Project RESTORE (Reentry Strategies Toward Reintegration)

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.

Cuyahoga County will use the grant funds for Project RESTORE (Reentry Strategies Toward Reintegration), a reentry demonstration project. The program will serve 100 young adult offenders, between 18 to 25 years old, that are returning to Cuyahoga County upon their release. The project RESTORE will provide priority consideration to those who are high-risk offenders, particularly those who have been dually diagnosed with major mental health disorders and alcohol or substance abuse at the time of their initial assessment. It will utilize Assess, Plan, Identify and Coordinate (APIC)/Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) to achieve target goals and objectives. APIC provides critical steps for addressing reentry population with co-occurring disorders of substance abuse and mental health. The program goals will include the following: (1) to increase public safety and reduce recidivism rate by 50% over the course of three years of project implementation, and (2) to provide the necessary resources to ensure the participants' successful community reintegration.

CA/NCF