervised 25 Those Released Directly from Maximum 26 Unsupervised 27 Sex 29 30 Gaining Cooperation from Corrections 31 Collaborating with Community and Agency 31 36 Revising Policies and 37 Legislative Changes at the Federal 37 Legislative Changes at the State 38 Ensuring Quality and 40 42 44 i Appendix A: Case i Obtaining Financial Resources: Oregon s department of ii Addressing Identification Needs: The Addressing Housing Needs: Idaho s Transition and Treatment Funding v Addressing Health Care Needs: Massachusetts DOC / Mass Health Pilot vi Managing Special Populations: Allegheny County State Forensic Support Collaborating with Community Agencies: Tennessee s Good Samaritan ix Appendix B: 2007 UI Discharge Planning x Appendix C: Scan of iiiAcknowledgments We would like to thank the Annie E.

4 Casey Foundation for its guidance and support in this project and the following participants from the AECF/UI 2007 and 2008 Discharge for Successful Reentry Consultative Sessions. Richard Cho Program Officer Corporation for Supportive Housing Le Ann Duran Manager, Office of Offender Reentry Michigan department of Corrections Joan Gillece Program Manager National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) Tomi Hiers Director of Programs and Services Office of the Secretary department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Blaire Jones Policy Analyst National Governors Association Mary Kay Kollat Reentry Director Wisconsin department of Corrections Angela Lee Reentry Administrator Ohio department of Corrections Stefan LoBuglio Chief, Pre- Release and Reentry Services Montgomery County department of Correction and Rehabilitation Rachel McLean Policy Analyst.

5 Criminal Justice Programs Council of State Governments Linda Mills Consultant and Attorney at Law Rodney Mitchell Director, Office of Ex-Offender Affairs Office of the Mayor of the District of Columbia Marta Nelson Director Learning Institute Center for Employment Opportunities Roberta Richman Assistant Director of Rehabilitative Services Rhode Island department of Corrections Carol Shapiro Founder and Executive Director Family Justice Wall Director Rhode Island department of Correction Jamie Yoon Research Associate Council of State Governments Justice Center We also thank the 43 state correctional

6 Agencies that participated in the survey featured in this study: Alabama department of Corrections Arizona department of Corrections Arkansas Deptartment. of Correction California department of Corrections & Rehabilitation colorado department of Corrections Connecticut department of Correction Delaware department of Correction Florida department of Corrections Indiana department of Correction Iowa department of Corrections Kansas department of Corrections Kentucky department of Corrections Louisiana department of Public Safety & Corrections Maine - Charleston Correctional Facility Maryland Division of Correction Massachusetts department of

7 Correction Michigan department of Corrections Minnesota department of Corrections ivMississippi department of Corrections Missouri department of Corrections Montana department of Corrections Nebraska department of Corrections New Hampshire department of Corrections New Jesrey department of Corrections New Mexico department of Corrections New York State department of Corrections North Carolina department of Correction North Dakota department of Corrections & Rehabilitation-Adult Services Ohio department of Rehabilitation & Correction Oklahoma department of Corrections Oregon department of Corrections Pennsylvania Bureau of Inmate Services Rhode Island department of Correction South Carolina department of Corrections South Dakota department of Corrections Tennessee department of Correction Texas department of Criminal Justice Utah department of Corrections Vermont department of Corrections Virginia department of Corrections Washington department of Corrections Wisconsin department of

8 Corrections Wyoming department of Corrections v Executive Summary The task of preparing prisoners for the challenges they will face outside the prison walls is a difficult one, made no less so by the pressure many correctional administrators feel to do more with less due to increasing populations coupled with dwindling budgets. While a comprehensive, holistic approach to Reentry Planning addressing the needs of incarcerated persons from the moment of admission through the months following Release is clearly the gold standard toward which the field is progressing, a critical step in this process that has until now received relatively little attention deals with the preparation of an inmate for the hours and days immediately following his or her Release from prison.

9 Without access to food, clothing, shelter, transportation , personal identification, and other key necessities, former inmates may see no other option than to return to illegal activities in order to meet their needs. Thus, corrections agencies must prepare exiting prisoners for this period and work hand-in-hand with community service providers and agencies to ensure that prisoners receive needed resources and guidance after Release . These efforts may make the difference between recidivism and Successful transition to the community, This report aims to assist corrections agencies and their community partners in developing and improving their Release Planning procedures, but can also be used by jail administrators and staff.

10 Eight fundamental needs confronting exiting prisoners, as well as the administrative challenges and opportunities facing corrections agencies in meeting these needs, are identified through a national survey of state correctional departments, a complementary scan of practice, and a literature review on the topic of Release Planning . Needs and Recommendations: transportation Provide releasees with transportation from the correctional facility to their Release destination and evaluate whether the releasee will have access to transportation to services, work and other locations ma