Virginia Prisoner Reentry Initiative (VPRI)

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 Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) will use the FY 2008 Prisoner Reentry Initiative supplemental award to fund the reentry efforts at two of seven pilot sites. The department will assess the effectiveness of transition strategies proposed by the Governor's Reentry Policy Academy, continue to assist the target population in achieving successful re-integration into the community, and ensure that re-integration is accomplished through a coordinated, multi-disciplinary service delivery model that provides release planning, access to appropriate services, case management oversight, and long-term follow-up services. In addition, the DCJS will continue to strengthen and improve the reentry infrastructure.

The department will also assist with the transition of targeted offenders returning to the cities of Richmond and Norfolk. Specifically, the state of Virginia will institute a jail-focused reentry initiative in the two areas of the state with the highest number of returning adult offenders, and will incorporate the umbrella councils established in the pilot sites by the Governor's Reentry Academy as the multi-disciplinary advisory group. Grant funds will cover personnel and fringe, contractual services (housing, subsidy, and transportation assistance), and a program evaluation.

CA/NCF