Secure Approaches For Effective Reentry-Oklahoma (SAFER Oklahoma)

The Second Chance Act Prisoner Reentry Initiative 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. Funded demonstration projects will use validated and dynamic assessment tools to determine the risks and needs of offenders. Projects will provide offenders in prisons or jails with all necessary services to facilitate reentry into the community. In addition, funded projects will develop procedures to ensure that dangerous felons are not released from prison prematurely and provide services that address treatment needs and protect communities against dangerous offenders.

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) will continue to provide services to high-risk/need male offenders within 12 to 18 months of discharge who are placed at a community corrections facility in Oklahoma City. In conjunction with partner agencies and community support entities, the ODOC will continue to utilize a community corrections facility located in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area to house the offenders. Services provided will address criminogenic risk and needs through prerelease programming, wraparound transition planning, prerelease involvement by probation & parole staff, and post-release follow-up and services.

The primary goal of the project remains focused on improving reentry by linking offenders to local community and social support systems prior to release in order to reduce recidivism for the target population compared to a matched sample. Additional goals include thorough evaluation of program effectiveness, increased successful placement of discharged offenders in treatment programs, housing, and employment, increased offender pro-social attitudes and perception of the transitional process and its role in their success.

NCA/NCF

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of incarcerated adults and juveniles who are released from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities and returning to communities. The Second Chance Act will help ensure that the transition individuals make from prison, jail, or juvenile residential facilities to the community is successful and promotes public safety. Section 101 of the Act authorizes grants to state and local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes that may be used for demonstration projects to promote the safe and successful reintegration.

The Second Chance Act Programs are designed to help communities develop and implement comprehensive and collaborative strategies that address the challenges posed by offender reentry and recidivism reduction. Reentry is not a specific program, but rather an evidence-based process that starts when an offender is initially incarcerated and ends when the offender has been successfully reintegrated in his or her community as a law-abiding citizen. The reentry process includes the delivery of a variety of evidence-based program services for every program participant in both a pre- and post-release setting.

The goal of the Second Chance Act Adult Offender Reentry Program for Planning and Demonstration Projects, under Section 101 of the Second Chance Act, is to provide support to eligible applicants for the development and implementation of comprehensive and collaborative strategies that address the challenges posed by reentry to increase public safety and reduce recidivism. This process should provide the offender with appropriate evidence-based services including addressing individual criminogenic needs based on a reentry plan that relies on a risk/needs assessment that reflects the risk of recidivism for that offender.

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections will utilize FY 2012 Second Chance Act funds to target high-risk/need offenders within 12 to 18 months of discharge who are placed at community corrections facilities in Oklahoma City. The program will also be expanded to address a growing need to provide comprehensive reentry services to electronic monitoring supervision. Services provided address criminogenic risk and needs through prerelease programming, transition planning, prerelease involvement by probation and parole staff, and post-release follow-up and services.

NCA/NCF