Miami Valley Reentry Initiative

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of people who are released from prison and jail and returning to communities. There are currently over 2.3 million individuals serving time in federal and state prisons, and millions of people cycling through local jails every year. Ninety-five percent of all prisoners incarcerated today will eventually be released and will return to communities. The Second Chance Act will help ensure the transition individuals make from prison or jail to the community is safe and successful. Section 211 of the Act authorizes grants to nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Indian tribes that may be used for mentoring projects to promote the safe and successful reintegration into the community of individuals who have been incarcerated.

The Second Chance Act grant programs are designed to strengthen jurisdictions characterized by large numbers of returning offenders. 'Reentry' is not envisioned to be a specific program but rather an evidence-based process that begins with initial incarceration and ends with successful community reintegration, indicated by lack of recidivism. Per the Second Chance Act, funded mentoring projects should use validated and dynamic assessment tools to determine the risks and needs of offenders included in the project's target population. Program components must include mentoring adult offenders during incarceration, through transition back to the community, and post-release; transitional services to assist in the reintegration of offenders into the community; and training regarding offender and victims issues. Applicant agencies/organizations are expected to demonstrate their capability to deliver or broker the provision of transitional services proposed to be offered in conjunction with the core mentoring component. Examples of 'transitional services' designed to increase success in reentry and thus reduce recidivism might include the establishment of a pre-release mentoring relationship, housing, education, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, services to enhance family reunification, job training and readiness, and post-release case management.

The Dayton Northwest Weed and Seed Initiative, under fiscal management of Spirit of Peace CDC, will use the FY 2009 Second Chance Act Mentoring Grants to Nonprofit Organizations funds to operate Spirit of Peace Community Development Corporation, Miami Valley Reentry Initiative (MVRI). MVRI will provide reunification counseling as well as intensive case management and employment assistance to prevent recidivism of the offender. The intent of the program will be to stabilize the family unit, provide job coaching, counseling, training, and trained volunteer mentors. MVRI is a State funded evidence-based reentry program designed to provide holistic case management, job search and training services to inmates (pre-release) and to ex-offenders (post-release) in order to assist them in a successful transition back to their communities. This innovative approach helps improve and strengthen the Criminal Justice System by combining pre- and post-release programming with comprehensive wraparound services from community providers - bridging the gap that each ex-offender experiences when released. The target population includes male and female adult offenders, 18 years and older. The MVRI represents a successful coalition of government agencies and faith-based and community providers that provide a continuum of services. The services are based on the individual's risk and need assessment and start with pre-release and continue post-release, as a designated component of the inmate's Community Reentry Management Team (CRMT).

CA/NCF