Jail-Based Services with Community Support to

Reduce Recidivism

National TASC Conference, Birmingham, ALMay 8th, 2014

Joseph Hodges, CASACProject 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 prison-to-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-to-community 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 jail-based 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 30-month 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