Community-based Reentry Program for High Risk to recidivate men and women

Chance for Change, in collaboration with the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections, the Sebastian County jail, Fort Smith Adult Education, and Business Network International, will reduce criminal recidivism rates in Arkansas by assisting medium and high-risk offenders in Sebastian County in their reentry into society following release from the Sebastian County jail. This will be accomplished through an employment-focused, community-based comprehensive recidivism reduction plan to address the challenges parolees face at each step of the reentry process.

This grant will profoundly impact approximately 200 justice-involved men and women from Sebastian County, Arkansas. Currently, the baseline criminal recidivism rate in Sebastian and Crawford Counties is 56.3 percent; however, the rate for the “high risk to recidivate” clients served is near 70 percent. The program aims to significantly reduce recidivism for “high risk to recidivate” men and women by at least 16 percent, offering them a chance at a better future.

The program will begin with the Sebastian County jail administrator identifying and referring medium- to high-risk individuals to participate. The jail administration deploys the Proxy assessment and the Arkansas Offender Risk Assessment, both empirically validated risk assessment tools. Once screened and enrolled into the program, each individual will engage with the program manager and peer support specialists to develop a comprehensive case and treatment plan.