Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2008, $540,000)
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. In FY 2008, BJA will again coordinate the PRI Program with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The design of the FY 2008 PRI Program is structured to work in conjunction with a DOL-selected faith ' or community-based organization (FBCO).
The Missouri Department of Corrections will use its FY 2008 Prisoner Reentry Initiative (PRI) grant funds to implement the Missouri Reentry Process (MRP) for ex-offenders returning to the Springfield metro area. The MRP will reduce recidivism, increase public safety, and foster partnerships with community providers and stakeholders for at least 200 ex-offenders. The grantee will contract with a Faith-Based and/or Community Organization to provide a variety of post-release services, including mental health and substance abuse treatment, housing, job training, and transportation.
A multi-disciplinary PRI Advisory Group will collect baseline data and assess current pre- and post-release services available, as well as develop an implementation plan. The Advisory Group also will develop and implement offender screening and assessment processes using the current dynamic risk and needs assessment tools. In addition, the University of Missouri will conduct a longitudinal evaluation that assesses offenders' attitudes and perceptions, along with actual experiences regarding the reentry process.
CA/NCF