Bridging the Reentry Divide through Capacity Building

The Prisoner Reentry Initiative (PRI) is designed to provide funding to state units of government to develop and implement institutional and community corrections-based offender reentry programs. The PRI strengthens urban communities characterized by large numbers of returning offenders. The PRI is designed to reduce recidivism by helping returning offenders find work and assess other critical services in their communities. The PRI supports strategies to deliver pre- and post-release assessments and services, and to develop transition plans in collaboration with other justice and community-based agencies and providers for supervised and non-supervised offenders.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections will use its award to build capacity for successful offender reentry through increasing offender accountability, engaging employers and business organizations, linking community services, and furthering statewide systems change. This initiative involves a three-fold strategy of 1) a cross-system transition plan for reentry participants that bridges services allowing for single points of contact to monitor offender progress; 2) community employer buy-in using a restorative justice model that brings together ex-offenders, satisfied employers of ex-offenders, and potential new employers to discuss and promote positive experiences; and 3) the structuring and enhancement of system changes at the MN Department of Corrections and state levels. These collaborative efforts involve state agencies, county corrections, county human service agencies, faith based and community based organizations.

CA/NCF