South Dakota Department of Corrections Reentry Strategic Plan

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, the 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 Allowable uses of funds to enhance a successful transition include: pre-release assessment and case planning, mentoring, housing, education, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, services to enhance family reunification, job training and readiness, and post-release case management and supervision.

The grant recipient will use the SCA grant funds to continue to support the South Dakota's Reentry Project. The target population for the Project is high risk and need offenders paroling to the Sioux Falls and Rapid City areas. The program components are based on evidence-based practices and include assessments, intensive case management, institutional programming, release planning, and community-based services. CA/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 South Dakota Department of Corrections will utilize FY 2012 Second Chance Act funds to continue a reentry demonstration program that targets high risk offenders returning to the community.

NCA/NCF