Enhancement and expansion of community re-entry programs.

The Protecting Inmates and Safeguarding Communities Discretionary Grant Program was created as a result of the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (the Act), Public Law 108-79. The goal of the Act is to eradicate sexual assaults in all of the correctional facilities in this country, be they federal, state, or local in nature. Nevertheless, the statutory focus for this grant program is state and local correctional facilities. This program is divided into two parts: (1) Protecting Inmates and (2) Safeguarding Communities. The Protecting Inmates part focuses on providing funding to state and local agencies for the costs of personnel, training, technical assistance, and data collection in the areas of prevention, investigation, prosecution, and treatment of victims of inmate on inmate sexual assault in a correctional facility. The Safeguarding Communities component of the program focuses on assisting the states in developing and implementing strategies when making release decisions for sexual aggressors without compromising public safety and addressing the needs of the victims after release.

The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) will use the 2006 Protecting Inmates and Safeguarding Communities award to enhance the programs and strategies of their FY 2004 grant by adding three new areas of focus to include Alexandria, Lafayette, and Monroe to the existing Reentry Programs located in Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and New Orleans. The grantee proposes to restore and return inmates to communities with the support and ability to become contributing and productive members of society and become economic partners in the development and revitalization of the state through working with inmates while incarcerated, when released and while readjusting to community living.

Grant funds will be used to fund Case Management/Program Specialist staff and other related project costs in the expanded areas, providing nearly 20% more of released offenders with much needed reentry services. As an additional program enhancement, the DPS&C will contract with social service providers in the faith based and local communities to provide an array of services for offenders in need of additional support/training and counseling to aid in safe community reentry in the Baton Rouge and Shreveport communities.

CA/NCF