RE-ENTRY PROGRAMS AND RURAL JAILS

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RE-ENTRY PROGRAMSAND RURAL JAILS

• Frank R. Hecht
• Corrections Administrator
• Tohono Oodham Nation

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RURAL/SMALL JAILS

• An Overview
• rural jails make up the majority of jails
• resources and funding is limited
• house federal inmates for funds
• staffing is difficult
• inmates poorly supervised
• inmate/inmate aslt.

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RURAL JAILS

• STAFFING contd
• suicide
• challenges of healthcare/related issues
• BUDGET
• patrol vs jail
• community expectations
• RURAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
• lacks resources
• slow adjudication process
• lacks referral resources
• cjs last to receive services

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WHY REENTRY PROGRAMS?

• Statistics
• 1000 offenders added weekly
• 2.6 increase from mid 2004/2005
• 33,500 gain in jail offenders
• Largest since 1997
• 4.7 increase compared to 1.6 state/fed.prisons
• 62 offenders in jail awaiting trial

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WHY REENTRY PROGRAMS?

• OPPORTUNITIES
• Substance abuse
• Limited/no education
• Mental illness
• Lack of housing
• Lack of basic living skills
• Gangs
• The list goes onbut this equals OPPORTUNITES

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WHY REENTRY PROGRAMS?

• BENEFITS
• Critical element of PUBLIC SAFETY
• Need more research
• Corrections facility
• Community
• Corrections Staff
• Offenders Family

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WHY REENTRY PROGRAMS?

• PRE-RELEASE
• Prepares offender
• System wide approach
• Reduces potential for conflict
• Assists in successful adjudication
• Provides for PUBLIC SAFETY
• Prepares family and offender
• Must start in the jail

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TYPES OF RE-ENTRY PROGRAMS

• PROGRAM DESIGN BASED UPON
• Local resources
• Community values/support
• CJS priorities
• Local community issues
• Jail crowding/challenges
• Funding
• Offenders pop/characteristics

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TYPES OF RE-ENTRY PROGRAMS

• TYPES OF PROGRAMS
• Work Release
• Day Reporting/Resource Center
• Pretrial Release Program
• SERVICES OFFERED
• Job Development
• Literacy/GED
• Family Preservation

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TYPES OF RE-ENTRY PROGRAMS

• SERVICES
• Parenting
• Substance Abuse
• Gang Resistance/Education
• Anger Management
• Healthcare/HIV education
• Drug testing
• Mental Health screening/Med.Mgmnt.

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TYPES OF RE-ENTRY PROGRAMS

• ESSENTIAL COMPONENT
• PUBLIC SAFETY
• Accountability
• Closely monitored
• Telephonic
• Field surv.
• Scheduling
• COMMUNICATION

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DESIGN COMPONENTS

• CRITICAL ELEMENTS
• PARTNERSHIPS
• Community Advisory Group
• People support what they help create
• Jail Liaison
• Program Costs
• Planning
• Program Evaluation

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DESIGN COMPONENTS

• CRITICAL ELEMENTS
• Funding
• Regional Jails
• Regional Re-entry/resource sharing
• COLLABORATIONCOOPERATION
• Provides for accountability
• Maximization of resources
• Accountability/Public safety
• Without it there will be no support

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DESIGN COMPONENTS

• LIMITS
• The only limits there are are those placed upon
• Ourselves
• Use your imagination
• REMEMBER
• You cant eat an elephant in one bite

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INDIAN COUNTRY JAILS

• INSPECTOR GENERALS REPORT
• Bia remiss in meeting their responsibilities in
  providing safe and secure detention services
• INDIAN COUNTRY JAILS
• Majority rural/vastly rural/isolated
• History of neglect/little-no funding

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INDIAN COUNTRY JAILS

• TYPES
• Bureau/Tribal/PL-638 Operated
• Adult and Juv. or combined
• Share some of the same challenges as other rural
  jails across America
• RE-ENTRY PROGRAMS
• For the most part they dont exist
• restorative justice model
• NEED TO EDUCATE/ADVOCATE

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• CONDUCT RESEARCH/SURVEYS
• AJA/NSA/ACA
• EDUCATE
• ASSOCIATION CONFERENCES
• NATIONAL/LOCAL
• STATE JUDICIARY MEETINGS
• ASSOCIATION PUBLICATIONS
• DOJ/NIC/BJA PUBLICATIONS

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• REGIONALIZATION
• PROMOTE REGIONAL RESOURCE CENTERS
• Include Indian Country Corrections

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CONCLUSION

• WE CANT JUST WAREHOUSE PEOPLE
• REMEMBER
• THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DONT HAVE THE BEST OF
  EVERYTHING
• THEY MAKE THE BEST OF EVERYTHING THEY HAVE