Jail-Based Services with Community
Support to Reduce Recidivism
National TASC Conference, Birmingham, AL
May 8th, 2014
Joseph Hodges, CASAC
Project Director, TASC of Orange County
The Revolving Jail Door
Certain minor crimes and offenses that affect public safety and
community well-being are invariably dealt with at the local level and
are often committed by a relatively small number of individuals again
and again. For instance, habitual misdemeanant offenders with a
multitude of substance abuse, medical, and mental health problems—
intertwined with issues of homelessness, unemployment, and
disability—commit many public nuisance crimes. As such, the
individuals who cycle in and out of jail are also frequent users of other
human services, such as homeless shelters and mental health
treatment (Fisher, White, and Jacobs, 2007; Council of State
Governments, 2002). These chronic offenders consume a huge amount
of public resources and are in and out of jail—and other social service
systems—repeatedly.
Availability of Services in Jails
According to the BJS, many jails provide some services,
such as drug and alcohol awareness education, adult basic
education, and basic psychiatric services; however, given the
realities of the jail system, the extent of these programs is
extremely limited. Large jail systems are more likely to provide
various programming than smaller ones, and services that do
exist are generally targeted toward special needs populations,
such as those with infectious diseases, acute mental illness,
and substance dependency and abuse problems (Steadman
and Veysey, 1997; Hammett, Roberts, and Kennedy, 2001).
The Challenges: Glass Half-Empty
Common obstacles include the broad variety of
circumstances under which individuals are housed in jails,
their short lengths of stay, their high levels of service needs,
and the minimal jail capacity to provide treatment or
training in the jail setting. When individuals leave jail, there
are few community-based systems in place to address the
transitional problems that many will face. Unlike the prisonto-parole context, community supervision is often not a
factor for many leaving jail.
The Challenges: The Glass Half Full
At the same time, jails are also uniquely positioned to
facilitate the transition process, compared with state prisons.
Shorter lengths of stay and the community location of most
jail facilities translate into less time away from—and even
continued contact with—family, friends, treatment providers,
employers, faith institutions, and other social supports. The
proximity of the jail also allows for the possibility of
community-based providers to begin interventions with
individuals prior to release, improving the chances that they
will continue to receive care after release.
Running with the Half-Full Glass
At the individual level, there are various points along the jail-tocommunity continuum where interventions can improve reentry outcomes,
and ultimately, public safety. These targets for intervention include the
following:
• Screening, and assessment—to quickly assess an inmate’s risks and needs.
• Transition plans—to identify specific interventions that will improve the
chances for successful reintegration.
• Jail-based in-reach—Skill train with direct practice while the individual is
incarcerated, ranging from CBT to employment readiness training.
• Moment of release—to prepare individuals for those critical first hours and
days after release from jail.
• Continuity of care in the community—to connect individuals to resources
and supervision, where appropriate, after release.
The Need
ADAC requested from OCJ a Recidivism Misdemeanors Report for the
time period of 01/01/11 through 06/30/13, in order to have a larger sample
size in determining the true need for the SOP. Specifically, ADAC requested
the report include all OCJ admissions during the specified time due to a jail
sentence, with no attached probation conditions, resulting from a Penal Law
conviction. In addition, the specific Penal Law offense for each sentence and
the number of jail days imposed for each sentence was also requested in the
report. The report showed there were 946 separate admissions due to a jail
sentence resulting from a Penal Law conviction. Most significant in the
report was 183, or 19.3%, of the 946 offenders admitted into OCJ were
admitted two or more times during the specified time period, highlighting
the reoffending tendencies of those sentenced to jail time and released with
no supervision or services.
Coordination and Partnering
In the service of promoting public safety through reducing
recidivism, as well as easing the financial burden placed on
taxpayers by a chronically re-offending population at the jail level,
the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council of Orange County (ADAC)
and the Orange County Jail (OCJ) have long been engaged in
discussion regarding the potential development of an effective jail
based program that would employ a high level of coordination
between corrections and community-based advocacy. This Stayin’
Out Project (SOP) is the natural progression of a truly collaborative
effort between ADAC and OCJ.
• GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $5 MILLION FOR PROGRAMS
DESIGNED TO REDUCE CRIME AND CHANGE OFFENDER BEHAVIOR
Twenty-three Not-for-Profit Organizations, County Probation Departments
Receive Grants Statewide and Supports Recently Announced Council on
Community Re-Entry and Reintegration Initiative
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 23 programs across
New York State will share more than $5 million in grant funding to support
alternatives to incarceration (ATI), alternatives to jail detention and programs for
individuals incarcerated in local jails, all of which are designed to reduce crime and
avoid further victimization. This funding supports Governor Cuomo's commitment
to enhance the state's efforts to help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully
re-enter and remain in the community and the recently announced Council on
Community Re-Entry and Reintegration.
FUNDING PRACTICAL & EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION
The programs receiving the grants responded to a competitive request for
proposals (RFP) issued in June 2013 by the state Division of Criminal Justice
Services (DCJS), which will administer the grants. Studies have shown that ATI and
alternative to detention programs that are effectively implemented and targeted to
the needs of specific offenders can reduce recidivism while reducing government
costs.
The RFP detailed several key objectives that grantees were to consider
when submitting responses, including matching services and supervision at the
earliest point in an individual’s case through risk and needs assessments; delivering
high-quality cognitive behavioral therapy and offender workforce development
programs; targeting communities that had a demonstrated need but lacked
adequate services; providing more service options for jail detainees and offenders
sentenced to jail; and implementing an evaluation system to ensure program
effectiveness.
We Can Do This; We Will Do This!
Orange County Council on Alcoholism, Inc./Stayin’
Out Project (ADAC): $259,302 – The program will provide
services aimed at reducing recidivism and victimization for
male and female offenders age 18 and up who are
sentenced to Orange County Jail for felony and
misdemeanor offenses (including youthful offenders), who
are at a high risk of re-offending and who would otherwise
be released without supervision or services.
Who Will We Serve?
SOP will serve male and female offenders aged 18 and
older who have been sentenced to the Orange County Jail
(OCJ) on Penal Law felony and misdemeanor offenses,
including those adjudicated as youthful offenders, who have a
high risk of re-offending and would otherwise be released to
the community with no supervision or services (“I’m free, I’m
not on paper”). SOP program design and delivery of the jailbased services delivered in OCJ from beginning to end (release
day) will require a participant to be in the jail a minimum of
65-100 days at the time SOP services are requested.
What Will We Do?
• The Stayin’ Out Project will partner with the Orange County
Jail to implement a seamless jail based program for
participants in three phases of jail-based programming found
in best practice programs which reduce recidivism:
Institutional; Structured Re-Entry and Community
Reintegration.
• The key elements of the SOP are the assessment, direct
program services and transitional planning provided in the
jail, discharge plan follow-through and community case
management after release, as well as the partnerships in
place to facilitate reentry preparation and transition.
Who Will Do It?
The Project Director
Will be totally responsible for the day-to-day operations of SOP.
He will be responsible for the collection and submission of all SOP data
required to meet DCJS/OPCA requirements, including all Performance
Based Contracting financial data. He will hire and train all SOP staff, and
provide ongoing supervision for all SOP staff members. The Project
Director will also be responsible for developing and maintaining
effective relationships with SOP stakeholders. The Project Director will
also be responsible for maintaining fidelity in all aspects of SOP
programming through ongoing program analysis and evaluation.
Who Will Do It?
Jail Service Coordinators
The JSC’s (2) will hold primary responsibility for the
delivery of all jail-based services in OCJ to program
participants in custody, including screening for eligibility,
performing COMPASS risk/needs assessments and delivering
the Thinking For a Change (T4C) and Ready, Set, Work (RSW)
programs. The JSC will also coordinate with the Community
Case Manager regarding transitional issues and report to the
Project Director as necessary.
Who Will Do It?
Community Case Manager
The CCM will coordinate with the OCJ OSC for final transitional planning and
meet with SOP participants in OCJ approximately two weeks prior to discuss
discharge surrounding critical transitional issues such as financial issues,
housing issues, substance abuse and mental health issues, criminogenic
thinking, anger and stress management, and social and family issues, as well
as developing rapport with participants prior to their release. The CCM will
coordinate service delivery and monitor progress towards transitional plan
goals for each offender participant, with intensive contact immediately
following release. The CCM will develop access to county department
resources as well as the network of service provides in Orange County. The
CCM will also provide face-to face office visits, residence visits, phone
contacts with participants, crisis intervention, as well as monitoring
participant project compliance, work history, social service needs and other
life issues.
Who Will Do It?
Stayin’ Out Mentors
The SOM will meet newly released project participants at the OCJ front
lobby desk and transport him or her directly to the SOP office in Goshen. The SOM
will transport the participant, if necessary, during the initial community transitional
period to linkage appointments including those for housing admission, DSS
benefits, necessary service providers, employment interviews, and to obtain any
necessary medications. The SOM will develop a one-to one relationship with
participants, working to motivate each individual and help them meet their
obligations to the project, family and services. The SOM position requirements
include having personal experience navigating the road of successful offender
reentry, possessing sensitivity to the needs of the jail population returning to the
community with issues other that that which they may have personally
experienced, and commitment to diversity and ability to work well with diverse
family styles and populations. In addition, the SOM will receive the benefit of the
ongoing ADAC Life Coach program.
How Will We Do It?
Screening
The OCJ Offender Services Counselor (OSC) will conduct an
initial screening via the OCJ database system to determine
basic program eligibility. Eligible inmates will be scheduled for
a face-to-face, in-depth screening with a JSC, when SOP will be
explained in full with participant benefits and responsibilities
emphasized. Candidates who appear to posses sufficient
motivation and verbalize a commitment to SOP participation,
will then be immediately assessed for further program
appropriateness.
How Will We Do It?
Assessment
The specific version of the Correctional Offender Management
Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS) assessment tool for risks
and needs related to recidivism, validated for use in jail settings, will be
utilized during the assessment interview. The COMPASS assessment
tool will not only serve to screen out any candidates who’s score
indicates they pose little to no risk of reoffending, but will also increase
chances that individuals will be matched with the appropriate type of
services during the transitional and community reintegration phases.
The assessment will also flag the highest risk and problems, which will
inform how to triage available community resources. Assessment will
also identify those who are returning to relatively stable arrangements
and intact supports and need less intensive community case
management and community follow-up.
How Will We Do It?
Jail-Based Program Services
The SOP JSC will deliver cognitive-based
jail in-reach services targeted towards
specific needs to promote the reduction of
recidivism while people are still in jail;
specifically T4C and Ready, Set Work (RSW).
How Will We Do It?
T4C
The T4C 25-class curriculum will be delivered in 90
minute doses, three times a week. The T4C curriculum
uses at its core, a problem solving program embellished
by both cognitive restructuring and social skills. This 25
class program will target the specific factors of a SOP
participant’s behavior and cognition that are strongly
related to the risk for recidivism.
How Will We Do It?
Ready, Set, Work
The RSW 10 class program will be delivered in 120 minute
sessions, once a week. RSW is a 20-hour skill based training to
equip offenders with the necessary tools to get and retain quality
employment. There is also an emphasis on career planning and
advancement, to encourage longevity in legitimate employment. A
report generated from OCJ reflects that only 40% of those
admitted into OCJ were employed (per self-reporting) at time of
admission. There is compelling evidence that unemployment is a
major risk factor for recidivism and the SOP delivery of the RSW
program will directly address this risk factor.
How Will We Do It?
Transition Planning
The OCJ OSC will met with the participant about 30
days prior to release to develop an initial transition plan. The
CCM will meet with the participant in OCJ about two weeks
prior to scheduled release to review the final transition plan,
discuss barriers to reentry, review and reinforce how SOP
participation will assist in overcoming such barriers, answer
questions, develop rapport, and provide moment of release
preparation.
How Will We Do It?
Release Day
The moment of release from jail, and the hours and days that
follow, is often the pivotal point in an individual’s transition to the
community. Reoffending rates are highest in the first weeks and
months after release (Langan and Levin, 2002; Rosenfeld, Wallman and
Fornango, 2005). One of the most basic logistical considerations upon
release is where to go and how to get there. The OCJ OSC will provide a
weekly list of all SOP participants scheduled for release the following
week.
How Will We Do It?
Release Day: From Point A to Point B Successfully
Upon notification on release day from the OSC
that a SOP participant is being processed for release,
the SOM will meet the released inmate at the OCJ front
lobby desk and transport him or her directly to the SOP
office in Goshen.
How Will We Do It?
Initial Transitional Support
The CCM and SOM will review the transition plan with
the individual, confirm all initial service appointments, and
then, if necessary, transport the participant during the first
week to all necessary initial appointments including those for
housing admission, necessary service providers, employment
interviews or employment service provider appointments, and
to obtain any necessary medications.
How Will We Do It?
Transitional Housing Support
The CCM will have access to all other county department resources as
well as the network of service provides in Orange County. Orange County
has been experiencing a serious decline of affordable housing options
during the past decade. Rents have skyrocketed, waiting lists for
subsidized housing have escalated and/or been closed, and affordable
housing and single room occupancy dwellings have been reduced with
municipal code changes. The CCM will immediately link a newly released
SOP participant with the Housing Resource Alliance and the Housing
Resource Center, who may provide temporary housing and assistance in
locating permanent housing. However, if safe, sober and supportive
housing cannot be arranged in a most timely manner . . .
How Will We Do It?
Transitional Housing Support
SOP has budgeted $49,794.00 to assist SOP participants
who from the moment of release would otherwise
experience homelessness, in obtaining safe, sober and
supportive housing arrangements.
Obtaining housing, in particular, has been shown to be a
critical barrier for formerly incarcerated persons to
overcome for a myriad of reasons that, if not overcome, is
associated with costly returns to incarceration.
How Will We Do It?
Ongoing Transitional Support
To maximize the effectiveness of the transition plan, SOP case
managers will serve a critical role in overseeing service delivery in the
community, and with additional support from the SOM, engage
individuals in their own transitional processes. Opportunity to Succeed
found that participants who interacted with their case managers were
more likely to report full-time employment and maintain employment
for a longer period of time than those receiving no case management
(Rossman and Roman, 2003).
How Will We Do It?
Ongoing Transitional Support
In follow-up to the RSW jail in-reach programming, The SOP CCM will
coordinate linkages for participants with Orange County Employment
and Training Administration (ETA), together with the County’s One Stop
Career Center, NYS Department of Labor and the Workforce Investment
Board after release. Well-coordinated employment and education
services are available at three One Stop Employment Career Centers
located in Orange County’s three cities. The Career Center will help
participants prepare resumes, conduct job interviews, build
employment skills, provide work experience and
vocational/educational services and locate adequate employment.
How Will We Do It?
Ongoing Transitional Support
CCM services will prioritize participant housing stability and
also include face-to face office visits, home visits, phone
contacts with participants, crisis intervention, as well as
monitoring participant treatment compliance, work history,
social service needs and other life issues. SOP case managers
will conduct periodic reassessments of individuals needs to
maintain appropriate service provision. There will also be a
therapeutic component to SOP case management, deriving
from T4C principles that address criminogenic thinking and
behaviors.
How Will We Do It?
Ongoing Transitional Support
SOP will also provide participants with the services of a part-time Stayin
'Out Mentor (SOM), during and after release, who will be available evenings,
weekends and weekdays during periods of high demand. Mentors have been used
successfully in Orange County’s Parole Re-entry program and are an essential
mentoring component that relates directly to successful offender transitional and
reintegration outcomes. Best-practice models across the country use similar
community representatives (Washington State uses “Guardians”; in Maryland they
are called “advocates”). These mentors are helpful in unconditional releases,
providing community attachment, reinforcing treatment messages and linking
offenders to pro-social activities. Mentors develop a one-to one relationship,
working to motivate each offender and help them meet their obligations to
treatment, family and services. Coordinated and cultivated through the CCM, the
SOM will be viewed by SOP participants as uniquely outside the system and, as a
member of the inmate’s community, familiar with current street activities, criminal
behaviors and risks in the community through ongoing community involvement
and relationships with police agencies.
Why Will We Make SOP Successful?
Project strengths that are numerous to ensure SOP’s success include
ADAC’s long-standing relationship with the Orange County Sheriff’s
Department, which will promote smooth delivery of SOP in-reach services
and coordination of moment of release activity. ADAC also has a long history
of viable and progressive relationships with Orange County service providers,
ensuring a commitment to serve the returning jail population and adjust
interventions accordingly. These relationships in turn prevent service
provision from being piecemeal, sporadic and uncoordinated. ADAC also
supervises TASC of Orange County, an assessment, case management and
advocacy-based alternative to incarceration program that works with felony
defendants in the Orange County Court. SOP case management would
closely model the TASC model of case management, which is the time-tested
forerunner to most case management models working with offender
populations in the United States.
How Will We Measure Individual Success?
Participant requirements to be deemed a successful project completion
will be:
1) Complete the COMPASS assessment process;
2) Complete all jail based, in-reach programming (T4C and RSW,
Transition Planning);
3) Successfully transition to SOP community support services;
4) Demonstrate compliance with transition plan, including keeping
required appointments for collateral services;
5) Secure safe, sober and supportive housing, become employed or
actively engaged in ongoing activity to obtain employment
with the assistance of SOP employment-based stakeholders or be
enrolled in a vocational training plan and remain arrest-free.
How Will We Measure Program Success?
SOP program success will ultimately be evaluated
by the comparison of SOP participants, and separately
SOP participants who successfully complete the
program, versus corresponding control groups of OCJ
inmates sentenced to comparable jail time on Penal
Law offenses, for rates of recidivism during the 30month period after such offenders are released from
the jail. OCJ admission data will be utilized to most
accurately assess the respective rates of reoffending.
Same Time Next Year
At the 2015 National TASC Conference we will revisit the
Stayin’ Out Project to review:
• How well our initial plan has been implemented
• What we have learned via our experience and mistakes
• What corresponding changes we have made to improve
service delivery and better promote successful outcomes