Stark County Re-Entry Court Initiative

The FY 2011 Second Chance Act State, Local, and Tribal Reentry Courts Program provides funding to states, units of local government, federally recognized Indian tribes (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior), and non-profit entities that target adult populations for the development, establishment, and enhancement of state, local, and tribal reentry courts, court programs, and specialized reentry court dockets that combine monitoring activities with comprehensive and coordinated services for formerly incarcerated individuals returning to their homes and communities. The overall goal is to increase accountability among returning ex-offenders and lower overall recidivism by addressing the criminogenic risks and needs of individual offenders through comprehensive assessments, treatment, services, programs, and monitoring, using evidence-based practices to steer programs. To achieve this goal, recipients are expected to engage target populations to increase program retention, enhance community involvement and support, and identify offender needs and respond with appropriate services before release, including the treatment of alcohol and other drug use and mental health issues, and assistance with housing, education, employment, and other needs. Programs will target adult offenders who plead guilty or are convicted on criminal offenses and released from jail or prison after serving a sentence term.

The Stark County Court of Common Pleas will use this grant to provide assistance to the Stark County Reentry Court (SCRC). SCRC assists individuals returning from incarceration to our community by providing transitional support with judicial oversight. Transitional support includes but is not limited to: assistance with employment and housing; connections to programs and services that provide mentoring, anger management, chemical dependency treatment, and sex offender treatment.

NCA/NCF

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 into communities and the subsequent challenges communities face as offenders attempt to reintegrate into society. The Second Chance Act State, Local, and Tribal Reentry Courts Grant Program provides funding to state and local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes for demonstration projects to promote the safe and successful reintegration into the community of individuals who have been incarcerated. Reentry courts are specialized courts that help reduce recidivism and improve public safety through the use of judicial oversight to apply graduated sanctions and positive reinforcement; to marshal resources to support the prisoner's reintegration; and to promote positive behavior by the returning prisoners. The goal of a reentry court is to establish a seamless system of offender accountability and support services throughout the reentry process. These courts may be implemented as part of an overall drug court program. Focused on the back-end of the criminal justice system, the reentry court should be designed to leverage partnerships between courts and corrections to facilitate successful offender reintegration. While reentry court approaches vary based on the laws and needs of a jurisdiction, the core components of a reentry court are standard and must include: 1) assessment and planning; 2) active oversight; 3) management of support services; 4) accountability; 5) graduated, swift-and-certain sanctions; and 6) rewards for success.

The Stark County Court of Common Pleas will utilize FY 2012 Second Chance Act funds to continue to operate the Stark County Reentry Court which assists individuals returning from incarceration by providing transitional support with judicial oversight.

NCA/NCF