Family and Offender Reunited- Family Based Prisoner Substance Abuse Program

The Second Chance Act (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of parents who are incarcerated as well as their families. Research has shown that children may benefit from maintaining healthy relationships with their incarcerated parents. Section 113 of the Second Chance Act authorizes grants to states, units of local government, and Indian tribes to improve the provision of substance abuse treatment within prison and jails and after reentry for inmates who have minor children and also includes outreach to families and provision of treatment and other services to children and other family members of participant inmates. The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) will fund eligible applicants to plan, implement, or expand such treatment programs.

The Family-Based Prisoner Substance Abuse Treatment Program enhances the capability of states and tribes to provide substance abuse treatment for incarcerated parents; prepares offenders for their reintegration into the communities from which they came by incorporating reentry planning activities into treatment programs; and assists offenders and their communities through the reentry process through the delivery of community-based treatment and other broad-based aftercare services. Projects will provide prison-based substance abuse treatment and parenting programs for incarcerated parents of minor children, as well as treatment and other services to the participating offenders minor children and family members. Programming must be targeted to inmates with minor children and include services for these inmates, their minor children, and other family members. By law, no less that 5 percent of the funds available for the Family-Based Substance Abuse Treatment Program will be used for grants to Indian Tribes.

The Saint Louis Police Department will use the grant funds to implement the Family and Offender Reunited Program. In a collaborative partnership, which will engage an offender's family at the time the offender enters an Institutional Treatment Center (ITC), participating entities will assess the family's strengths and needs, in conjunction with the offender's, to create a holistic case management plan. The assessment phase will identify needs in areas such as employment, health services, education, substance use, faith, mental health, housing, finances, and other factors contributing to family function and offender success. Wrap around services will be provided to the offender and his family by a St. Louis University second-year MSW student who will incorporate the family into the recovery program and immediately begin their receipt of services. These services will reduce barriers for the offender when returning home and beginning aftercare treatment. This process will help to encourage family participation and reduce their apprehension of working collectively with the correctional and law enforcement communities.

CA/NCF