1. Reentry Why Should We Care?

2. The Growth of Incarceration in the United States.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2015

3. What is Reentry?
Re-en·try “Defined as services and programs that assist an individual in their transition from incarceration back into the community”
When prisoners in the United States are released, they face an environment that is challenging and some may even argue, actively deters them from becoming productive members of society.
With more than 2 million people incarcerated in the United States, reducing recidivism through successful reentry practices effects both the families of inmates, community members and society in general, as taxpayers continue to support a criminal justice system that sets ex-offenders up to continuously cycle in and out of incarceration.
Department of Corrections is committed to a proactive reentry process that supports individuals transitioning out of incarceration by providing them with the tools needed to be productive, healthy and contributing members of communities across the state.
Our main mission is to empower reentrants to successfully transition into communities through collaborative release planning including; individualized case management, programming, and positive family, community and peer support services to increase public safety and reduce recidivism rates.
-Reduce Recidivism-
-Increase Public Safety-
-Support Positive Cost/Benefit Evidence-Based Practices-
-Utilized in both Institution & Field Operations-
-Connects Community Resources with Social Service based Case Management and Referral Processes-
State of Alaska Web/DOC-Reentry 2017

4. Recidivism = Re-Offending
Alaska: 66.41%
The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the developed world. We return former inmates (men, women and children) to prison at a rate that exceeds nearly any other developed nation.
The Alaska DOC definition of Recidivism is a “A person previously convicted of a Felony Charge who remands/recommits back to a DOC facility for any reason, charge or violation within three years of the initial felony discharge.”
These percentages represent the most current look at the rate at which our Felony population is re-violating back into the Criminal Justice System.
To Offer an Alternative Look: State Averages of 23 other States who share the same definition of Recidivism as we do.
“Recidivism is highest immediately after release: 43 percent of released prisoners are rearrested during the first year. By contrast, those who are not quickly rearrested are less likely to recidivate.”
–brookings.edu,2016
23 State Average: 49.7%
AKTC, 2018 & BJS.GOV & ACJC, 2017

5. Resource Drain Public Safety Culture Shift
Alaska Crime Rates have Steadily Increased
Reentry Addresses Criminogenic reasons that contribute to Criminal Acts (Unstable Housing, Lack of Employment Opportunities, Referrals into Mental Health & Substance Abuse Treatment)
Overcapacity/Understaffing in many AK Correctional Facilities
Strained Multiple State Department Resources (Court System, Public Defenders, DPS, Cost to Increase Muni Police Force…)
State Economic Budget Strain (Less Staff, Taking on more Work, Higher Caseloads)
What are some reasons why we should consider investing in Reentry-Based Services? Increased safety in our communities, our State Department Resources are being stretched thinner than they’ve ever been, Understanding that our Country as a whole is adopting CJ Reform principles and consideration of the negative financial impact are just a few reasons why…
Public Safety: -An annual crime report released by the state Department of Public Safety shows that overall, violent and property crimes in Alaska in the last 5 years.-Reports of stolen vehicles have exploded in 2016, with 2,419 reported to Anchorage police. That's about 8.5 per day.
-In Alaska, there is a murder every seven days, a rape every eight hours, a vehicle theft every three hours and an assault every two hours, according to the report.
Resource Drain: Within the last six months alone, State Legislation has recently proposed a $34 million boost that includes:
– $4.8 million more for prosecutors and Public Safety workforce;
– $10.5 million to cover the cost of a growing prison population
--Alaska Public Defenders handle individual caseloads of nearly 160 cases per defenders, and There's been a near 20 percent increase in statewide felony cases in the past year alone.
Culture Shift:
All over the country, including Alaska, there is a developing concept that correctional facilities “can be more than just punitive warehouses for people. There’s a push for more programs in every state prison that help inmates develop the skills they need to reenter society and stay there.” (Direct Quote from one of our Superintendents.)
Evidence Based and Best Practices are statically proven to Increase success rates of offenders who are released from prison by fostering effective risk need management and treatment, offender accountability, and individualized case management strategies.
Culture Shift
Evidence Based “Best Practices” Methods In Effect
Criminal Justice Reform on both State and Federal Levels
Opportunities for Reinvestment Support in Reducing Recidivism and Streamlining Effective Reentry Processes.

6. Second Chance Grant
To address this national dilemma, Congress passed the Second Chance Act (SCA) in 2008 under Bush Administration. Through the SCA, the Bureau of Justice Assistance has awarded more than $250 million — through 300 grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations — to help medium- and high-risk adult and juvenile offenders successfully re-enter society and remain crime-free.
DOC’s Reinvestment Coordinator here Charles will give us a little bit of overview on how the 2nd Chance Grant is effecting Reentry for us here in Alaska currently.

7. Can We Continue to Afford the Cost of Incarceration in Alaska?
State of Alaska
2017: DOC spends roughly 300 Million, A 60% Increase over last 20 years!
AK Policy Forum, 2016
Between 2005 and 2014, the population of Alaska’s unified jail and prison system increased 27 percent, almost three times faster than the state’s resident population.
This rapid growth spurred the 2012 opening of a new correctional center at a cost to the state of $240 million. That capital expenditure came on top of the corrections system’s $300 million annual operating budget, which has risen 60 percent over the previous two decades.
Without policy changes, the state projected that its inmate population would grow by another 27 percent by 2024, costing at least another $169 million. (Pew Charitable Trust, 2016)
These high costs of operation, combined with the fact that they costs are set to continuously increase has been the biggest reason why our State Leadership decided to Re-Invest in Recidivism Strategies and amend policy and procedures that were perpetuating this cycle.
COST OF CORRECTIONS:
Yearly
Daily
Institutions (hard beds)
$ 59,308.85 $
Community Residential Centers (soft beds)
$46,741.90 $
Electronic Monitoring
$10,497.40 $
Probation & Parole
$ 3,493.05 $
AK DOC, 2018

8. It’sThe Law… Key SB 91 Mandates Reentry Planning:
DOC must establish an institutional case plan for every individual serving a term of 30 days or more
DOC must establish a reentry plan for every individual serving a term of 30 days or more
DOC must coordinate with outside agencies to assist in the reentry process
DOC will assist prisoners with obtaining valid state ID’s
Required Coordination with Community and State Agencies
SB 91 was designed to reduce recidivism and save the state money by punishing low-level, nonviolent offenders in ways other than sending them to prison. To do that, it reduced prison sentences for all but the most serious crimes.
Between these CJ policy changes and Re-Investment funding, these efforts expect to avert projected prison growth and reduce the average prison population by 13% saving an estimated $380 million in State spending and reinvesting $98.8 million through Pretrial, Sentencing, Community Supervision, Victim Rights, Evidence Based Prison Alternatives and Reentry.
SB 91 directed DOC to prepare re-entry plans with inmates, beginning at least 90 days before their discharge dates.
It also Requires coordination with community nonprofit organizations, the Department of Labor and Workforce
Development, and the Department of Motor Vehicles to identify re-entry resources in the community, provide job training and employment assistance, and help inmates obtain valid state IDs before release.
It’sThe Law…
ADOC, 2018

9. SB91 & Reentry: True or False
A Reentrant cannot apply for Food Stamps in Alaska if they have a Felony Drug Conviction.
True of False:
SB 91 mandates that DOC assists those releasing back to the community with the process of obtaining a State I.D.
True or False:
DOC is required to work with a Inmate within 90 days of their release date in order to establish a written Reentry Plan.
Food Stamps/FALSE:
S.B. 91 lifts the restriction on eligibility for food stamps for persons convicted of drug felonies, provided the individual is compliant with conditions of probation or is pursuing or has completed required treatment.
I.D./TRUE: The DOC will help the person returning to the community to obtain and pay for a valid state identification card. This process is initiated with the IPO’s and the Release Paperwork. The Prison ID becomes a temporary ID of which a Reentrant can take, along with the Voucher/Memo from their IPO, to any DMV in the state and obtain a State ID without having to pay the fee or provide additional documentation such a Birth Certificate or Expired ID which many recently incarcerated persons don’t have access or even understanding of how to obtain. This is huge, because if you think about how many times you have to show ID to complete applications, or qualify for Referrals or Social Service Eligibility this is often the most frustrating, and yet most solvable barrier of Reentry.
Reentry Planning/TRUE:
Starting January of 2017, S.B. 91 requires the Department of Corrections to begin working with incarcerated persons 90 days before their release dates to create a written re-entry plan. The plan must show and or facilitate resources for where the person expects to live and work as well as what types of treatment, counseling services, education programs, health, and other services needed for a successful return to the community will be available. The plan also takes into account the person’s risk level and any court-ordered conditions of probation.
FALSE
TRUE
TRUE

10. Barriers of Reentry
I mentioned Barriers to Reentry in my previous slide so I wanted to briefly get into what I mean by Barriers and how they impact a reentrants chance at habilitation and change through the support of employment, stabile housing, access to behavioral health and treatment options, and individual focused resource referrals into community social services programs.

11. Barriers to Reentry Examples
Public Benefit Eligibilities
Anti-Expungement Laws
Underdeveloped Life Skills
Lack of Education
WHAT OTHER BARRIERS CAN YOU THINK OF? Before the click…….
We could probably spend all day discussing and breaking down the systematic and procedural issues that surround all these barriers but I’d like to focus on a few of the more critical barriers, and cover just a few things that our state is doing right now to improve these obstacles.
Voting Rights Forfeiture
No Family Support
No access to Substance Abuse Treatment
Unclear Social Service Referral Processes
Social Bias
Limited Housing Options
Limited Pro-Social Engagement
Employment
Poor Financial History
No Access to Healthcare

12. Breaking Down Barriers
HOUSING: There is a Lack of Safe, Stabil, Transitional, Sober-Supportive Housing Options all over Alaska, a low chance of passing a background check from a private landlord option and federal regulations have instructed public housing authorities to consider the criminal history of applicants for public housing. AHFC signed a Agreement with the DOC to operate the Returning Home Program. Persons that are under supervision at the time of release from incarceration are eligible for financial assistance to obtain affordable housing or TBRA. provides 12 months of rental and security deposit assistance. Application is done by the PO. SUBxTreatment: Roughly four out of five inmates in our system has a substance use disorder. With limited treatment provider options in the state, and a Prison Population system that attributes nearly 80% of its criminal activity to drug based offenses, Subx treatment will be a increasing need to effectively address criminogenic behavior.
AntiExpungement: AK law does not allow anyone convicted of a crime to have their records destroyed or purged, and sealing options are limited. This presents a enormous barrier, especially in regards to background checks, public benefit options and Employment. For the last year the AK CJ Commission have been hosting workgroups to address changing this law to allow for a expungement/sealing option for specific offenses, such as DUI’s after a certain amount of years have past, and if the person has remain legally compliant.
Education: 40 percent of incarcerated individuals over 18 years old have not graduated from HS and it’s estimated in Alaska to be even higher. HS Diplomas/GED is the very foundation needed if anyone plans work a job in any sector of the workforce and is arguably one of the most limiting barriers. The Majority of our Correctional Facilities offer GED Programing and Testing options through Adult Basic Education’s partner site, Pearsonview. ACC-East Education Coordinator for example, administers roughly 75 tests per month, and maintains a 80 percent passing rate.
Employment: In AK, two-thirds of people who leave prison end up going back within three years. But former inmates who can find living wage jobs within a year of release are half as likely to re-offend, according to AKDOL. DOC offers opportunities to engage in work release programs, trades apprenticeship opportunities, and vocational education that will produce certified skilled workers, ready to enter the workforce.
EX: The National Center for Construction Education and Research. NCCER was developed with the support of more than 125 construction CEOs and various association and academic leaders who united to provide training courses for the construction industry. The courses range from safety core curriculums, carpentry, electrical, and forklift competencies.
Offered DOC focused solutions to each of these barrier points. Ways “The” can help these barriers in their job roles.
Leadernsip Conference, 2017
Lack of Education
Anti-Expungement Laws
Underdeveloped Life Skills
Social Bias
No Family Support
Voting Rights Forfeiture
No access to Substance Abuse Treatment
Public Benefit Eligibilities
Unclear Social Service Referral Processes
Limited Housing Options
Limited Pro-Social Engagement
Poor Financial History
Employment
No Access to Healthcare

13. #Ban the Box
90% of companies use background checks in hiring decisions.
One in three adults are living with a criminal record.
Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Home Depot, and Starbucks have all chosen to ban the box.
SHOW VIDEO.
Video courtesy of NAACP, 2017

14. Transition from Prison to the Community TPC MODEL
Getting Ready
Institutional Phase
Going Home
Transitional Phase
Staying Home
Community Phase
MORGEN SPEAKS

15. PHASE 1:
The institutional phase describes the details of events and responsibilities occurring during the inmate’s imprisonment from admission until the point of eligibility for parole or release.
ASSESSMENT AND CLASSIFICATION: Measuring the offender’s risks, needs, and strengths.
INMATE PROGRAMMING: Giving assignments to reduce risk, address need, and build on strengths.
MORGEN SPEAKS
PHASE 2:
The transitional phase begins before the inmate’s target release date. In this phase, highly specific re-entry plans are created.
INMATE RELEASE PREPARATION: Developing strong, public safety-conscious parole plans.
RELEASE DECISION MAKING: Improving parole release guidelines.
PHASE 3:
The community phase begins the moment the inmate is released from prison and continues until he/she is discharged from community supervision.
SUPERVISION: Providing flexible and firm supervision and services.
REVOCATION DECISION MAKING: Using graduated sanctions to respond to behavior.
DISCHARGE & AFTERCARE: Determining community responsibility to “take over” the case.

16. Institutional Phase Initial Screenings & Assessment Phase
Offender Management Plan (OMP)
Education & Programming
Institutional Phase

17. Offender Management Plan
Screenings & Assessments
LSI-SV & LSI-R (Risk/Needs Responsivity Model)
Initial Screenings (Sex Offender ,Education (TABE) Career Scope Substance Abuse Mental Health, Criminal Thinking ,Anger Management)
Offender Management Plan
Utilized as the Case Plan between the DOC, the Reentrant and Community Providers.
Used during all three phases; developed after intake, updated prior to transition into the community and upon release. .

18. Risks Needs Responsivity: Assessing for Successful Reentry
Principles
Description
Risk Principle
Devote your time, energy and resources to moderate and high risk cases.
Need
Principle
Target the criminogenic needs of moderate and high risk offenders (i.e. the dynamic risk factors that, when changed, will change the probability of an offender’s recidivism)
Responsivity
General: Design your efforts around behavioral and cognitive-behavioral techniques.
Specific: Tailor your efforts to the individual abilities (strengths), style, culture and personality of the client.
Research demonstrates that risk to reoffend is most accurately assessed when structured, empirically based tools are used along with professional judgment. Risk/Needs Responsivity Modeled Assessments demonstrate that matching the level of intervention to offenders’ assessed level of risk produces the greatest reductions in recidivism, with minimal intervention provided to low-risk offenders and greater intervention provided to moderate and high-risk offenders.
Once risk is assessed, the next step is to identify individual needs that should be addressed through interventions. Offenders often have many needs, from mental health and addiction issues to housing and employment. What research shows is that some of those needs are far more linked to recidivism than others. These are referred to as “criminogenic needs.”
Criminogenic needs that most strongly predict recidivism include
antisocial cognition (thoughts and beliefs) that support antisocial behavior
antisocial temperament, which is often characterized by poor decision-making skills
anger management difficulties and impulse control deficits
antisocial associates
family/marital stress
substance abuse
employment instability
educational attainment and engagement difficulties
lack of prosocial leisure activities

19. Education & Programming
Criminal Attitudes Program
Education/GED
Parenting
Vocational Programming
Anger Management
Substance Abuse
Mental Health
Other
Education & Programming
AK/WA. DOC, 2017
Referrals to Education, Technical, Skill Building and Cognitive Behavior based Programming are made to reduce the individual’s risk, address identified needs and build on strengths.
Education and Vocational Coordinators would be the best place to ask, but to get a general idea here in a list of programs options available (CLICK)
Do you know What types of Programming, Education & Vocational Referrals are available at your Institution?

20. IPO Referred Case Management Pre-Releasing Planning
Reentry Classes
Transitional Phase

21. Pre-Release Planning Reentry Classes
Individualized/Comprehensive Reentry Plan (Holistic-Focused: treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors)
Resources Referral to Address Needs (housing, employment, support system engagement, substance abuse prevention, Medicaid Applications)
Prerelease Planning: Inmates will be presented with information to help them secure housing, find employment, rebuild relationships with family and access substance abuse prevention assistance upon release. Upon completion of programming,
inmates will have a workable reentry plan.
Reentry Manual: The ReEntry Manual includes nine Steps to successful reentry, and is designed to function as
both a teacher’s guide and inmate workbook, with space to take notes, checklists to gauge
reentry readiness and worksheets to create resumes, budgets and spending logs.
Education coordinator have this information.
Reentry Classes
DOC Reentry Manual (DOC Website)
Reentry Based Programs (DOL’s Success Inside & Out, Reentry Service Classes)

22. S.O.A. Reentry Case Management ACOMS Reentry Module
-Six month program
-Reentry case managers work with releasing offenders and Institutional Point of Contacts to assist with a successful transition to the community
Case managers continue to address risk/needs identified in the LSIR & OMP
DBH Reentry Case Manager Locations
Anchorage
Mat-Su Valley
Fairbanks
Juneau
Best for individuals with multiple support service needs – who tend to cycle through the system and could use individualized assistance in getting connected and settled into the community as part of a more structured, six-month program.
Case management services utilize evidence-based strategies and tracking guidelines as required by SB91.
These include: reentry planning using risk assessments and criminogenic needs in order to match support services for reentrants.
Brian Galloway here is the Reentry Case Manager representing the Valley area. We asked him to come speak to you all today just to give a overview of his role as a CM and to talk us through that process.
Case Management Target Population -Medium, or high risk on LSIR
-Releasing to probation/parole supervision
-All sex offenders (regardless of LSISV/STATIC score)

23. Reentry Case Management
Galloway Speaks

24. Community Phase Swift & Certain Sanctions during Community Supervision
Referrals into Community Resources
Graduated Incentives
Community Phase

25. Swift & Certain Sanctions
Respond to problematic behavior in a manner that is systematic.
Swift, certain and proportional sanctions have a stronger deterrent effect than harsher sanctions that are random and delayed (Deterrence)
Graduated Incentives
Provide rewards and incentives for meeting goals of supervision (enhances individual motivation)
Supervision more effective when using graduated sanctions and incentives (Earned Compliance Credits)
Swift Certain Sanctions: Growing number of inmates entering prison for a technical violation of the conditions of their probation or parole—such as consuming alcohol, missing or failing drug tests, or failing to report to a supervision officer—rather than for a new criminal offense. The number of people who were returned to prison for technical violations increased by 32 percent between 2005 and 2014, with nearly half staying more than a month and 29 percent more than three months.
Graduated Incentives: Earned Compliance Credits, Offenders may earn 30 days off their term of supervison for each calendar month served in which the offender remained in compliance with their conditions of supervision.

26. Community Referrals & Resources
Reentry Service: Any service provided by a community or state organization that serves individuals releasing from the criminal justice system into the community.
Reentry services provided by community providers are not necessarily managed or funded through SOA
Community resources that can be utilized by offenders once they have released from incarceration either through direct Institutional Referrals or Referrals from the Field side of Probation and Parole.
Additional information about local reentry service providers and programs can be attained through community reentry coalitions in the areas of:
Anchorage
Mat-Su Valley
Fairbanks
Juneau
Kenai
Nome
Ketchikan
Dillingham

27. Partners Reentry Center
Job Readiness Workshop , Assistance with resume development, job search support, and interviewing
Short term housing, bus passes, supplemental nutrition, identification
Probation violation prevention
Budgeting and credit counseling (Money Management)
Cognitive Behavioral/MRT Therapy
Support groups
Goal setting
Controlling emotions Relationships/setting boundaries Relapse prevention
Mentoring
One-on-One support/Case Coordination
Referrals to other community resources
Partners Reentry Center
Partners Reentry Center was founded in 2009 as a way to meet the needs of those returning from incarceration and serves as a positive gateway for returning citizens as they reintegrate into the community.
Pre-release: referral and case management offered to those with pending cases
Post-release: walk-in basis for those with any form of criminal history who would otherwise be homeless
*In order to receive services, applicants must be willing to meaningfully participate in Partners’ programs, including: work search, support groups (i.e.: MRT, Peer2Peer, Alaskan Nations), Ready To Rent, Money Management and referrals that fit individual needs.
*Eligibility Requirements: -Released within one year -No open cases
417 Barrow St, Anchorage, AK 99501

28. The Alaska Community Reentry Program

29. ROLE OF REENTRY COALITIONS
Anchorage
Matsu
Fairbanks
Juneau
Kenai
Dillingham
Nome
Ketchikan
Facilitate community assessment of assets, barriers, gaps for returning citizens.
Develop solutions for case coordination challenges using evidenced based approaches.
Design and implement a Comprehensive Community Reentry Plan
Coordinate Offender Management Plans through Prison In-Reach
Reentry Coalitions are made up a range of stakeholder groups around various communities including state and local agencies, community service providers, criminal justice professionals and concerned citizens. Their mission is to provide transformative, participant centered reentry resources and opportunities beginning the day of incarceration.
Reentry Coalition are focused on enhancing access to services for Returning Citizens in the following areas: Housing, Employment, Transportation, Support Systems (Faith-Based, Peer & Family Support) Access to Integrated Healthcare (Physical Health, Mental Health & Substance Use)

30. Reentry Morgen Jaco: e: morgen.jaco@alaska.gov p:269-5627
Charles Van Ravenswaay: p:
Christina Shadura: e: p:
Future Projects of DOC Reentry
Expanding Work Release Programs statewide
Exploring Transitional Housing Options and Standardization
Volunteer In-Reach Program
Comprehensive Resource Directory
Coordination of Care efforts
Peer Support Networks