H.O.O.D. Inc.
A proposal for social change in our community
By Samuel L. Lyte Jr.
Our Mission
To restore confidence in those whom society has deemed hopeless, to renew hope in those who
have lost ambition, to inspire fulfillment in those who thought all was lost. To assist in reducing
recidivism by supporting through a full spectrum of services, the efforts of people with criminal
records while assisting them to become employed law abiding citizens.
In the mid-1980's, fifteen years of massive and unprecedented growth within the US
prison system hit a snag -- it ran out of money.When the state wants to build a new prison, it
traditionally asks the voters to approve the cost through a bond issue. But this time, voters
throughout the country began to say no.
So many turned to private investment, to venture capital, both to fund new prison projects and to
run the prisons themselves for costs around $30 to $60 per bed, per day. This began what we
know today as the for-profit, PRIVATE PRISON INDUSTRY.
THE PRISON BOOM PRODUCES PRISON PRIVATIZATION
1970 : 280,000 prisoners | 2000 : 2,000,000 prisoners
In the late 1960's, the US began to expand the powers of law enforcement agencies around the
country, generating by the 1970's an unprecedented reliance on incarceration to treat its social,
political, economic and mental health problems.
By calling new acts crimes, and by increasing the severity of sentencing for other acts, US
citizens witnessed a "prison boom." Soon, prison overcrowding surpassed prison construction
budgets, and politicians that had promised to build new prisons could no longer build them.
So in 1984, a number of Tennessee investors with close friends in the legislature recognized a
business opportunity and formed CORRECTIONS CORPORATION OF AMERICA (CCA).
Their plan was to use venture capital to build a new prison and -- like a hotel -- lease their beds
to the state in a profit-making endeavor.
Today, nearly ten percent of US prisons and jails (meaning 200,000 prisoners) have been
privatized, the three largest firms being CCA, WACKENHUT CORRECTIONS
CORPORATION and CORNELL CORRECTIONS, INC. The federal government also contracts
with them to house a growing number of undocumented immigrants and resident aliens, while
some of the companies have facilities in countries outside the USA.
Correctional Corporations have amassed large political influence through government ties,
lobbying power and campaign contributions, while attempting to convert the discourse of justice
into the language of the marketplace. In this way, they accuse government agencies as having a
monopoly on corrections, espouse the need to downsize and cut through red tape. They claim
that they can run prisons more efficiently and cheaper, doing a better job and saving the
taxpayers money. At the same time, prison privatization has met severe criticism. From human
rights activists to criminologists, economists, religious and community leaders and even
correctional officers' unions, privatization has been accused of corruption, corrosive incentives,
and a resemblance to a historically racist practice of the old confederate U.S. South: CONVICT
LEASING.
Some claim that private prisons really don't save money, but like any for-profit business, attempt
to maximize their own profit. This results in a reduction of essential services within the prison --
from medical care, food and clothing to staff costs and security -- at the endangerment of the
public, the inmates and the staff.
Other critics are concerned with the power and influence of for-profit prisons. At a time when
much of public discourse is questioning the war-on-crime and the war-on-drugs being fought as
wars, critics claim that the incentive of profit skews public discourse away from reasoned debate
about viable solutions to social problems.
And finally, grasping the demographic makeup of today's prisons in the US and the history that's
produced this make-up (roughly 50% African-American, 35% Latino and 15% White), the
privatization of prisons threatens to re-institute a link between race and commerce that has not
been seen since the 1800's.
DOES THE PUBLIC SECTOR "PROFIT" FROM FOR-PROFITS TOO?
There are also different ways that those who make the laws profit from the laws they make
through prison privatization. The most direct are those who own stock in private prisons, such as
former Tennessee Governor and his wife, Lamar and Honey Alexander, who owned stock in the
early Corrections Corporation of America. There are also those officials who are on the actual
payroll of these corporations, such as Manny Aragon, the New Mexico legislator who
Wackenhut hired as a lobbyist for New Mexico when they were trying to begin privatization in
that state.
A third way comes from campaign contributions and political action committee moneys,
through which the corporations financially reward those officials that allow private prisons in
their states or jurisdictions, or who pass laws that will continue prison expansion -- public or
private -- thus expanding the resource base of the privatization industry. (These are often the
same lawmakers who are handsomely rewarded by public sector groups such as correctional
officers' unions and other law enforcement groups, who also profit from criminalization and
mass imprisonment).
Less directly, the privatization of prisons contributes to and buoys the overall "culture" of
law enforcement and criminal justice, one that levels our common sense understanding of the
causes of our social problems and puts as their solution responses of violence, force and
containment. By expanding the criminal justice system beyond the grasp of elected officials and
civil servants, private prisons grow this culture in ways that are both ideological and practicerelated.
The private sector also serves as a "career alternative" for many, hiring bureaucrats and
officials from the public sector who are either looking for a raise and stock options, or are
looking to come out of retirement. These include people from the FBI, CIA, various state and
federal departments of corrections, sheriffs, and even former attorney generals.
And most importantly, public officials profit from prison privatization as it allows them to act
with less accountability to the public, allowing prisons to be built without passing prison bonds
for the public to vote on, and not having to worry how one will budget their inflammatory and
expensive tough-on-crime rhetoric. Although the predominant myths about PRIVATIZATION
(whether of prisons or anything else) claim that privatization means tax savings for the public, it
actually costs us more. Even though on paper a private agency or corporation may present a
lower figure to do the same job, once that money has been taken out of the public's hands, it no
longer remains ours.
In the public sector, tax money tends to make more of itself, meaning that each public dollar paid
through one social service will spend itself four to eight times more elsewhere within the public
sector. Once public money goes into private hands however, that money stays there and is gone
for good. This is especially true if we consider that privatization corporations are usually given
handsome tax breaks and "incentives," in the form of what some people call "corporate welfare,"
which means we are even less likely to see that money again.
And finally, if we remember that the people who privatize are generally wealthy, this reminds us
of an old story where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer -- where the hard earned tax
money from each of us is funneled into the hands of the wealthy few for their own personal gain.
While we each like to think we don't live in a society like that, today this is justified to us
through the myth that "free markets" are the same thing as democracy; that if everything is
privatized and ruled by the law of the dollar then democracy will be ensured.
Add this to the fact that prisons do not make us safer and are by far the most expensive way of
dealing with what we call "crime," we suffer other costs as well. Social costs of broken families
and communities -- of both victims and perpetrators; hidden financial costs like paying for the
foster care of prisoners' children; what we will only pay again when a prisoner re-emerges more
desperate, addicted, uneducated and disenfranchised than they went in; the vengeance our society
seeks through prisons and punishment will cost us twice the price of ensuring true equality,
opportunity and social health at the roots of our society.
The PRIVATIZATION OF PRISONS is but one case in which a few people exploit our society's
larger problems for their own gain, at a cost we all bare and get little in return.
State prisons admitted about 591,000 people in 1999 and released almost the same number.
If Federal prisoners and young people released from secure juvenile facilities are added to that
number, nearly 600,000 inmates arrive yearly on the doorsteps of communities nationwide.
1. Virtually no systematic, comprehensive attention has been paid by policymakers to dealing
with people after release, an issue termed “prisoner reentry.”
2. Failure to address the issue may well backfire, and gains in crime reduction may erode if the
cumulative impact of tens of thousands of returning felons on families, crime victims, and
communities is not considered. Inmates have always been released from prison, and officials
have long struggled with helping them succeed. But the current situation is different. The
numbers of returning offenders dwarf anything known before, the needs of inmates are greater,
and correction has retained few rehabilitation programs.
It has become evident that no program exists that actually provides any interrelated services
specifically aimed at eliminating the barriers set before those being released back into society
after doing time especially those of African descent . H.O.O.D. Inc. will prioritize providing
parolees and those on probation with viable information as well as access to workforce
development opportunities. The increasing development of crime in our communities makes a
program like this very valuable.
H.O.O.D. Inc. wants to provide its clients with the one thing actually needed, a second chance.
As stated earlier, in 1998 about 600,000 people per year are released from U.S. prisons.
In 1980, 170,000 people were released. The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in
the world at 699 inmates per 100,000 population. This surpasses Russia’s rate of 644 and South
Africa’s of 400 and compares unfavorably to the United Kingdom at 125, Canada at 110 and
Japan at 40. These increases are primarily due to mandatory sentencing policies such as
mandatory minimums, three-strikes and truth in sentencing, rather than increasing crime rates.
(Source: The Sentencing Project)
Among people on probation, 46% are black, 35% are white, 21% are Hispanic, and 3% are
other. The population of U.S. federal and state prisons and local jails in 2000 exceeded 2,000,000
people. When the 4.5 million people on parole and probation are included, the total is 6.5 million
representing a 240% increase since 1980. 52% of U.S. prison inmates are housed for non-violent
offenses related to drugs, property or public disorder/other. (Source: The Sentencing Project)
With these kinds of statistics the question is what are we doing to change the manner by which re
incarceration is handled or recidivism reduction. Also there's an issue that incarceration affects
our future generations and family separation contributes to the ever growing increase in crime as
well. According to The Sentencing Project, Bureau of Justice Statistics; 1.5 million children
under the age of 18 had parents in prison. 22% of these children were under 5 years of age, this
fact alone should cause alarm. H.O.O.D. Inc. is not by any means a solution to the social ills
faced today, but proposes to become a viable resource to assist those once incarcerated find all
the necessary components to develop for themselves a sound sense of character.
The role and support of the community in the reentry process is a critical component in
helping ex-felons succeed in society and assisting them in the avoidance of recidivism. However,
79% don’t have a support system geared toward this success. I personally faced these very same
obstacles after spending almost 23 years of my own life in the penal system in Illinois.
Determined to remain “free”, and avoid return to my former lifestyle I created H.O.O.D. Inc.
(helping others obtain dreams) Incorporated. H.O.O.D. Incorporated is a not for profit
organization with a mission to reduce recidivism by creating results based community programs
and partnerships for rehabilitated offenders. H.O.O.D. Incorporated envisions a society where
ex-felons, as well as their families, have successful productive lives. In the following pages are
the proposed programming that we feel are necessary to provide each client the proponents
needed to succeed.
The goals and objectives of H.O.O.D. incorporated are;
1) To focus on strengthening and building the capacity of our target communities to
facilitate a smooth transition from incarceration to society.
2) Address the immediate needs of newly released clients
3) Assist in minimizing the amount of public dollars spent on re incarceration.
H.O.O.D. Incorporated will work diligently in each community in the Brevard County area
as well as other surrounding counties, to create a seamless re- entry process by partnering with
both community and faith based service organizations these include public service institutions
(parole, probation, police as well as human services). Both faith based and community based
organizations will be engaged in welcoming back our clients in to their respective communities
by providing mentors and acting as liaisons. Clients will participate by following through with
their case management plans and adjusting back to life in “free” society. Community based
partners will assist in this by addressing the transitional needs revealed in pre-release interviews
conducted 6 months prior to the release of each client. And law enforcement agencies will assist
with identifying likely participants for the program and work in partnership with the efforts of
the initiative to ensure successful reintegration. This plan also includes productive community
involvement from the clients themselves. This would pertain to but is not limited to community
cleanup programs, volunteering at community shelters and partaking in community athletic
programs. The window of opportunity to implement an innovative project that is centered on the
efforts of the role communities in the prisoner reentry process has never been more urgent for
Brevard as well as all surrounding counties. The increasing amount of crime as well as
homelessness makes this initiative more valuable, as it is through these combined efforts of
every entity to provide their specialized services in conjunction with the other that will make this
initiative work. The political view of reentry has been altered in so many ways that it takes
experts to decipher its multifaceted nature. When all it takes is a collective effort on behalf of the
people to create an environment that utilizes every available resource to address every social
circumstance. Based upon national models such as The Safer Foundation in Illinois, and local
experiences, H.O.O.D. Incorporated views re-entry in the context of community partnerships and
support. H.O.O.D. Incorporated also believes that a supportive local government is the key factor
in promoting successful reintegration and reducing recidivism by creating or promoting
alternatives in sentencing. At the very core of this is the overall commitment of the clients
themselves, because with their own efforts there is no program created that will actually achieve
what is intended. Therefore desire to change has to be the motivation of each client. The
concept of effective relationships and an understanding that the re-entry process is only as
complex as the circumstances that has created it. We must address each individuals needs and
not be set on categorizing everyone. To accomplish this we will implement a tiered risk structure
to ensure that the needs of each client’s offense, risk levels, assets, and then service needs can be
appropriately addressed. In each community, H.O.O.D. will work to facilitate and formalize
partnerships between community based as well as faith based partners, local industry, parole and
probation, police, human services, and work force development agencies as formerly stated. The
project will focus on engaging entire communities to accomplish the greatest outcome for the
people we are intended to service. When writing this proposal it is the intent of the writer to
address the continuity of programming in a manner that reflects the totality of a collective never
seen before. The entire organizational effort is meant to envelop and utilize every available
service in order to create the optimal result. Together we can provide mentoring services for our
youth as well as adults by utilizing social services, transitional housing utilizing public as well as
private housing entities, transport services utilizing public transportation as well as private
transport services, medical issues by utilizing community clinics and or local hospital services.
Community efforts would include parole agencies police departments and corrections to help
ensure project participation, monitoring and community safety. Work force agencies like
Goodwill Industries, Career Source, and Job Finders, to assist in economic opportunities.
H.O.O.D. Incorporated will broker, manage, integrate, and support the formalization and
working dynamics of these relationships.
In the following pages are described the overall plan of this new and innovative
organization. The purposes being to involve the entire community as it is necessary to actual
rehabilitate not ostracize those who are released or soon to be released from prison, or because of
one distress or another, have fallen upon economic misfortune resulting in homelessness. It is our
hope that a project such as this gives credence to the ideal of a progressive community and
finally a society not bent on excessive incarceration. H.O.O.D. Incorporated will not only
provide the aforementioned services but also push to institute sentencing alternatives for local as
well as statewide judiciary. We would also like to strive toward petitioning legislation to add our
clientele to the list of Americans with Disabilities Act. We also propose working directly with
the Department of Corrections, developing a program that recruits and trains each individual
prior to his or her release utilizing the D.A.T.A process*. The D.A.T.A process is an evaluation
of every potential client measuring Desire, Abilities, Temperament, and Aptitude towards change in
their lives. This program will not be for everyone, at least not without first coming to the
conclusion that the creation of opportunities is the only way out of the vicious cycle of
incarceration. Because not everyone is capable of taking charge of their lives, in writing this
proposal I would have hoped to have inspired the reader to take into consideration that there is an
urgent need for a program such as this. We will recruit, advise and train all of our clients so as to
complete the process as it will be beneficial to the entire community. Our coaches, (Recruiting
Advising and Training Specialist), will use an individualized process for each client and will
dedicate themselves to the reconstructive process necessary to affect change in our clients and
the communities they are from or will live in.
Back to the H.O.O.D. is our re-entry initiative where we would in partnership with the judiciary,
local and state corrections, and local businesses, create components for the following services:
Welcome Home Panels: Beginning in prison, community members and parole officers visit
clients (face-to-face or via videoconferencing) to begin re-entry planning.
1.
Re-entry Planning/Coordination: The re-entry coaching case management is
ongoing and provides guidance and support to the clients. It also helps coordinate
resources, appropriate services, and maintain client accountability, with an overall goal
of self-sufficiency. At this level reentry coaches provide family inclusive case
management.
2.
Employment: Back to the H.O.O.D. focuses on immediate and long-term
employment. Federal bonding, job interviewing and other employment preparation
tools. Also H.O.O.D. is working to create a workforce development program that
could provide transitional employment through supportive work crews concentrating
on community improvement efforts and hard-skills training. Employment developers
target the greater Brevard County Florida area’s job market and provide a variety of
sustainable employment opportunities.
3.
Mentoring Stages of Re-entry: A group mentoring/peer support structure, led by
successful, formally incarcerated individuals and community volunteers, supports
participants during their stages of re-entry as well as committing to following the
progress of our clients in various stages of their new direction.
4.
Community Parole: Through Back to the H.O.O.D., The Florida Department of
Corrections will be able to provide specially trained, community-based parole officers
who partner with our recruiting specialists to formulate a working relationship with
our clients to practically guarantee his or her success.
Comprehensive Social Network Case Management
A critical component of H.O.O.D. Incorporated strategy is comprehensive case
management including the client, their family, and important peer associations. This will provide
the sort of support that many former offenders find lacking, and would create an environment
conducive to successful re- entry. This would include a continual monitoring of the progress of
each client and their overall adjustment to society.
Community-Based needs Assessment and Referrals
In conjunction with the case management plan we will develop a strategy to provide
formerly incarcerated individuals with a full spectrum of services and supports. Sites will
establish mechanisms where each program participant receives assessments and therefore the
appropriate referral to just those services needed, including substance abuse treatment, mental
health services, parenting, transportation services etc.
Law Enforcement Partnerships
H.O.O.D. Incorporated’s initiative will also build on partnerships with local law
enforcement, both city and state corrections, and parole agencies. These relationships will
provide each client with the knowledge that successful reentry is their primary objective.
Mentoring with caring community based partners.
H.O.O.D. Incorporated will sub- grant funds to community based as well as faith based
organizations and will work with these entities to develop and implement strategies in recruiting
mentors and counselors who will be matched with clients according to expertise. This sort of
strategy will prove to a key factor in our “Back to the H.O.O.D.” initiatives.
Program Description
Back to the H.O.O.D. is designed to reduce recidivism among parolees returning to Brooklyn by
providing a variety of services intended to ease the transition process; a central goal of the
program is the reduction of substance abuse through weekly one-on-one meetings with a
counselor and group treatment sessions. The program also provides transitional employment,
transitional housing, and referrals for other services, such as mental health treatment, as needed.
Participants enter the program shortly after release and typically receive services for three to six
months. The Back to The H.O.O.D. program, implemented in 2013, is based in Brevard County,
Florida, and is founded on a partnership between the Green Houses and community-based
service providers. Its this partnership that will allow for a greater sense of community and the
assistance in creating fertile ground to reduce recidivism.
Recommendations for Practice
The beneficial effects associated with H.O.O.D. Inc. participation suggest that programs
incorporating transitional work services, along with other transition services, have promise in
reducing recidivism. H.O.O.D. Inc. is committed to working with agencies around the
country to bolster their efforts to not only maintain safe and secure institutions and encourage
effective supervision practices, but also to equip offenders during and after their
incarceration to lead successful, prosocial lives. To this end, H.O.O.D. Inc. will work with
dozens of jurisdictions on transition issues and developed a number of written models,
products, and curricula aimed at building staff and agency capacity to support successful
reentry practices.