Union County Adult Reentry Program

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of incarcerated adults and juveniles who are released from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities and returning to communities. The Second Chance Act will help ensure that the transition individuals make from prison, jail, or juvenile residential facilities to the community is successful and promotes public safety. The Second Chance Act Programs are designed to help communities develop and implement comprehensive and collaborative strategies that address the challenges posed by offender reentry and recidivism reduction. "Reentry" is not a specific program, but rather an evidence-based process that starts when an offender is initially incarcerated and ends when the offender has been successfully reintegrated in his or her community as a law-abiding citizen. The reentry process includes the delivery of a variety of evidence-based program services for every program participant in both a pre- and post-release setting.

Section 101 of the Act authorizes grants to state and local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes that may be used for demonstration projects to promote the safe and successful reintegration. The goal of the Second Chance Act Two-Phase Adult Reentry Demonstration Program: Planning and Implementation Projects, under Section 101 of the Second Chance Act, is to support jurisdictions to develop and implement comprehensive and collaborative strategies that address the challenges posed by reentry to increase public safety and reduce recidivism for medium to high risk individuals reentering communities from incarceration. This process should provide the individual with appropriate evidence-based - services including addressing individual criminogenic needs based on a reentry plan that relies on a risk/needs assessment that reflects the risk of recidivism for that offender. The reentry plan should reflect both specific and ongoing pre-release and post-release needs, and a strategy for ensuring that these needs are met throughout the duration of the reentry process.

The grant recipient will use the grant to support a dynamic reentry program for 100 medium-to-high risk parolees returning from incarceration. The program will continue to support a strong evaluation component to collect valuable data and share information with stakeholders on outcomes. The program currently focuses on an intensive case management model whereby the target population is supported in their reentry from pre to post-release. The focus will be on enhancing the existing data collection system to support information sharing goals. A comprehensive range of services will continue to be provided to program participants with enhanced case management. Emphasis will be made on an improved model of housing and supportive services.

CA/NCF