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 Wisconsin Department of Corrections (WIDOC), in partnership with the Rock County Human Services Administration, sheriff and police departments, community and faith-based organizations, and the County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, will use its FY 2008 PRI grant to implement the DOJ-Prisoner Reentry Initiative (PRI), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) selected faith- or community-based organization (FBCO). The PRI demonstration project is a collaborative effort, building upon current innovative offender reentry initiatives underway in Rock County, a high need urban area in Wisconsin.
The purpose of the project is to establish a pre- and post-release service delivery model that will include conducting comprehensive risk and needs assessments, individualized transition plans, pre- and post-release services and supervision for two distinct offender populations: 100 higher risk/high need and 100 non-violent/non-assaultive offenders who will be released from the WIDOC and the Rock County Jail (RCJ) to the Rock County communities. The principal goal of this project is to improve transition planning, continuity of programming and systems coordination from confinement through transition to the community, and to ensure public safety by offering a continuum of services to decrease the likelihood of criminal behavior.
Thirty percent (30%) of the total grant funds will be sub-awarded to the DOL selected FBCO to provide post-release services. Eighty percent (80%) of the remaining grant funds will be dedicated for both pre- and post-release services for both target populations. The grant funds will be awarded consistent with State procurement rules to select the most qualified FBCO(s). Approximately 10% of the total grant funds will be used for project oversight, monitoring, information collection and coordination with the DOL selected FBCO and evaluation activities.
CA/NCF