Atlanta City Detention Center Reentry and Treatment Program

The Second Chance Act of 2007 provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of people who are released from prison, jail and returning to communities, including resources to address the myriad of needs of these offenders to achieve a successful return to their communities. Section 201 of the Second Chance Act authorizes federal awards to states, units of local government, and Indian tribes to improve the provision of treatment to adult offenders in prisons and jails during the period of incarceration and through the completion of parole or other court supervision after release into the community.

The goal of Section 201 of the Second Chance Act is to provide support to eligible applicants for the development and implementation of comprehensive and collaborative strategies that address the challenges posed by reentry to increase public safety and reduce recidivism. The objectives of this program are to provide offenders with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders with appropriate evidence-based services—including addressing individual criminogenic needs—based on a reentry plan that relies on a risk and needs assessment that reflects the risk of recidivism for that offender. Funds may be used for treating co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders in prison and jail programs, providing recovery support services, reentry planning and programming, and post-release treatment and aftercare programming in the community through the completion of parole or court supervision.

The grantee will use award funding to expand the Atlanta Reentry and Treatment (ART) project, providing a minimum of 100 (over a two year period) medium to high risk incarcerated male inmates with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders in the Atlanta City Detention Center. The ART project addresses the following priority considerations: targeting moderate to high risk male inmates that are experiencing or at risk for chronic homelessness; linking to affordable and supportive housing; and focusing on post release community base programs that provide quality evidence based treatment services upon release. The project will offer a comprehensive approach, as well as utilizing community based treatment partners, to provide jail based treatment, aimed at treating co-occurring disorders and criminogenic risks while seeking to prepare inmates with tools for a successful, positive, healthy reentry into the community.

CA/NCF