Colorado Second Chance Housing and Reentry Program (C-SCHARP)

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 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 State of Colorado will use their FY 10 Second Chance Act: State Demonstration funds ($750,000) to establish the Colorado Second Chance Housing and Reentry Program (C-SCHARP). Finding housing is an issue for the target population of this program. C-SCHARP will focus on high risk, adult offenders with serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders reentering Denver or Arapahoe Counties. C-SCHARP will help fill gaps in the current system by using a Housing First Model and an Assertive Community Team (ACT) in each county to ensure successful reintegration of targeted ex-offenders from Denver and Arapahoe counties back into their communities. The overall purpose of C-SCHARP is to provide stable housing and integrated mental health and substance abuse treatment to ex-offenders in order to transition them out of prison and connect them to mainstream services.

CA/NCF