News - Reentry Programs

Recidivism: Inmates try to break trends - Reentry Programs
By Susan LaFargue Kyle - Email at Sulphur Daily News site - November 2nd, 2011

Department of Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc is optimistic about the project. Participants receive GED opportunities, values development, job skills training, and substance abuse treatment prior to their release. LeBlanc is passionate in his defense of the program.

New facility built to counter habitual crime - Reentry Programs
By Michael Doughty - Email at mdoughty@gannett.com - October 28th, 2011

The ranch works closely with vo-tech to provide educational and professional training, and the counselors use atypical methods to reach the former inmates.

New credit system aims to reduce repeat offenders - Reentry Programs
By Keith M. Phaneuf - Email at kphaneuf@ctmirror.org - November 4th, 2011

"The goal of this is simple: When you get out of jail, we want to make it less likely that you're going to go back."

Inside the MT Women's Prison: Preparing for Reentry - Reentry Programs
By Brittany Wooley - Email at KAJL8 website - November 4th, 2011

An MSU-Billings program, 'New Path, New Life', helps train and mentor prisoners, focusing on housing, employment and relationships. Women also have the opportunity to get their GED, take college courses, or participate in a vocational education program while in prison.

Prisoner re-entry program receives $4M in grants - Reentry Programs
By Blade Staff - Email at Toledo Blade website - October 10th, 2011

Ron Tijerina, Ridge Project Director, said the funding will allow the organization to serve about 10 times as many clients a year.

Rapid arraignments/intervention program shows progress after one year - Reentry Programs
By Matt Ryan - Email mryan@burlingtonfreepress.com - October 9th, 2011

Although that beats the Department of Corrections’ recidivism rate of about 52 percent, Donovan cautions that it’s only been a year. Corrections bases its recidivism rate on a three-year cycle.

When the past wont stay in the past - Reentry Programs
By Kathryn Skelton - kskelton@sunjournal.com - Sept 18, 2011

Criminal records pose an extra challenge to finding jobs in a challenging economy.

Wolk says Solano County ready for inmate reentry - Reentry Programs
By Catherine Bowen - Email cbowen@thereporter.com - September 16th, 2011

It does not simply dump prisoners into the community, she noted, but rather changes the method by which they are returned to prison, with many being rerouted to county jails.

Entrepreneurial program helps former convicts to rise up - Reentry Programs
By Jason Cato - Email jcato@triweb.com - September 12th, 2011

Vincent Bostic is on the verge of running his own company instead of running with the wrong crowd.

Convicted Criminals Getting New Hope Through Mentoring Program - Reentry Programs
By Staff - Email from Website - September 6th, 2011

Marion, Ohio - Dozens of prisoners took part in a ceremony on Sunday that recognized them for taking part in a six-month mentoring program.

Allen County using new model to judge criminals' risks, needs - Reentry Programs
By Ellie Bogue - Email ebogue@news-sentinel.com - September 6th, 2011

Allen County's judicial branch now has a new set of tools to assess the needs and risks of offenders, with the ultimate goal of reducing recidivism.

Nonprofit educates, empowers women behind bars - Reentry Programs
By Christina Rosales - Email at website - August 29, 2011

The inmates listen to one another in a safe space and, in effect, build their own community. They are given the opportunity to nurture and be nurtured - and they help one another on their difficult journeys to sobriety and safety.

Mentor program helps inmates at Norfolk County jail prepare for life on the outside - Reentry Programs
By Dave Eisenstadter - Email at website - August 12, 2011

Inside the locked doors of the Norfolk County jail, volunteers with a new mentorship program hope they are the key to lead repeat offenders to productive lives.

Sacred and secular working to fight crime - Reentry Programs
By Byron R. Johnson - Email at website - August 22, 2011

It stands to reason that our best hope for providing holistic interventions necessary to combat social problems like crime is to encourage partnerships between secular and sacred entities.

TDOC Re-entry Program Helps Change Lives - Reentry Programs
By Rodney Dunigan - Email at News Channel 5 website - July 25, 2011

Genesis is a three phase approach that focuses on among other things, community service and employment .

Innovative Policies & Foresight at the Montana Department of Corrections - Reentry Programs
By Bob Anez - Email at Corrections.com Website - July 18, 2011

The recent national recession has prompted corrections systems to look at ways to reduce their prison populations as a way to save money, relieve overcrowding or both.

New corrections director says re-entry initiative, cutting prison population are important. - Reentry Programs
By Jeff Gerritt - Email at gerritt@freepress.com - July 16th, 2011

"It's easy for people to talk about getting tough on crime and throwing away the key, but the reality is we have to do a better job of turning people's lives around".

Organizaion helps incarcerated women - Reentry Programs
By Peggy Laizure - email from website - July 14, 2011

NORMAN — Oklahoma continues to lead the nation in incarceration of women.

Parolees First to Graduate Re-entry Program - Reentry Programs
By Thy Vo - Email at independent.com website - July 5, 2011

Day Reporting Center Offers Assistance to Ex-cons

A healthy addiction for next steps in life - Reentry Programs
By Barb Berggoetz - barb.berggoetz@indystar.com - July 5, 2011

Besides the running program, Back on My Feet offers financial literacy courses and mentoring.

He helps imprisoned mentally ill - Reentry Programs
By Andria Simmons - Email from ajc.com website - July 3, 2011

Nationally, one-fifth of inmates suffer from serious or persistent mental illness, which makes collaborating with law enforcement an important part of NAMI’s mission.

Mentoring program helps women serving time - Reentry Programs
By Maryalice Gill - Email mgill@nashuatelegraph.com - June 22, 2011

Good Bridges is a mentoring program that helps Nashua, Manchester and Concord women with criminal backgrounds find work and transition back into their community.

Ex-cons find help re-entering society with new Bronx community program - Reentry Programs
By Corinne Lestch - Email at Daily News Website - June 14, 2011

The immediate goal of the fledgling group is to give the estimated 128,000 former prisoners living in the borough a forum to discuss future plans and find organizations that can help them transition back into society.

Support group gives Hope to female former inmates - Reentry Programs
By Tasha Kates - Email tkates@dailyprogress.com - June 13, 2011

A new support group has been formed for women who have spent time in jail or prison.

Authorities tout neighborhood anti-violence program - Reentry Programs
By Mark Schlachtenhaufen - Email marks@edmondsun.com - June 16, 2011

EDMOND — Federal, state and local authorities Thursday announced a new collaborative effort to address recidivism and prisoner re-entry to normal life.

Fluvanna women inmates' re-entry program seeks volunteers - Reentry Programs
By Tasha Kates - Email tkates@dailyprogress.com - June 11, 2011

A new re-entry initiative for inmates at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women is looking for volunteers to prepare the outgoing prisoners for life beyond bars.

Rehabilitation requires a job and a place to live - Reentry Programs
By Chris Powell - Email from journalinquirer.com website - June 4, 2011

The criminal justice approach to the drug problem has plainly failed; drug abuse is as prevalent as ever and this approach serves only as an employment program for police, prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges, probation officers, and prison guards.

What Works in Corrections: Retooling Offender Reentry - Reentry Program
By Daniel Patrick Downen- Email from corrections.com website - May 30, 2011

In its infancy, Parole was designed to address these challenges of offender reentry. Unfortunately, Parole has evolved in most departments as simply a community surveillance arm of DOC and does nothing towards the goal of successful reentry and recidivism reduction.

John Wetzel, new secretary of corrections, wants to change the way Pennsylvania handles prisons - Reentry Programs
By Donald Gilliland - dgilliland@patriot-news.com - May 29, 2011

New Secretary of Corrections John Wetzel isn’t your standard political appointee.

Indiana Program Seeks to Reduce Recidivism - Reentry Program
By Staff- Email from News and Tribune website - May 22, 2011

"When I see someone working hard to turn their life around, I like to give a little push because we all benefit," Gray said.

They all Come Home - Reentry Programs
By Editor - Email at Economist Website - April 20, 2011

Unless they are offered a good re-entry programme, prospects are bleak for those returning home.

70% of state's released inmates return to prison, but San Mateo County program combats stat - Reentry Programs
By Erik Silk - Email from penipress.com website - March 23, 2011

The national recidivism figure is slightly less, at 67.5 percent, but that figure is heavily influenced by California’s statistics.

Restorative Justice Project Offering Training for Waldo County Volunteers - Reentry Programs
By The Free Press - www.rjpmidcoast.org - March 21, 2011

Maine - The Restorative Justice Project (RJP) of the Midcoast is recruiting volunteer mentors from Waldo County to work with individuals who are about to be released from Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center, the former Waldo County Jail located in Belfast.

Prisoner Re-Entry Goes Hyperlocal - Reentry Programs
By Allan Appel - Email From Website - Feb 25, 2011

Since his release from prison in November after four years on drug charges, Stephen Carmichael has found only part-time landscaping and snow-shoveling work. With help from a prison re-entry program, he might be headed back to full-time work as a chef.

Prisoner Reentry - Reentry Programs
BY Lucky Severson - Email From pbs.org Website -Feb 18, 2011

Judge Steven Alm started the nationally recognized Project HOPE, a program for probation violators that has cut recidivism rates in half.

Budget cuts slice programs for ex-inmates - Reentry Programs
By Kevin Johnson - Email from USA Today Website - Feb 9, 2011

Cuts in probation and parole programs to reconcile state budget deficits could undermine recent successes in shrinking bloated prison populations, criminal justice officials say.

Criminal justice grants get easier - Reentry Programs
By Editor - Email from Delaware Online website - Feb 14, 2011

Delaware - On Monday, Lt. Gov. Matt Denn and Delaware's Criminal Justice Council unveiled the plan of mini-grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 for organizations involved in preventing crime and reducing recidivism.

Network sought for ex-offender re-entry plan - Reentry Programs
By Steve Knight - reporter3@trcle.com - Feb 4, 2011

A Venus ministry needs help to start a county-wide coalition that would assist ex-offenders re-enter the community.

For Federal Programs, a Taste of Market Discipline - Reentry Programs
By David Leonhardt - leonhardt@nytimes.com - Feb 8, 2011

Wouldn’t it be nice if taxpayers could somehow get a refund for government programs that didn’t work?

LA jail education program reduces recidivism - Reentry Programs
By Carlos Granda - Email from web site - December 28, 2010

CASTAIC, Calif. (KABC) -- A program to educate inmates in the L.A. County jails is showing dramatic results when they return to society.

RHD ex-offenders project slashes recidivism - Reentry Programs
Submitted by Kevin Roberts - kevinr@rhd.org - December 28, 2010

Brothers' Keepers turns upside down the rate at which those with criminal backgrounds return to jail.

Throwing out a lifeline to former inmates - Reentry Programs
By Thyrie Bland - tbland@pnj.com - December 27, 2010

U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers is the driving force behind the program. "As a judge, I feel a responsibility in terms of rehabilitation after these people have completed their sentence to do what we can to assist them in moving forward in a positive way," she said.

Commissioners OK plan to help people find jobs after leaving prison - Reentry Program, Employment
By LARISSA GRAHAM - lgraham@lufkindailynews.com - December 15, 2010

Angelina County commissioners on Tuesday approved a partnership that will help former inmates find jobs once they are released from prison.

NY Targets Recidivism Through Enhanced Addiction Services in Prisons - Reentry Program
By OASAS - www.oasas.state.ny.us - November 19, 2010

NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today presented Department of Correctional Services Commissioner Brian Fischer with specialized addiction services operating certificates for five correctional facilities, furthering the partnership between the two agencies to address the addiction problems in the state's prison population. Appearing with the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske, at the New York City Drug Court Conference, Commissioners Carpenter-Palumbo and Fischer were congratulated by Director Kerlikowske for New York's leadership in collaborating to address addiction and public safety. "I commend Commissioners Carpenter-Palumbo and Fischer for their collaboration in improving quality addiction treatment behind the walls of New York's correctional facilities," said Director Kerlikowske. "By recognizing addiction as a disease and using evidence-based treatment practices, this partnership will help break the cycle of drug use, crime and incarceration, and improve both public safety and public health."

New Federal Cash Keeps Re-Entry Effort In Business - Reentry Program
By Melinda Tuhu - no email - November 17, 2010

Without access to services, about two-thirds of those leaving prison will return within a couple of years. So the program was set up to help the 25 people a week returning to New Haven from prison, but also to make the city safer, since in the majority of homicides in New Haven, both victim and perpetrator are ex-felons. The program was created to serve people like Mark Maltese,who said he spent 35 of his 55 years in prison for drug-related offenses. When he got out he had nothing. Now, thanks to the program, he has an apartment, furniture, and a new job at the University of New Haven. He said when he wasn’t incarcerated he worked doing manual labor. Kemp helped him create a resume to land a job using skills he acquired in prison. “In prison I worked in the kitchens,” Maltese said, “but I didn’t have jobs in restaurants. And this here [job] is restaurant-related, in the cafeteria of the college.” “If it weren’t for them I’d be sleeping on the Green right now, with no job, no nothin’.” He added that he’s sick and tired of prison and is determined to never return. She said the city’s Ban the Box ordinance, which allows a criminal background check on a potential employee only after a conditional offer of employment has been made, has helped reduce stigma and almost certainly led to more ex-felons being hired, though it’s hard to know for sure since there are many factors involved in whether applicants do or don’t get hired.

Phoenix program meant to decrease number of inmates coming back to jail - Reentry Program
By Kathleen Thurber - kthurber@mrt.com - November 17, 2010

In an effort to reduce its nearly 85 percent recidivism rate among inmates, Midland County announced Wednesday it's launching an education and workforce training program in January.
Known as the Phoenix Program, the initiative will allow judges to sentence low-risk criminals to the program as part of their time served, Sheriff Gary Painter said. The program was approved in 2009 by county commissioners and has been in the works since, County Judge Mike Bradford said. "It helps us get jail beds released ... puts them into a program that hopefully helps keep them from coming back," Painter said.
The program will be broken into several tiers that include everything from just education to education and community service to workforce training to a work release program, said Gary Saurage, a consultant with Carl R. Griffith & Associates, Inc. who has helped put the program together over the past about 18 months.

'Inmates with Talent' show in the works - Reentry Program
By United Press International - No Email - September 9, 2010

The show features singers, comedians and spoken-word artists who entertain fellow inmates by staging a talent contest. "'Inmates with Talent' is certainly very entertaining, but it goes much deeper than that. Doin' Time Entertainment's objective of reducing recidivism through its unique and comedic interactions with offenders is key here, and we're pleased to allow them to continue their efforts," Commissioner Edwin G. Buss of the Indiana Department of Correction said in a statement.

County hopes to do better job of transitioning criminals - Reentry Program
By Rachel Cavanaugh - rcavanaugh@woodburnindependent.com - August 13, 2010

The SOAR program (Student Opportunity for Achieving Results), which kicked off earlier this year, offers four distinct services — drug and alcohol treatment, housing assistance, employment assistance and cognitive programming. Each is aimed at helping criminal offenders make a smoother transition after their release. According to Jeff Wood, Patrol and Probation Division commander for Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the goal is to stop them from committing another crime and going back to jail or prison.

Community-Based Programs Yield Treatment Success for Sex Offenders - Reentry Program
By Anja Mitrovic - anja@instituteforsexualwellness.org - August 11, 2010

Dr. Sorrentino estimates that the total monthly cost of typical treatment provided by ISW is approximately $225, much of which is covered by health insurance. Beyond serving as an effective means for the reduction of offender recidivism, another benefit of community-based programs is an opportunity to reintegrate offenders into the community under extremely close supervision on multiple levels. "A long jail sentence may seem like the best approach to public safety when dealing with sex offenders, but without appropriate, ongoing treatment, the risk of re-offense upon release is significant," said Dr. Sorrentino.

Local organization helps ex-offenders get on the right track. - Reentry Program
By Jim Phaedra Laird - plaird@nbc40.net - August 11, 2010

Nearly three-dozen local agencies were honored yesterday for helping reduce recidivism rates in Atlantic county, and today we take a closer look at one of the programs. It's all about getting ex-offenders on the right track, and it starts with employment. It's all about giving ex-offenders another shot at Career Opportunity Development, Inc., an organization that gives them the tools they need to re-enter society as contributing members. "I've been home ten days, I have a job," said Victoria Swinton, during group session, "it shows I have motivation within myself". He then completed three months of temporary work at the Goodwill's recycling center.

Lamont counts on second chances to bring change - Reentry Program
By Ken Dixon - kendixon@newstimes.com - August 5, 2010

Ned Lamont is thinking about the cost of the state's prisons and its revolving door of crime, justice, incarceration and recidivism. He's inside the nondescript Main Street storefront of Family ReEntry Inc., in a room with discarded and impounded bicycles, which volunteers and ex-convicts fix and give to people who need them to get to work. For about $5,000 per ex-inmate as part of a contract with the state Department of Correction, they have been reducing recidivism by more than 50 percent, in contrast to the $30,000 it costs each year to keep a prisoner -- there are 18,431 inmates -- behind bars.

Elderly parolees get help in reintegrating - Reentry Program
By Kirk Mitchell - kmitchell@denverpost.com - August 3, 2010

By the time Habe Lawson was released from prison in 2002, he had spent 50 years incarcerated. He was too old to start over but too young to just fade away. "It can be a living hell living on the streets," said Lawson, now 73. "You feel alone. At one point, I asked my parole officer to send me back to prison."

From practicing law to changing it - Former attorney and convicted felon works to give ex-offenders a second chance - Reentry Program
By Dawn Turner Trice - dtrice@tribune.com - August 1, 2010

Sweig stresses that studies show employment reduces criminal recidivism. He traveled to Springfield 13 times to advocate for the changes to the law that allows for the certificate of good conduct. He believes the program promotes rehabilitation by forcing the ex-offender to talk about his or her life changes before a circuit judge. The person has to prove a second chance has been earned.