1. THE COALITION OF COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PROVIDERS OF NEW JERSEY The Role of Community Resource Centers in Offender Re-entry

2. CRC Goals and Objectives  To conduct individual assessments to render CRC participation relevant, useful, realistic and practical for each client;  To offer supportive programs and services delivered at times and places that allow participants to obtain employment and remain employed throughout the duration of the CRC program;  To provide CRC clients with an arsenal of practical behavioral options that allow them to sustain long-term sobriety, engage in pro-social activities; and refrain from participation in further criminal activity;

3. CRC Goals and Objectives  To work on establishing a network of community support for each participant, well prior to his/her discharge from that program so that he/she leaves with a clear sense of how to navigate the path leading to transformative, meaningful and sustainable lifestyle changes; and  To acknowledge specifically through the CRC curricula the diverse needs, risks, skills, interests and concerns of the overall CRC population, and to address this diversity to maximize the potential for successful reintegration.

4. CRC Program Services Program services offered by CRCs include but are not limited to:  Life skills development (parenting skills, personal budgeting, resource development);  Computer-supported educational and vocational programs;  Stress and anger reduction;  Substance abuse education, counseling and relapse prevention strategies;  Job preparatory skills, including resume development, interviewing skills and job search techniques;  Employment placement and counseling services;  Academic assistance;  Family intervention; and  Assistance in accessing community resources, including housing, behavior and physical health centers, mentoring services and family resource agencies.

5. Additional Services  The following additional services are available at CRCs:  Meals  Transportation resources  Outpatient counseling  Linkages to emergency medical, dental and mental health services.  Sex Offender counseling services are available at several CRCs.

6. A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach  Grounded in evidence-based practices, the CRCs use a cognitive-behavioral approach to impart to clients the importance of developing life skills to successfully rejoin the community.  Programming is designed to encourage clients to address their self-destructive or risky behavioral patterns, and faulty thinking, as well as to identify what triggers or invites habitual, negative behavior.

7. Skill-Building Topics  Anger management and stress reduction  Developing positive interpersonal skills  Making and practicing appropriate social adjustments  Examining and disassociating from anti-social peers  Cultural diversity  Values clarification  Relationship building  Impulse control techniques  Developing empathy, compassion and respect for others  Productive use of leisure time  Health and wellness

8. Substance Abuse Prevention, Education, Counseling and Supportive Services  CRC programs ensure that each client receives comprehensive information about substance use, abuse, and prevention, and that every person in need is provided with counseling and supportive services to establish and maintain a substance-free lifestyle.  Each client receives the appropriate substance abuse services commensurate with his/her assessed risk and/or history of substance abuse.  Services can include group substance abuse education and/or relapse prevention classes, individual counseling, and participation in AA/NA meetings.  CRCs are required to have a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor on staff, and some CRCs are licensed through the NJ Division of Addiction Services to provide outpatient substance abuse treatment services.  CRCs also provide random urine monitoring.

9. Employment  CRC employment programs are designed to facilitate clients’ increasing their marketability in the workforce, reinforce their stability in their jobs, and strengthen job retention.  Programming emphasizes techniques involved in procuring gainful employment, the habits and skills needed to maintain employment, and the benefits derived from establishing an independent lifestyle through legitimate means.  In addition to referrals to community-based employment services, the CRC programs build relationships with community employers, often provide placement opportunities, and engage in ongoing supervision of employment relationships – providing for both client support and accountability.  While employment is considered a key focus of CRC programs, it is not the only measure of success. The array of services provided at CRCs are designed to target the risk and need areas that the industry research tells us have the most impact on successful re-entry.

10. Education  CRC programs have established relationships with local community colleges, vocational training programs, and other community-based educational resources.  Many CRC programs also have in-house resources to build client literacy, provide basic adult education, and prepare clients for the GED exam.

11. Discharge Planning  CRC discharge planning is designed to position a client for ongoing success on parole supervision.  The discharge summary identifies a client’s short and long-term goals, and contains information about referrals to community entities for future or further treatment and services.  CRCs and the NJSPB work in partnership to chart a client’s progress and to determine when a client is appropriate for discharge from the program.

12. What difference do CRCs make? As part of the cadre of community corrections programs, CRCs have helped to achieve these outcomes:  Prison population reduced by 14% ( Philadelphia Inquirer, May 2006 )  Reduced re-arrest and reconviction rates for community corrections participants  Parole programs save more than $20 million a year compared to the cost of incarceration  Community programs save nearly $30 a day compared to prison beds