North Carolina’s Serious & Violent
Offender ReEntry Initiative:
Going Home
A Systemic Approach to Offender Reintegration
Justice Systems Innovations
NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities &
Substance Abuse Services
Going Home Initiative
Goals
• 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.
NC Reentry Cluster Communities
Region 3
Mitchell
24
Yancey
24
Madison
24
30
Graham
Cherokee
30
Clay
30
Swain
30
Haywood
30
Jackson
30
Macon
30
Buncombe
28
Henderson
29
Transylvania
29
Surry
17
Wilkes
23
Yadkin
23
Avery
24
Caldwell
25
McDowell
29
Burke
25
Caswell
9
Rockingham
17
Forsyth
21
Guilford
18
Alexander
22
Iredell
22
Catawba
25
Stokes
17
Davidson
22
Rowan
Polk
29
27
Cleveland
27
Gaston
Orange
15
26
Mecklenburg
Union
20
Lee
11
19
Stanly
20
Montgomery
Anson
20
Moore
20
Richmond
20
Northampton
6
6
Halifax
9
Franklin
Hoke
16
7
Edgecombe
2
Martin
3
Pitt
1
Gates
2
Washington
2
Beaufort
8
Greene
Johnston
11
Harnett
11
6
Hertford
6
Bertie
Wilson
7
8
Wayne
8
Lenoir
3
Craven
4
Jones
12
Cumberland
Sampson
4
16
Scotland
Robeson
16
7
Nash
Wake
10
19
Cabarrus
19
9
Warren
Granville
Chatham
15
Randolph
19
Region 1
9
Vance
9
Davie
22
Lincoln 27
Rutherford
29
Person
9
Durham
14
24
Watauga
Region 4
Alleghany
23
Alamance
15
23
Ashe
Region 2
Duplin
4
13
Bladen
Pender
5
13
Columbus
13
Brunswick
New
Hanover
5
4
Onslow
3
Pamlico
3
Carteret
2
Tyrrell
2
Hyde
Dare
1
North Carolina’s Offender Re-entry Process
Phase 1: Division of Prisons
Phase 2: Community Reentry
Phase 3: Long-term Support
•Make a plan for the offender’s reentry
•Ongoing review & monitoring of the
offender’s reentry plan
•Long-term accountability for reentry plan
•Participate in programs such as
education, substance abuse & mental
health treatment, life skills & job
training
•Participate in programs for needed
services, such as supervised housing, job
placement, education & treatment
Offender
Management
Model (OMM)
•Participate in aftercare treatment,
ongoing mentoring, & support groups via
community-based organizations
Clinical Assessment
Individualized
Case Plan
Mental Health
Services
Employment
Transportation
Substance
Abuse Svcs
CBI
Medical Services
Education/
Voc Training
Housing/Food/
Clothing
Continuous Case Management and Case Staffing
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
Crime Group
Crime Category
Western
Public Order (56%)
DWI (50%)
Assault (20%)
Wake/Durham
Personal (73%)
Robbery (37%)
Assault (23%)
Race
Age Group
18-21
22-27
28-35
Reading Level
(median)
DART
Assignment
SMI Diagnosis
White (65%)
Black (81%)
Eastern
Personal (57%)
Assault (27%)
Robbery (23%)
DWI (23%)
Black (75%)
11%
37%
52%
8.3 – 8.8
13%
49%
38%
9.8 – 10.2
14%
37%
49%
9.3 – 9.8
76%
57%
57%
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
DOC Programs, Policies &
Procedures
• Education (academic &
vocational)
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Drug/Alcohol Recovery
Treatment (DART)
• Character Education
• Transition Aftercare
Network (TAN)
• Employment (Work
Release, Corrections
Enterprise)
• 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 longterm 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
An interlocking process involving the correctional
system w/ state & local partners:
Pre-release planning &
preparation
Post-release transitioning &
supervision
On-going community support
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
Collaboration
A spirit of willing
cooperation & mutual
respect that allows different entities
to share a common vision to contribute
to the process.
Coordination
A sequenced plan of action, agreed to by all parties,
delineating who will do what, when & for what duration.
Commitment
A good-faith pledge by all partners to do whatever each has
resources to do, with no concern for who gets credit.
Communication
The free sharing of information and knowledge.
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 acknowledged & addressed
• Orientations for all
partners to learn about
each other
Local Partner “to do list”
• Develop leadership structure
• Develop regular meeting schedule
• Develop local Memoranda of Understanding &
standard operating procedures
• Tour local prison & build relationships with staff
• 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