RD333 - Status Report on Offender Transitional and Re-entry Services - November 15, 2010


Executive Summary:
The Status Report on Offender Transitional and Re-entry Services has been prepared in compliance with Item 370, Paragraph B of the 2010 Appropriation Act (Chapter 874, 2010 Acts of Assembly), which requires the Secretary of Public Safety to provide a status report on actions taken to improve offender transitional and re-entry services, as provided in §2.2-221.1 of the Code of Virginia, including: (1) improvement to the preparation and provision for employment; (2) treatment; and (3) housing opportunities for those being released from incarceration.

Re-entry refers to the time and sequence of events that begin when an offender is incarcerated and continues through the release and return to the community. The confinement portion of the re-entry continuum includes risk and needs assessment, vocational and educational programs, and evidence-based treatment services. The transition sequence focuses on providing continued evidence-based treatment for offenders with identified re-entry needs. In addition, research has identified other important issues in the re-entry process, including housing needs, job attainment and maintenance, educational needs, medical concerns, mental health concerns, and social support processes that are focuses of reentry programming.

Virginia’s three-year recommitment rate for released offenders is 27.3 percent. Although this rate is low in comparison with most other states, each recommitted offender places a significant cost burden on Virginia’s taxpayers. Research also has demonstrated that the experience of incarceration introduces significant barriers in each of these areas, including unstable housing and employment, decreased wages, poor physical and mental health, and broken social relationships. When these critical issues are not addressed appropriately by the offender, the resulting lack of stability can lead to new crime or to a lack of compliance with community-based legal supervision. An increasing number of state-responsible offenders are being released from Virginia prisons and correctional centers each year; from FY 2005 through FY 2009, the there was a 5.3 percent increase in the number of state-responsible releases. The majority of these offenders require community supervision and assistance with personal and professional barriers to successful re-entry.

In recent years, both federal and state governments have created new initiatives to support improved re-entry services for offenders. In 2009, the federal Second Chance Act established the National Re-entry Resource Center through the Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide funding for innovative programs and research. In addition, the Second Chance Act provided millions of dollars in federal grant money for re-entry initiatives in state governments, localities, tribes and non-profit organizations. Virginia agencies received 2.6 million dollars in Second Chance Act grants for re-entry programs.

In May 2010, Governor Robert F. McDonnell issued Executive Order 11, which established the Virginia Prisoner and Juvenile Offender Re-Entry Council. Under the direction of Secretary of Public Safety Marla Graff Decker, the Re-Entry Council is directed to: (1) identify barriers to re-entry; (2) establish and improve collaboration and coordination among the efforts of re-entry stakeholders; (3) engage non-profit, locality, and faith-based programs in the community; and (4) improve business and community college partnerships to provide more educational and employment opportunities for released offenders. In addition, the Re-Entry Council and Re-Entry Coordinator are directed to collaborate in the development of a re-entry strategic plan for Virginia. The Re-Entry Council is comprised of stakeholders from nearly every Secretariat in the Governor’s Cabinet, as well as representatives of multiple agencies under each Secretary. Members of faith-based communities, non-profit organizations, and victims’ associations also were invited to participate.

The Re-Entry Council has made significant progress since their establishment in May 2010. The Council designated three focus area committees to deal with populations of offenders with special needs. The focus area committees include the Juvenile Re-entry Committee, the Women’s Re-entry Committee, and the Veterans’ Re-entry Committee. Each of these committees prepared a set of recommendations for addressing the unique needs of its target population. The Council also designated seven Re-entry Issue Work Groups in the following areas: Employment/Education/Workforce; Housing; Mental Health/Substance Abuse; Financial Obligations; Health/Family Reintegration; Offender Re-entry Preparation; and Local/Regional Jails. Focus Committees and Work Groups involved several state leaders and representatives of organizations that impact re-entry, including group homes, faith groups, and residential treatment programs.

Secretary Decker also appointed an Evaluation Committee to monitor activities and report on the progress of Governor McDonnell’s re-entry initiative. This Committee is composed of technical experts from collaborating agencies.

A number of Virginia’s state agencies operate programs dedicated to promoting positive offender re-entry. Agencies listed in the current report include: Department of Corrections; Department of Correctional Education; Department of Criminal Justice Services; Department of Juvenile Justice; Department of Social Services; Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Department of Health; Department of Rehabilitative Services; Virginia Employment Commission, Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation and the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. This report also highlights the efforts of service providers across the state.

The Commonwealth is moving forward with strong re-entry initiatives and is making efforts to identify barriers that can be addressed through collaborative efforts and partnership within the state and local communities.

These re-entry efforts have been achieved during a period of significant budget cuts. With federal and state support, further progress is expected for 2011 in collaboration and program coordination among all stakeholder agencies.