June 2010 National Reentry Resource Center Newsletter
Feature
U.S. House of Representatives Considers Collateral Consequences to Criminal Convictions
On Wednesday, June 9, 2010, the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security held a hearing on "Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions: Barriers to Reentry for the Formerly Incarcerated." The committee, chaired by Representative Bobby Scott (VA-03), heard from the following witnesses:
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Marc Mauer, Executive Director, The Sentencing Project, Washington, DC
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Maurice Emsellem, Policy Co-Director,
National Employment Law Project, Oakland, CA
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Calvin Moore, DC Employment Justice
Center, Washington, DC
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Richard A. Lewis, Fellow, ICF
International, Fairfax, VA
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Pamela K. Lattimore, Ph.D., Principal
Scientist, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
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Richard T. Cassidy, Chairman, Drafting
Committee on Uniform Collateral Consequences of Conviction Act, Uniform Law Commission, Chicago, IL
At the hearing, Chairman Scott announced the introduction of H.R. 5300, the “Fairness and Accuracy in Employment
Background Checks Act,” which would require the FBI to track down and update old and incomplete arrest information
before it is released for employment screening purposes. The bill would also ensure that individuals subject to a
criminal background check for employment have the right to receive a copy of their criminal record and provide
procedures for workers to challenge inaccurate records. More information about H.R. 5300 is available from the National Employment Law Project.
To read more, please click here.
Second Chance Act Grantee Profile
Occasionally, the Justice Center will spotlight a state, local government, or nonprofit organization that has received funding through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Second Chance Act Grant Program.
Grantee: Florida Department of Corrections
Grantee Type: Adult Demonstration
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Program Name: Offenders About to Reenter Society (OARS)
Program Summary
The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), acting under the philosophy that successful reentry begins at reception, has partnered with the City of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to coordinate their Offenders About to Reenter Society (OARS) reentry program that will facilitate a seamless transition from incarceration back into the community of Jacksonville. In the OARS program, Baker Correctional Institution and Lowell Correctional Institution have been chosen as specially designated pilot sites for the OARS program. Program participants will receive a wealth of treatment and transition preparation services during their time in their respective facilities. Both FDC reentry case managers and community case managers from the Jacksonville Reentry Enhancement Center (JREC) will work with participants to identify the appropriate services required to address the participants’ needs and risks, where needs and risks are determined by the LSI-R, CareerScope 9.0 and DSSI among other screening and assessment tools. As participants near release, the JREC case manager will work with each individual participant to determine which community-based services will best address the participant’s needs. Upon transition into the Jacksonville community, participants are released directly to JREC. JREC serves as a portal for service referrals and assistance, helping people who are returning home navigate their way through successful reentry. At JREC, the community case managers will work to ensure that the participants are receiving the services previously identified, and likewise continue to refer participants to services as their needs and goals change.
To learn more about the Florida Department of Corrections Re-Entry efforts, please visit: www.dc.state.fl.us. To learn more about the Jacksonville Reentry Enhancement Center, please visit: http://www.coj.net/Departments/Sheriffs+Office/Jacksonville+Reentry+Center+(JREC).htm.
Announcements & Events
The "H.O.P.E." Training Conference & Expo will be filled with information, encouragement, and instruction for the families and citizens that have returned from being incarcerated.
The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) National Conference on Ending Homelessness will be held at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, July 12-14th. Click here for more information.
The Crime and Justice Institute at Community Resources for Justice and the National Institute of Corrections recently released a comprehensive eight part series of papers known as the Box Set, available for free download. The Crime and Justice Institute will be hosting a series of webinars to give people in the field the opportunity to learn more about each document from the researchers, authors, policy makers, and criminal justice professionals who are doing this work.
On July 26, 2010, in Chicago, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is hosting their 4th National Conference on Women, Addiction, and Recovery: Thriving in Changing Times. The conference will emphasize family-centered approaches and children, critical issues of the day, specific populations of women, and gender-responsive practices.
As budgets dwindle, addressing chronic problems facing communities is more challenging. Leaders at all levels of government are relying on evidence-based policies and practices to establish funding priorities. The 2010 National Forum will convene leaders from state, tribal, and local governments and the private sector to work collaboratively in navigating the choppy waters of improving community safety and find the most effective course of evidence-based policies and practices on which they can sail toward success.
The Crime and Justice Institute at Community Resources for Justice and the National Institute of Corrections recently released a comprehensive eight-part series of papers known as the Box Set, available for free download. The Crime and Justice Institute will be hosting a series of webinars for people in the field to learn more about each document from the researchers, authors, policy makers, and criminal justice professionals who are engaged in this work.
The American Probation and Parole Association is hosting the 35th Annual Training Institute, a training conference for community corrections professionals in the United States and abroad.
The Crime and Justice Institute at Community Resources for Justice and the National Institute of Corrections recently released a comprehensive eight part series of papers known as the Box Set, available for free download. The Crime and Justice Institute will be hosting a series of webinars to give people in the field the opportunity to learn more about each document from the researchers, authors, policy makers, and criminal justice professionals who are doing this work.
The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) at Georgetown University holds a weeklong certificate program of intensive study for private sector leaders, from October 22-28, 2010, that focuses on policies, programs and practices related to children and youth who are known to multiple systems of care, particularly juvenile justice and child welfare.
On October 31, 2010, the International Community Corrections Association will host its 18th Annual Research Conference, "What Works: How To Get It Done," which focuses on the application of research to practice.
Publications
The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) is pleased to make available the 2010 National Edition of Between the Lines: A Question and Answer Guide on Legal Issues in Supportive Housing. Much has changed since the publication of the 2001 edition of the CSH Between the Lines Guide, as more communities have embraced permanent supportive housing as the model for reducing homelessness among populations vulnerable to housing instability. The law has changed as well, often attempting to catch up with this trend. CSH engaged 2001 Between the Lines authors Goldfarb & Lipman, L.L.P., to draft an updated version of the Guide to address these changes in the law and to update readers on new interpretations of previously referenced laws. The Appendices to the Guide are extensive, and include a full glossary of legal terms, clarification of reasonable accommodation requirements, and legal definitions. As with the previous edition of the Guide, CSH hopes readers will use the Guide to further the CSH goal of creating stable housing for homeless individuals and families. You can find the Guide on the CSH Publications page.
In November 2006, CSH asked the Urban Institute (UI) to assess the process of system change stimulated by RHI activities in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, the three communities that received significant RHI investment. This brief summarizes the influence of RHI-funded activities in these three communities based on three site visits to each of these cities. It focuses on changes in system functioning and agency interactions that have come about at least in part through the work of CSH staff funded with RHI resources. In addition, the brief identifies lessons learned from RHI to date and provides a summary of the influence of RHI activities on system change. A more detailed report of system change activities overall and in each site will follow in early 2010.
The US Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) and key members of the Obama Administration’s Cabinet recently unveiled the first-ever comprehensive federal plan to combat homelessness in America. Presenting at the announcement were USICH Executive Director Barbara Poppe, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. Under the auspices of the USICH, "Opening Doors: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness" will have far-reaching impacts on policies and programs designed to help the homeless.
On June 16, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released the 2009 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. According to the fifth annual report, levels of homelessness in the United States stayed essentially the same between 2008 and 2009. Data showed a 10 percent reduction among people experiencing chronic homelessness, but a rise in the number of families seeking shelter.
This report details Baltimore’s complex system of city policing practices and court and bail processes that contribute to a high percentage of city residents being detained in the jail, often unnecessarily. The report also examines the backlog of cases in the court system, which has further contributed to people being held pre-trial for extended periods of time. The report recommends that by implementing effective solutions to reduce the number of people in the current jail, money could be re-directed toward services like education, employment support and treatment. These services should be available for people before they come into contact with the justice system as well as for those re-entering their communities after being released from the jail.
Reentry in the News
Articles from newspapers around the country covering reentry issues can be found on the National Reentry Resource Center website. Some recent headlines from the homepage are posted below.
6/27/10 — "Cincinnati City Council member Charlie Winburn calls it a chance for the city to lead. In August, Winburn and his colleagues will vote on a change in city hiring policy that is fair, forward thinking, humane and smart on crime. The move, expected to pass easily, supports city efforts to consider job applicants without being pre-empted by their past criminal record."
6/27/10 — "About 41 percent of all offenders released from the Montana State Prison or women's prison end up back behind bars within three years. Many in Gallatin County are working to turn that trend around by supporting community corrections programs that help offenders change their behaviors and learn new skills to help them succeed outside of prison."
6/25/10 — "In a turnabout from where he previously stood on the expungement of criminal records, Governor Carcieri allowed a bill to become law, without his signature, at 12:01 a.m. on Friday that will remove from public view any record of cases in which an admitted criminal has been given a deferred sentence and then stayed out of trouble for five years."
6/20/10 — "People imprisoned for probation violations will be freed if they are cleared of the charge that led to their being sent back to prison under a new law Governor Carcieri allowed to take effect without his signature. The governor’s decision this month capped a four-year effort by supporters to change what they said was an inequity in the state’s probation system, one that they said led to people who were found not guilty of crimes, in effect, serving time for them."
6/23/10 — "The city of Memphis will eliminate the requirement that potential employees list their criminal history on a job application."
6/21/10 — "The federal agency tasked with supervising parolees as they reintegrate into the District has launched an aggressive media campaign that asks area business leaders to articulate what it will take for them to hire offenders."
6/18/10 — "Around the country, states are rethinking restrictions on work, aid and housing that punish people who have already done their time."
6/23/10 — "Derek Mullen recently got married. A June wedding is not an unusual event, but Derek took a longer path than more men do in walking down the aisle. Mullen spent 15 years in prison, a variety of theft and fraud convictions to support his drug habit. He was one of the first graduates of the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative, or MPRI. It's a program now several years old that helps ex-offenders prepare for and manage their reentry into the world outside the prison walls."
6/23/10 — "Once a week in Sacramento, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's parole division holds a Parole and Community Team meeting, which is mandatory for parolees just released from prison. There, newly released parolees are introduced to a smorgasbord of nonprofit agencies that provide resources including housing, employment, educational opportunities, substance abuse and anger management counseling."
5/30/10 — "State parole officials are scaling back oversight for thousands of felons, bumping them to supervision levels that require nothing more than mail-in forms — or even a new level that includes no formal supervision at all."