Muskegon County Community Re-Entry Program

The Congressionally Recommended Awards Program, authorized by the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117), helps improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and/or assist victims of crime (other than compensation). Funds should be used for the projects recommended by Congress, in the amounts specified in the joint explanatory statement incorporated by reference into Pub. L. 111-117, and generally consistent with one or more of the following statutory purposes: improving the functioning of the criminal justice system, preventing or combating juvenile delinquency, or assisting victims of crime (other than compensation). Each of these purposes is framed using language drawn, respectively, from the former Byrne discretionary statute, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, the Victims of Crime Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 2010 Congressional Budget and by the joint explanatory statement that is incorporated by reference into the FY2010 Department of Justice Appropriations Act.

The county of Muskegon will provide community re-entry services for individuals in the county jail. This is an expansion project and will also be part of a national pilot for the XML transfer of data from the Muskegon County jail, Community Mental Health Services (CMHS) of Muskegon County information systems, and the Homeless Management Information System to provide "real time" case management services to individuals released through the community re-entry program. The project will implement recommendations made by the Council of State Governments through a Learning Center technical assistance program for the Muskegon County Jail community re-entry program. Staff will be used to follow the individuals who are released with a community re-entry plan which is modeled after the GAINS re-entry plan. Staff will monitor these individuals every three months following release from the jail. The monitoring will include compliance with treatment for mental illness and substance addiction, employment either through the CMHS of Muskegon County-supported employment program or through private employers, and the number of the goals met by each individual in their individual plan of service as well as the coordination of services in the community through the XML transfer project in order to reduce recidivism and to ensure the appropriate placement and treatment of individuals with mental illness or substance addiction in a community program rather than incarceration.

NCA/NCF