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What is reentry housing and what
makes it a “hot topic”
“ Housing is the cornerstone of reentry: The
indispensable and fundamental basis upon
which prisoners begin to build new lives.
Housing programs that target this group do
a great service to the population at large in
securing and enhancing public safety.”
** No Place Like Home: Housing and the ExPrisoner (white paper), Community
Resources for Justice, Boston, MA,
November 2001
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Types of Housing
•Housing first
•Housing ready
•Low demand
•High demand
•Shelter
•Scattered sites
•Half-way house
•Transitional
•Permanent
supportive
•Shelter Plus Care
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The Statistics
• Right now 2,200,000 people are locked up
across the country in county, federal and
state custody
• More than 672,000 people are released from
state and federal prison every year
• This does not include jails - more than 4
times as many released from jails
• More prisoners are returning home - more
time behind bars; less prepared for
reintegration
• Nearly 2/3 of released prisoners are expected
to re-offended with a felony or serious
misdemeanor within 3 years of release
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The Statistics
• Rural jails make up the majority of over
3,350 jails in America
• The number of people released from prison
has increased 350% over the last 20 years.
• More than 10% of those entering
prisons/jail are homeless in the months
prior to their incarceration
• For mentally ill, 20% were homeless prior to
incarceration
• 49% of homeless adults spent 5+ days in
jail and 18% have been incarcerated in
state/federal prisons
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The Statistics
• In 2003, Ohio spent $2,279,090,000
from the state system on corrections
• This would support 126,616 units of
supportive housing
• This does not include local police and
courts or federal costs - 1/3 of costs if
same as rest of country
• Ohio DRC has 32 institutions
confining approximately 46,000
inmates
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Re-entry… the Challenges
• In the 80’s & 90’s, truth-in-sentencing laws
were passed - eliminating the parole board
role. Most prisoners now are released
“automatically” under mandatory release, and
more prisoners are serving full term and are
released without supervision.
• There are thousands of people that cycle in
and out of jail, prison, mental health
institutions, detox, shelters, emergency rooms
and the streets.
• The recidivism rate for this group is
exceptionally high.
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Re-entry… the Challenges
• Public costs of these outcomes is
huge.
• These individuals need
comprehensive support in order to
succeed.
• Rural homeless are more likely to
have been incarcerated than urban
homeless
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Re-entry… the Challenges
• Substance abuse
– 80% of state prison population report
history of AOD use;
– 50% of prisoners report they were on
AOD when they committed the offense
• Physical health
– Releases with chronic conditions: 16%
AIDS; 22-31% HIV; 20-26% HIV/AIDS;
12-16% Hep B; 29-32% Hep C; 38% TB
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Re-entry… the Challenges
• Mental Illness
– 8-16% of state prison population report
at least one serious mental disorder
– 1/3 of mentally ill inmates admit to
history of alcohol dependence and 60%
admit they were under the influence
when committing their offense
– Mentally ill prisoners were more likely to
have been homeless before
incarceration and on average serve 15
months longer in prison than other
inmates.
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Rural… the Challenges
• Less likely to have access to private
and public services
• Often must travel to “urban” area to
access resources
• More likely to be economically limited
- rural residents earn less
• Acquaintance density - known by the
community
• More difficult to find due to living in
abandoned farmhouses or other
structures - many lacking utilities
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Rural Re-entry
Challenges
•Meeting basic
survival needs
• Shelter
• Employment
• Physical/mental
health treatment
Qualities
•Rural residents
tend to deal with
problems on their
own or seek
assistance from
friends & family
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Contributing Factors…
• Ex-offenders face the same social
and economic conditions that lead to
homelessness in the general
population - rural poverty rates are
higher than urban
• Ex-offenders confront barriers to
housing associated with their criminal
justice system involvement
• Lack of ownership of the problem
among government agencies and
community organizations
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Contributing Factors…
• Ex-offenders on probation/parole
may be subject restriction of where
they can live and with whom
• Certain convictions lead to ineligibility
for government funded housing
• Majority of housing stock in rural
areas are owner-occupied - rental
stock is not as available
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Ohio’s Roadblocks
• Employers can refuse to hire anyone with a
conviction record no matter their
qualifications
• Conviction records are available on the
internet
• Bars people who are incarcerated for a
felony conviction from voting
• Many PHA’s have a “x” year bar on
accessing public housing
• Licenses are suspended for 6 months and
21 days when individual is convicted of
drug or alcohol offenses, not just those
related to driving - may petition for work
privileges
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Ohio’s Break Through
• Prohibits all employers and occupational
licensing agencies from considering arrests
not leading to conviction.
• Opted out of Federal Drug Felon Ban on
TANF and Food Stamps
• Ohio doesn’t allow someone to vote while
incarcerated
• Determinations about suitability to be a
foster or adoptive parent are made
individually, and evidence of rehabilitation is
considered
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Benefits of Developing
A Re-Entry Housing Program
• Corrections facility
– Reduced incarceration costs
– Reduced liability due to
overcrowding
– Greater inmate supervision
– Limiting the “warehousing”
mentality
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Benefits of Developing
A Re-Entry Housing Program
• The Community
– Greater accountability of the
offender
– Positive approach to offender
adjudication
– Less victimization/greater public
safety
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Benefits of Developing
A Re-Entry Housing Program
• The Corrections Staff
– Safer working environment
– Reduced jail incidents
– Reduced job stress
• The Offenders Family
– Opportunity for intervention
– Focus towards positive options
– Break in criminal cycle
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Reentry Partners
•Law enforcement
•Probation
•Jail
•Courts
•Prosecutor
•Defense counsel
•Housing
providers
•Social service
providers
•Family/friends
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Reentry Points
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Decreasing Barriers
• Negotiate with PHA to allow exoffenders
• Advocate with local government to
acquire abandoned property exoffenders can be employed at the
property
• Obtain community buy-in by
partnering with local stakeholders
• Work with ex-offenders - they know
best what will work and what will not
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Housing Funding
Opportunities
• Community Development Block
Grants (CDBG)
• HUD Section 8 Vouchers
• Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG)
• Shelter Plus Care (S+C)
• Low-income Housing Credits
• Private-Sector Funding
• HOPWA
• Mental Health
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Employment
• Research has shown that having a job with decent
wages is associated with lower rates of recidivism
• Many employers are unwilling to hire ex-offenders
• Many ex-offenders lack the education and skills to
compete for employment
• Average earnings in rural communities is 21%
lower than metro areas
• Participants in vocational programs were more
likely to be employed following release and to have
a recidivism rate 20% lower than non-participants.
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Transition Planning
• Jail transition coordinating group
should be established and meet
regularly on community goals
• Reduce disruptive behavior in the
community
• Improve physical and social status
• Decrease the likelihood of reoffending
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Transition Planning
• Assess - clinical & social needs
and public safety risks
• Plan - for the treatment and
services to meet the needs
• Identify - community and
correctional programs
• Coordinate - the transition plan
to ensure implementation
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What Can
Communities Do?
• Work with prisoners prior to release
• Meet ex-offenders upon release, help
them to navigate for first few days
• Create network of partners for
employment options
• Engage providers that can assist
families also deal with transition
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What Can
Communities Do?
• Involve faith-based community
for mentoring
• Provide opportunities for
community service
• Develop coalition to oversee
reentry efforts and provide
accountability for community.
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What Can
Communities Do?
Develop Reentry work plans • Set common goals
• Determine population
• Complete strategic plan with:
– outcomes,
– strategies,
– responsible parties, and
– monitoring requirements
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What Can
Communities Do?
Landlord Outreach
• Educational services for landlords,
managers, owners
• Incentive/finders fee
• Recruitment campaign
• Involve landlords on advisory board
• Provide hotline number for crises
• Encourage Housing Authority to
convert up to 20% of their vouchers
to Project-Based Assistance
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Initiatives
• Pre-release programs
• “Reinventing Probation”
• 3-part Alcohol and Other Drug
treatment & reentry
• Pre-release employment training apprenticeships
• Time-limited subsidy programs
• Family reentry programs
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Initiatives
• Landlord Monetary incentives
• Tenant-based rental assistance
• Rent payment guarantees
•
•
•
•
•
Deposits
Finder’s fee/signing bonus
Damage deposits/payments
Retainer/eviction allowance
Master leasing
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Policy Implications
• Housing programs in rural settings
can build on family & friend support
• Outreach should be completed with
prospective employers to encourage
hiring of ex-offenders
• Interactive video technology can
facilitate easier access to services
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Questions
and
Answers
Jonda Clemings, MSEd, LSW
Rural Housing Program Coordinator
Coalition On Homelessness
and Housing In Ohio - COHHIO
175 S. Third St. - Suite 250
Columbus, Ohio 43215
614-280-1984
jondaclemings@cohhio.org
www.cohhio.org
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