The Transition / Re-Entry SIG Is dedicated to providing support to individuals preparing incarcerated and detained individuals to return to become productive members of their communities . Transitional professionals help prepare Transition Plans with their clients, including preparation for career development, continuing education, housing and participation in community services. http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/list.php?3 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 04:09:12 -0400 Phorum 5.2.7 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1174,1174#msg-1174 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1174,1174#msg-1174 murray ellison Transition / Re-Entry Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:22:36 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1139,1139#msg-1139 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1139,1139#msg-1139 nicic.gov].

A one-minute video describing the bulletin and DVD can be found here: [www.youtube.com]]]> jrak Transition / Re-Entry Sun, 23 May 2010 12:38:13 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1126,1126#msg-1126 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1126,1126#msg-1126 * Adult might encompass Parenting, Transition & Re-Entry, Adult Research,
Post Secondary Education, Student Affiliations and Female Offenders.
* Youth might encompass Juvenile Education, Literacy, Arts, Special Education...
* Administrative might encompass state and school administrators, reaserch and
legislation.
Please provide feedback whether you are a SIG Chair or CEA Member. I will need to provide recommendations to the CEA Executive Board by June 15 and the President's Council at the upcoming July conference.
Also, please note a change in my home email to: bluemur@verizon.net
Thanks

Dr. Murray Ellison
CEA President's Council Chairman]]> murray ellison Transition / Re-Entry Wed, 12 May 2010 08:44:17 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1105,1105#msg-1105 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1105,1105#msg-1105
www.failsafe-era.biz]]> LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:37:14 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1092,1092#msg-1092 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1092,1092#msg-1092 www.cnn.com]

I don't know how long this will be available, but it is a length to a story on a man in North Carolina who was recently exonerated and released from prison after serving 17 years.]]> LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:45:03 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1079,1079#msg-1079 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1079,1079#msg-1079 Martha Plotkin, CSG Justice Center, mplotkin@csg.org, 240.482.8579
Jennifer Laudano, Pew Center on the States, jlaudano@pewtrusts.org, 202.540.6321
For Immediate Release
January 28, 2010

Congressional Leaders Take on Recidivism and
Corrections Spending


First National Summit on "Justice Reinvestment" Held on Capitol Hill

Washington, DC—A bipartisan group of congressional and state leaders and experts on criminal justice policy came together yesterday to examine how states are changing their crime and corrections policies through “justice reinvestment”—an approach that uses data-driven, fiscally responsible policies and practices to increase public safety and reduce recidivism and corrections spending.

In the past 20 years, spending on corrections has grown at a faster rate than every other state budget category except Medicaid, increasing from more than $12 billion in 1988 to more than $50 billion in 2008. The Pew Center on the States reports that more than 1 in 100 American adults are now behind bars.

Despite this tremendous expenditure on prisons, recidivism rates remain high. In many states, half of all individuals released from state prison are reincarcerated within three years.

“It's no secret that recidivism is costly and is overwhelming our prison system,” said Congressman Alan B. Mollohan, chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that funds the Bureau of Prisons. “In a series of hearings our subcommittee held last year on prisoner reentry, we heard from a wide range of professionals who delivered a common message—that recidivism reduction is a challenge that we can meet and must meet.”

“The federal government must look to innovative state, local and faith-based programs to reform our broken corrections system. As the former chairman and current ranking member of the House Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds the Justice Department, I am deeply concerned about the recidivism crisis that is straining our corrections system at all levels. This summit will, for the first time, bring together the best leaders and programs in corrections reform,” said Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA).

Congressmen Mollohan (D-WV) and Wolf (R-VA) were joined at the summit by their colleagues Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), in addition to leaders from the U.S. Department of Justice and experts in state government, law enforcement, courts, corrections and community reentry. The summit was convened by the Pew Center on the States, the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Public Welfare Foundation, and the Council of State Governments Justice Center.

Several states' experiences with justice reinvestment were highlighted at today's summit. In Texas, for example, the state's prison population in 2007 was projected to grow by more than 14,000 people in the following five years. Lawmakers, relying on justice reinvestment analyses, enacted policies to avert the anticipated growth and saved $443 million—of which more than $200 million was redirected to strengthen probation and parole and expand treatment services. Since these policy changes, the prison population has stopped growing, allowing the state to cancel plans to build more prisons. These developments occurred while crime rates in nearly every major Texas urban area have declined and the overall state crime rate has fallen at about the same rate as the national average.

The justice reinvestment approach has gained broad bipartisan support and unprecedented attention on Capitol Hill. In November 2009, Senators Whitehouse, John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), together with Representatives Schiff and Dan Lungren (R-CA), introduced The Criminal Justice Reinvestment Act of 2009 (S.2772/HR.4080), authorizing the U.S. Attorney General to make grants to state and local governments and tribes to help jurisdictions (1) analyze criminal justice trends to understand what is driving the growth in their local jail and prison populations, (2) develop tailored policy options to reduce corrections expenditures and increase the effectiveness of current spending and reinvestment that can make communities safer, (3) implement the proposed policies and programs, and (4) measure the impact of these changes and develop accountability measures.

The legislation reflects the strong bipartisan support for expanding justice reinvestment beyond the work currently being conducted in several states. The Justice Center, in partnership with the Public Safety Performance Project of the Pew Center on the States, has led initiatives in 10 states, with additional support from a range of public/private partners that include the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Open Society Institute and the states receiving intensive technical assistance. The Public Welfare Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, state-based foundations and states themselves have contributed to this effort as well.

More information on the Justice Reinvestment Summit is available at www.justicereinvestment.org. Visit this site in the coming weeks to watch Attorney General Holder's comments, view panel discussions and access other conference materials.

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that serves policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government. It provides practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus-driven strategies—informed by available evidence—to increase public safety and strengthen communities. To learn more about the justice reinvestment approach, see www.justicereinvestment.org. For more about the CSG Justice Center, see www.justicecenter.csg.org.

The Pew Center on the States is a division of The Pew Charitable Trusts that identifies and advances effective solutions to critical issues facing states. Pew is a nonprofit organization that applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life. For more information, visit www.pewcenteronthestates.org.

The Public Welfare Foundation supports efforts to ensure fundamental rights and opportunities for people in need. The Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program seeks out opportunities for systems change to reduce the rate of incarceration and prison population in America while ensuring public safety. To learn more about the Public Welfare Foundation, see www.publicwelfare.org.]]> LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:43:12 -0500 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1069,1069#msg-1069 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1069,1069#msg-1069
[www.goodwill.org].]]> LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:21:45 -0500 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1058,1058#msg-1058 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1058,1058#msg-1058 murrayellison Transition / Re-Entry Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:33:27 -0500 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1031,1031#msg-1031 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1031,1031#msg-1031
Stephen C. Richards, Ph.D., Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, has again teamed with Jeffrey Ian Ross, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Division of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Forensic Studies, and a Fellow of the Center for International and Comparative Law, at the University of Baltimore to author another book on surviving prison and beyond.

In their recently released book, Beyond Bars: Rejoining Society after Prison, Ross and Richards note that in the United States, more than 600,000 men and women are released from prison each year.

They need to know what comes next. The vast majority of these men and women spend enough time in prison to disrupt their connections to their families and communities. And prison authorities fail to prepare ex-convicts for the difficult and often life threatening process of “reentry.” As a result, the percentage of ex-convicts who return to a life of crime and additional prison time escalates each year.

Beyond Bars is a current, practical, and comprehensive guide for ex-convicts and their families for managing a successful reentry into the community. Written by criminal justice experts who have 30 years of experience working with the prison system, this valuable book includes information on:

 Preparing for release while still in prison.
 Navigating and benefiting from the parole system.
 Dealing with family members, especially spouses and children.
 Finding a place to live on the “outside.”
 Finding a job.
 Money issues such as budgets, bank accounts, taxes, and debt.
 Avoiding drugs and other illicit activities.
 Free resources to rely on for support.

Beyond Bars: Rejoining Society after Prison is the logical follow-up to Ross and Richards’ other book, Behind Bars: Surviving Prison. In Behind Bars, Ross and Richards describe in detail what life on the inside is like for the ten thousand men and women who enter a prison each week in America.]]> Jerry Bednarowski Transition / Re-Entry Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:30:08 -0500 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1027,1027#msg-1027 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1027,1027#msg-1027 mplotkin@csg.org
Regina Davis: (240) 482-8583, rdavis@csg.org
October 26, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CSG Justice Center Unveils Federal Action Plan for Improving Responses
to Children of Incarcerated Parents


New York—The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center announced at a Capitol Hill briefing today the release of Children of Incarcerated Parents: An Action Plan for Federal Policymakers. The plan outlines promising practices and 70-plus recommendations for improving outcomes for the more than 1.7 million children of incarcerated parents. Supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Open Society Institute, the publication reflects the work of an advisory board of criminal justice and child welfare experts, representatives of community-based organizations, and a bipartisan group of state and local government officials.

“When parents are incarcerated, the impact on their children can be devastating,” said advisory board co-chair and Michigan State Senator Alan Cropsey. “There is so much we can do—from arrest to reentry—that can reduce the trauma for children and help ensure that their needs, and those of their caregivers, are being met. At last, that information is captured in this plan.”

Among the federal action plan's recommendations are those that urge policymakers to

create federal interagency task forces and develop cross-system collaborations that address the risk factors of children of incarcerated parents and better link them to services;
support new policies and practices in the criminal justice system that address trauma associated with a parent's arrest and their incarceration, which is often many miles from where a child is living;
encourage measures that facilitate visitation when in the best interests of the child and promote permanence that takes into account siblings and other important relationships;
address federal and state measures that make it more difficult for caregivers to obtain benefits and support for these children.
“Corrections, child welfare, and other agencies that encounter children of incarcerated parents can better coordinate their efforts to provide the care and services they need,” said advisory board co-chair Robin Arnold-Williams, Director, Executive Policy Office of Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire. “The Justice Center partnered with leaders in the field to ensure the action plan guides policymakers on the best strategies to ensure that these children are safe and secure. It is one of the most comprehensive summaries of key policy changes needed for this vulnerable population.”

Copies of the plan can be downloaded for free at [www.reentrypolicy.org].

The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that serves policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government. It provides practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus-driven strategies-informed by available evidence-to increase public safety and strengthen communities.










--------------------------------------------------------------------------------]]> LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:05:59 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1020,1020#msg-1020 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1020,1020#msg-1020 www.nationalreentryresourcecenter.org]

This is a new initiative I just haerd about. I have checked it out briefly, but I think you will find it valuable.]]> LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:37:02 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1015,1015#msg-1015 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1015,1015#msg-1015
Moderated by Frank Sesno, the program features Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, Nobel-Prize-winning neuroscientist Eric Kandel, Pulitzer-nominated journalist Pete Earley, and other panelists from law, medicine, and public policy — including several who have personally faced the challenges of mental illness and offer their riveting insights.

Visit the Minds on the Edge Web site for TV schedule information
and multimedia content on serious mental illness]]> LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:59:18 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1000,1000#msg-1000 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,1000,1000#msg-1000
Ten plus years after I resigned my position as a parenting and family educator inside adult prisons, I went back inside to help inmates and their families prepare for release. I am one of several trained facilitators volunteering in the Preparing for Release program developed in cooperation with Washington State’s Department of Corrections.

Rebuilding Families, Inc., the volunteer group with whom I work, sponsors and facilitates the program inside the state’s three women’s prisons. The program is presented in four sessions over two week-ends. Its intensity leaves me exhausted and exhilarated.

The women eligible to participate in Preparing for Release are nearing their release dates, have family members who are willing to help them with the reentry process and are ready to make realistic choices for their own futures. Some of them were acquainted with the Rebuilding Families organization and had applied for the association’s assistance in the physical transition from prison to community.

The first session, a Friday afternoon, involved only offenders and volunteer facilitators. We spent some time becoming comfortable in our respective teacher/student roles (for that is what they are) and discussing why offenders need to prepare for release. The student manual opens with a pretest that directs thinking and reasoning, and facilitates interaction.

Reuniting with family members after long separations is an emotional experience. Students started lists of their expectations (or hopes) and concerns (or fears). They knew their family members would complete similar exercises in the early part of the second session. That helped us segue to communication skills, how messages get garbled, and how to practice effective communication in families. Most of us have some level of dysfunction in our families. In the short time we’d been together as teachers and students, we’d become comfortable enough to do some self-disclosure.

The second session covers an entire Saturday. Our students arrived first and endured a recap of the Friday afternoon session while they awaited the arrival of their family members. They would have a few moments for greetings and an opportunity to get a bite of snacks set out for the families. Then they separated for the morning. At least one volunteer facilitator worked with the students on roles and rules, expectations and behaviors, while two or more coached family members in preparation for the afternoon.

After lunch together, offender students and their families came together to share what they’d learned, discuss their communication styles and begin preparing for a Family Re-entry agreement. Volunteer facilitator’s became negotiators, coaches or an extra pair of ears to listen to hopes and dreams, concerns and fears. We clarified, offered information about community resources and intervened only when invited. We had several boxes of tissues placed throughout the room. We knew there would be emotional moments.

At the end of the second session, offenders and their family members agreed to spend the next two weeks thinking and writing about the work they’d accomplished to that point. During that interval, one offender’s mother called our lead facilitator to say she wouldn’t be back. She didn’t trust her daughter enough to let her move back home.

The third session, again a Friday afternoon, examines personal and family roles, and the likelihood some of them have changed. My 18 years as a parenting and family educator proved helpful during this session. We discussed many positive roles and some that are less admirable. Some of the women admitted to being manipulators, a behavior that is often part of drug abuse. One woman said, “I’m a criminal, a thug.” We helped her look at her other roles. She was reaching the end of a long sentence; she appreciated discovering several more desirable behaviors she’s learned during the last few years.

Old behaviors can change, though it requires determination. Being willing to change, or choosing to change, is the first step. We worked on establishing limits and boundaries, discussing them within the family unit, and accepting those other family members adopt as part of the re-entry plan. We’d reached the point where students started a list of adjustments they realized they would have to make when they walked out of the prison gates.

Nerves dominated the fourth session and final session, the Saturday when offenders met with one facilitator and families with another to prioritize their re-entry activities. Many on both sides noted that the offender needed to stay clean and sober. That meant attending AA or NA meetings, possibly daily for 90 days. Offenders needed to know if they could expect financial support while they searched for work, and how soon the family expected them to get a job. Family members noted that the offender needed to take all prescribed medications as directed.

Children are a major issue in negotiated agreements. Our offender students who had young children still had some work to do to prepare for reuniting with their children. Those who had the benefit of parent education while incarcerated were more aware of the challenges awaiting them.

When we all came together on Saturday afternoon to finalize the Re-entry Agreement form, some families requested a facilitator’s presence. Others were ready to work on their own. I spent an hour with one couple who had some major unresolved issues. My role was mediator, a skill I’d trained for somewhere during my correctional education career. The couple wanted to resume life together, but they had many hurdles left. They’d avoided discussing the difficult issues when he visited her inside prison. They both found it easier to tell me their concerns and let me restate what I heard. By the end of our private hour, some tears were shed, some agreements were reached, and some issues were left on the table, in the open now, for further discussion. They are Preparing for Release.

More information about Preparing for Release is available at info@preparingforrelease.com. For some female offender specific information, contact Jan walker at janwalker@centurytel.net.

Rebuilding Families, Inc., is a nonprofit that assists Washington state female offenders with their transition back into the community and reunification with their families. www.rebuildingfamilies.org.

by: Jan Walker, Gig Harbor, Washington]]> Jerry Bednarowski Transition / Re-Entry Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:36:01 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,990,990#msg-990 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,990,990#msg-990 linda.audet@vadoc.virginia.gov. The grant for this one was written by Gwynne Cunningham of the Virginia Dept. of Correctional Education.

Petersburg, VA.



By Michael Buettner
Staff Writer
Published: Friday, July 17, 2009 8:48 AM EDT


ETTRICK — When an offender is released from prison, getting a job isn’t just a way to make enough money to live on, it’s also a way to help lower the crime rate.



In the current economy, with jobs hard to find even for non-offenders, prisoners who are preparing for their release need all the help they can get. Now, there are about three dozen people who’ve acquired new skills and tools to provide exactly that kind of help.



The state’s first class of Offender Workforce Development Specialists completed their three-week training session at Virginia State University on Thursday and received their certificates during a graduation ceremony at the L. Douglas Wilder Building.



The training was underwritten by a grant from the U.S. Justice Department, which also designed the program, said Omarh Rajah, an educator who works for the federal Bureau of Prisons and also represents the Matoaca district on the Chesterfield County School Board.



Along with lunch and the certificates, the graduates also received some reminders of the importance of their work, as well as advice from a man who knows what it means to walk out of a prison and look for a job.



Today, Rodney White is a facilitator with Circular Arc, a software company based in Midlothian. Previously, he was a top salesman at a large Richmond auto dealership. He’s also an accomplished public speaker and a volunteer at local and state correctional facilities. But before all that, he served 15½ years in federal prison for his role in a major Richmond-area drug ring that was broken up in the early 1990s.



White urged the new workforce specialists to understand the attitudes their clients have formed both in prison and in their everyday lives before they were convicted, as well as the challenges they will face in readjusting to outside life.



"It’s so easy for someone like me to get out of jail and reach in my pocket and get my address book and start making phone calls, and be back selling dope in a week," he said.



In their training, White noted, the graduates received lessons and then took tests about what they had learned. In life, however, "you take the test first, and then you learn the lesson. ... The 15½ years I spent in federal prison were because I failed the test."



It’s important that more offenders succeed in readjusting to life outside prison, not only for the offenders themselves but also for their communities, said Conaway Haskins, state director for the office of Sen. Jim Webb.



Haskins said Webb — who is pressing for the creation of a high-level commission to study possible ways to reform the nation’s criminal justice system — sees services like job placement as "a preventive measure. We need to make sure we stabilize families and stabilize communities, because with stable families and stable communities, the crime rate comes down."



If nothing else, the sheer numbers of people involved make this an urgent issue, Haskins suggested, noting that while the United States has just 5 percent of the world’s population, it accounts for 25 percent of the world’s prison population.



Gary Bass, chief of operations for the Virginia Department of Corrections, pointed out that his department is the largest state agency. "We spend a lot of money and do a lot of things. ... What we do best is lock up inmates and keep them locked up."



However, he added, "Something that we don’t do really well is release them, reprocess them back into the community. That’s so important, it’s almost more important than keeping them locked up safely. Because most of them are going to get out, and it’s so difficult for them to make the transition back into the community."







--------------------------------------------------------------------------------]]> LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:07:36 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,985,985#msg-985 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,985,985#msg-985 LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:30:42 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,984,984#msg-984 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,984,984#msg-984 GERGEN & VANOUREK: Ex-felons rebuild lives
By Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek
The Washington Times
Originally published 04:45 a.m., July 1, 2009, updated 11:41 a.m., July 1, 2009


In the Richmond community of Highland Park, there is a road that once was considered so dangerous that locals would drive far out of their way to avoid it. On one street corner alone, there were six murders in two years.

Today, Meadowbridge Road is bustling with activity of another kind: commerce and construction. An old fire station has been converted into a full-service restaurant, catering service and business incubator. Next door is a thrift store for "gently used" clothes, and across the street is the Harvest Store - a 7,500-square-foot used-furniture store. Dotted around the neighborhood are newly renovated homes occupied by proud families who helped to clean them up.

The source of this rejuvenation is as unlikely as the story itself. This is the work of ex-felons enrolled in Boaz & Ruth, a faith-based nonprofit training program started in 2002. Before enrolling in Boaz & Ruth, 90 percent of the enrollees lived below the poverty line, 100 percent were unemployed, 82 percent had a history of substance abuse, 38 percent were homeless, 86 percent had no driver's license, and 40 percent were estranged from their families.

That is a difficult starting place. No wonder two-thirds of ex-prisoners are arrested again within three years, according to the Brookings Institution's Hamilton Project, and the communities where they end up remain depressed.

Boaz & Ruth flips this equation on its head. Located in a neighborhood with a high concentration of released prisoners, the group helps its graduates get back on track through the renewal of the communities in which they live. Its yearlong training program features intense weekly scheduling, including personal coaching, classes geared to life and work readiness, and employment in one of Boaz & Ruth's business ventures, including the Harvest Store, Fire House 15 Restaurant and Cathedral Construction, which is renovating local abandoned properties.

The results for participants are promising. Of last year's 65 participants, 46 obtained stable housing, 10 re-connected with estranged family members, eight were able to purchase a car, and seven enrolled in higher education. Of the 42 Boaz & Ruth graduates who completed the entire program, just four have been re-incarcerated.

As for the community ventures, the numbers are equally attractive. Over the course of last year, Boaz & Ruth's enterprises employed 278 people. Eleven buildings in the community have been bought and renovated by the group, and crime has dropped 37 percent in Highland Park. Moreover, Boaz & Ruth's community activities brought almost 2,400 people into the community - many for the first time.

In 2005, Boaz & Ruth become a partner, albeit an unconventional one, with AmeriCorps, a national service program that promotes a year of community service for its participants. Typically, AmeriCorps engages recent college graduates in service assignments geared toward helping nonprofit partners. In exchange for a year of service, graduates get a modest living allowance and stipend for continuing education, typically a master's degree. By contrast, Boaz & Ruth has used its AmeriCorps funding to support ex-felons - providing them with job training and life skills. For AmeriCorps, this has been fitting a square peg in a round hole, but therein lies the opportunity.

As President Obama seeks to expand national service opportunities dramatically, the Boaz & Ruth model offers an opportunity for fresh thinking. Nicknamed "RestoreCorps" by founder Martha Rollins, the program could be targeted exclusively at felons re-entering society. The funding would provide life-skills training and provide the ex-offenders with hands-on employment opportunities focused on building entrepreneurial enterprises in poverty-stricken and crime-ridden neighborhoods. It also would provide funding for additional schooling.

This model could be expanded to serve other populations, such as substance abusers and juvenile offenders. One only needs to drive down Meadowbridge Road to see the possibilities. It's time to spread this idea to other communities in need.]]> LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:17:45 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,951,951#msg-951 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,951,951#msg-951 Thanks
Murray Ellison
CEA President's Council Chairman
email: bluemur@comcast.net
and additional new email: mellison@edaff.com]]> murrayellison Transition / Re-Entry Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:53:08 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,866,866#msg-866 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,866,866#msg-866 LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:25:16 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,812,812#msg-812 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,812,812#msg-812 murrayellison Transition / Re-Entry Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:37:15 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,791,791#msg-791 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,791,791#msg-791 [www.urban.org]]]> LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:43:30 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,780,780#msg-780 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,780,780#msg-780
Prior to his retirement in 2003, Art Besse had 41 years of service in the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Department of Health and Family Services, and Department of Workforce Development. Art started his own consulting firm, Art Besse & Associates LLC in 1992. Drawing on his experience, Art has regularly presented workshops for teachers, social workers, probation and parole agents, and others who work with offenders in reentry programs. His presentations which are tailored to the interests and needs of his audience have always been well attended and proven to be very useful to the workshop participants.

One of Art’s most popular workshops is Consequences of Having a Criminal Record and Remedies Under the Law.

Most people including corrections professionals have a limited grasp on the hidden consequences that accompany a criminal conviction. In a state like Wisconsin, the most basic consequences of temporary loss of voting and jury rights along with the permanent loss of gun possession rights and the right to hold public office are fairly well known.

Art’s workshop focuses on the collateral consequences suffered by the man or woman or youth with a criminal record. These consequences may include deportation of aliens including legal aliens; holes in the social safety net including food stamps, AFDC, SSI and Social Security; housing barriers including Section 8, private owner barriers and local government sex offender ordinances; driver’s license restrictions including loss of license, CDL, bus driver and hazardous materials restrictions; loss of student financial aid; loss of parental rights; and a myriad of employment related restrictions depending upon the offense of conviction. Also included in the presentation is a discussion of remedies such as record expungement, rehabilitative review, and executive clemency.

In recognition of Art Besse’s effort to provide valuable training opportunities for correctional staff, the Executive Board of CEA-Wisconsin is pleased to present him with the 2009 CEA-W Showcase Award.

For being named the recipient of the 2009 Showcase Award, the CEA-W Executive Board will present Art with a $250 grant to help defray the professional expenses to present a workshop at the 64th Annual CEA Conference in Madison on July 19-22.]]> Jerry Bednarowski Transition / Re-Entry Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:22:00 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,754,754#msg-754 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,754,754#msg-754 Application deadline: March 9, 2009
The National Institute of Corrections is soliciting proposals for its Transition From Prison to Community initiative. This grant provides technical assistance to six states over a 3-year period. The goal of the initiative is to increase the success of inmates leaving prison by improving assessment, programming, planning, collaboration, and community support. (NIC)

[community.nicic.org]]]> BJ Berquist Transition / Re-Entry Sat, 14 Feb 2009 12:05:57 -0500 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,573,573#msg-573 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,573,573#msg-573
I am new to this board and wanted to introduce myself. My name is Jeanne Webster and I am a profesional certified coach that niches in teen and young adult issues. Most specifically, I developed a program from my first book that coaches teens on clarity, direction and focus for their lives. Currently I speak and present this program to mentor groups, pto's etc. About a year ago I began volunteering with a domestic violence center in my area and taught life skills and my program to survivors of dv. As a by product, the court system here began using me as a resource for reunifacation cases by assigning the parents to me for a treatment plan. Because of this involvement I have become very interested in juvenile justice work ie, education, renentry and prevention. My program seems to work well with both adults and children.

What I would like to do is become more involved in juvenile justice. Having said that, there doesnt seem to be an over abundance (or any that I can find) of professional life coaches working in this field. Coaching seems to be uniquely suited for helping teens and adults find direction. Part of my work centers around bringing awareness that we are where we are because of the choices we make and the actions we take in our lives and because of that, we can always make different and better choices. The program then teaches the skills and tools that help keep us alighned with those better choices like what boundaries are and how to make them etc.

I wonder if anyone could help me get started here. I would like to get more involved with this work, and perhaps present at some conferences the idea that coaches can contribute an enormous amount of information and skills that can be used when working with juveniles. I would appreciate any insite anyone can give me.
Thanks
Jeanne]]> JeanneW Transition / Re-Entry Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:16:05 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,565,565#msg-565 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,565,565#msg-565
NDTAC is pleased to announce the next event in our series of Webinars (Web-based teleconferences):

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Event Name: Inter-agency Collaboration: An Innovative Transition Practice
Date: Thursday, September 18, 2008
Time: 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. ET
Register: [www.neglected-delinquent.org]
(Registration is required to receive information on how to attend the event.)
**********************************************************************************************

Event Description
Transition has been defined as "a coordinated set of activities for the youth, designed within an outcome-oriented process, which promotes successful movement from the community to a correctional program setting, and from a correctional program setting to post-incarceration activities." As this definition conveys, a critical component of transition is coordination. Coordination requires individuals from multiple systems to work together to ensure that a youth involved in the juvenile justice system receives all of the needed support services throughout the process. Learning how to come together and effectively work with other agencies is essential to the educational and life outcomes of youth who are neglected, delinquent, or at-risk of school failure.

NDTAC’s upcoming Webinar, "Inter-agency Collaboration: An Innovative Transition Practice" will provide practical strategies to facilitate collaboration among agencies that provide services for youth transitioning through the juvenile justice system. To gain multiple viewpoints, presenters will provide strategies at both the State and local levels. Jane Young, Ph.D., Superintendent of the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, will speak about facilitating collaboration among various agencies involved in transition. Tim Canter, Community Transition Specialist at Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Oregon, will present transition strategies he uses in his work with the school district and local juvenile justice facilities. NDTAC’s Leslie Brock will facilitate and lead the discussion.

Questions?
If you have any questions about the Live Meeting technology or the Webinar, please contact us at ndtac@air.org or your State Liaison.

Thank you,
NDTAC

Title I, Part D e-Mail List
Maintained by the National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent or At Risk (NDTAC) through support from the U.S. Department of Education. For more information, visit [www.neglected-delinquent.org].

To subscribe: visit [www.neglected-delinquent.org]
To post a message: send an email to ndtac@air.org]]> BJ Berquist Transition / Re-Entry Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:46:47 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,533,533#msg-533 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,533,533#msg-533
Family Connections of Wisconsin, Inc., an organization in Madison, Wisconsin, provides a necessary service for children of incarcerated mothers. The mission of one part of their program is to give children a bus ride, once a month, to see their mothers in prison. That seems simple enough, but the mission is not always simple. Without community involvement and donations, this organization would not be able to exist.

Family Connections successfully sponsors these trips for children in Madison and the rewards have been numerous. Not only are they maintaining and strengthening family relationships affected by incarceration, the bonds formed between the children and the volunteers have been a wonderful reward of the mission. Siblings separated from each other reunite for these monthly trips. The older children have become friends with the younger kids and friendships have formed --- creating a support network on the buses.

The volunteers and part-time staff speak enthusiastically about how the children love their moms and want to see them. The children often move around between foster homes and relatives and these trips give them hope of their families being back together again. The bus ride becomes a time of singing and visiting with other children who have something important in common. The volunteers read to the kids and serve breakfast on the way. On arrival, the kids get those face-to-face meetings and the volunteers do some activities with the families. The relationships between mothers and children that keep active and strong are a proven deterrent to recidivism when released. On the way home, the bus stops for ice cream at Culver’s. These trips would not be possible without the generous donations of local corporations.

Involvement in this program helps the moms stay focused while incarcerated. Children occupy their thoughts all the time while incarcerated and this program helps them with their long-term goals and behavior while in prison. The goal is to get them involved as soon as they get to prison. The woman have a verbal contract with the program volunteers to stay out of trouble so their children can come and visit. Volunteers tell the mothers that it is very hard to tell a child “they can’t go this time because their mother is unavailable.” This is a very meaningful message to the moms and the moms have been very cooperative with the verbal contract. They keep their children’s pictures on their calendars to remind them of the visits.

Children need to see their moms no matter where they are --- this is no surprise. Yearning for Mom is natural and common. Children often have behavior problems when they cannot see their mothers. These bus trips have been a win-win for all involved --- moms, children, and volunteers. Caregivers of the children also benefit and appreciate the service because they often are not in a position to take the children to see their mothers but support the visits.

There are plenty of stories the volunteers share that exemplify why this program is so worthwhile for all involved and make it “ worth it” to keep volunteering each month. A seventeen-year-old girl was very emotional about going to see her mother but overcame her anxiety and considered it a personal triumph to board the bus. The visit with her mother was so joyful that the girl was able to have, for the first time, some acceptance of the situation her mother was in and had a much needed mother-daughter talk with her. A family with four siblings who live in different foster homes get to be together and then share time with mom together on these Saturdays. A seventeen-year-old boy who felt his mom had ruined his life opened up to a volunteer on a bus trip forming a close bond between the two, which helped fill a void in the boy’s life.

Another program offered by Family Connections of Wisconsin, Inc. on these visits to the prisons is called Reading Connections. This one-hour program facilitated by the volunteers is offered to women who do not have children visiting. It encourages literacy, parent-child bonding, and allows the moms be role models for their children as they develop their own literacy. The volunteers work with three women at a time helping them put a book on audio tape to be sent home to their children. In addition to the books to tape, FCW provides stationary for writing letters, extra books for the packages, and all the packing material. The moms put the packages together and FCW takes care of the mailing. FCW is able to get all of these materials donated from organizations and corporations in the Madison area.

Family Connections of Wisconsin, Inc. has operated since 2000 on a grass roots level with a board of ten members, part-time staff, and volunteers. Fund raising is the biggest challenge. The organization hopes to expand to more areas of the state. With families being a key issue to re-entry initiatives for the incarcerated, this program is an exemplary example of what works.

Submitted by: Mary K. Knox
Wisconsin Resource Center]]> Jerry Bednarowski Transition / Re-Entry Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:48:09 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,479,479#msg-479 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,479,479#msg-479 LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:41:58 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,470,470#msg-470 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,470,470#msg-470
NDTAC is seeking additional transition resources to highlight in the Toolkit. We are particularly interested in including transition resources with an education focus. Examples of possible resources include forms and templates for transition plans, records transfer tools, action plans and needs assessments, tracking tools for aftercare services, and/or other tools that you have found helpful in transitioning youth through the juvenile justice system.

If your State or facility has resources that have been useful in transitioning youth, or you have any questions about this request, simply reply to this message or contact Leslie Brock at lbrock@air.org by July 18, 2008.

Thank you!

NDTAC

Title I, Part D e-Mail List
Maintained by the National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent or At Risk (NDTAC) through support from the U.S. Department of Education [www.neglected-delinquent.org].

Forwarded by BJ Berquist
bjb@tappedin.org]]> BJ Berquist Transition / Re-Entry Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:34:01 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,462,462#msg-462 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,462,462#msg-462
According to John Moore, Chief of the Offender Workforce Development Division of the National Institute of Corrections, “many of the prisoners being released from correctional facilities are ill-prepared to apply for jobs that have an online or kiosk-based employment application owing to their inexperience with computers and the Internet.” Moore adds that “most jails and prisons do not allow prisoners to access the Internet, creating a barrier for preparing inmates to compete in today’s technologically driven human resources environment.”

The software developed by the National Institute of Corrections overcomes this barrier by simulating the experience of completing an online application. The software also educates the user about online applications, provides a printable worksheet that can be used to prepare offenders for completing these applications, and allows the user to print out the entries made during the simulation. Context sensitive help is provided throughout the simulation.

The Online/Kiosk Employment Application Simulation is suitable for corrections, probation, and parole agencies as well as faith-based and community organizations. It is available at no cost from the National Institute of Corrections through the agency’s Information Center. To obtain a copy of the software, you may download or order it on the web by going to [www.nicic.gov]. You may also obtain a copy by calling the Information Center at 1-800-877-1461 or emailing asknicic@nicic.org. Request item # 022996.]]> jrak Transition / Re-Entry Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:22:03 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,411,411#msg-411 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,411,411#msg-411 www.msnbc.msn.com]

Here is a link to an interesting article about the relationship of work and recidivism.]]> LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Thu, 08 May 2008 09:30:37 -0400 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,386,386#msg-386 http://www.ceanational.org/phorum/read.php?3,386,386#msg-386 LindaA Transition / Re-Entry Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:57:45 -0400