Sex offender community reintegration: Making communities safe for everyone through interagency collaboration

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 Colorado Department of Corrections will use their FY10 Second Chance Act: State Demonstration funds to build a continuum of evidence-based sex offender reentry services. The services are crucial to enhancing public safety in the Colorado Springs and Denver metropolitan areas. The initiative will focus on: (1) organizing a Circles of Support and Accountability conference for interested agencies, churches and organizations; (2) hiring a victim therapist, to allow victims to have input into transition planning; (3) establishing higher per diem rates for specialized sex offender community corrections placements; (4) providing housing assistance particularly for Shared Living Arrangements; (5) paying for treatment and polygraph testing for indigent offenders; and 6) Evaluating child contact protocols and reentry program outcomes.

CA/NCF