Inspiring New Koncepts (INK)

The purpose of the FY 2019 Innovative Reentry Initiatives (IRI): Building System Capacity and Testing Reentry Strategies to Reduce Recidivism is to provide state and local jurisdictions and Indian tribes with the resources and training and technical assistance (TTA) necessary to identify assets and gaps in their reentry systems and to develop capacity and partnerships to provide services that prevent recidivism, reduce crime, and improve public safety in their jurisdictions.

IRI is part of BJA’s Innovations in Public Safety portfolio, also known as the “Innovations Suite.” The Innovations Suite of programs invests in the development of practitioner-researcher partnerships that use data, evidence, and innovation to create strategies that are effective and economical. This data-driven approach enables jurisdictions to understand the full nature and extent of the crime challenges they face and to direct resources to the highest priorities. Successful partnerships between practitioners and researchers require investments of planning, time, communication, complementary skills, and adequate resources.

IRI seeks to improve the capacity and effectiveness of state, local, and tribal jurisdictions to increase the success of offenders returning to their communities from incarceration through a combination of system-level improvements and demonstration projects.

The County of Shelby will use award funds to support the Inspiring New Koncepts (INK) program. The goals of the INK program are to: a) target medium and high-risk offenders; (b) target those with histories of homelessness, substance abuse, or mental illness; (c) focus on geographic areas with high conviction rates; and (d) employ an RCT method to assess effectiveness. The program will serve 162 moderate-high risk participants.
CA/NCF