Hartford Courant: Connecticut Budget Impasse is a Public Safety Risk

Connecticut Budget Impasse is a Public Safety Risk

Letter to the Editor reprinted from the  Hartford Courant, August 2, 2017

As the Executive Director of Family ReEntry, a Connecticut 

criminal justice nonprofit, and as a formerly incarcerated person myself, I am greatly concerned about the state legislature's inability/unwillingness to pass a budget.

In the criminal justice sector, this represents a huge public safety risk as people are released from prisons in ever larger numbers (a good thing) without adequate access to critical cost-effective wraparound services such as substance abuse and mental health counseling, career training, housing, family services, etc.

It should be no surprise that, when left with no other option, these individuals often return to the very behavior that landed them in prison in the first place (a very bad thing).

As the cost to incarcerate a person can be up to 10 times the cost of nonprofit-provided re-entry services, it is obvious that it is in our short-term and long-term financial best interest to reinvest state budget savings in quality community corrections.

Each day without a budget and adequate funding of Connecticut's nonprofits wastes the precious few resources we have at huge fiscal cost - and at even larger costs in human suffering and public safety.

Jeff Grant, JD, M Div

Executive Director - Family ReEntry, Inc.

75 Washington Avenue

Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604

familyreentry.org

jeffgrant@familyreentry.org

(office) 203-290-0855

(mobile) 203-957-0162

First Do No Harm: How Can the Connecticut Criminal Justice Community and State Government Work Together to Get Through the Fiscal Crisis? An Open Letter

First Do No Harm: How Can the Connecticut Criminal Justice Community and State Government Work Together to Get Through the Fiscal Crisis? An Open Letter

An Open Letter to Governor Malloy, State of Connecticut Legislators, and Members of the Connecticut Criminal Justice Community: The Hippocratic Oath compels those in the medical profession to make certain that they first do no harm. A just and ethical principle to which all professionals should pay heed. History, as well as Connecticut’s recent experience, shows that rescissions to cost effective programs has far reaching detrimental collateral and economic implications. Once cut, restoration simply does not happen. These vital and proven programs will likely vanish. It costs about $34,687 per year to incarcerate an individual versus less than $5,000 per year to provide services to that same individual in the community.  Too often, economic downturns compel funding cuts to social services, cuts that are both inhumane and end up driving up costs to our state in the long run. Many services have already been reduced to the bare bones over the past several years as a result of the last recession. The current series of proposed cuts to community-based prevention, intervention, diversion and reentry criminal justice programs – as well as to including and mental health and addiction services – will lead to more people unduly suffering, costing the state (and the taxpayers) significantly more money in the end than it would to help provide for their basic needs. People returning from prison are among society’s most vulnerable – as are their families.  After having served their sentence they are now trying to rebuild their lives with the stigma of a felony conviction that functions as a scarlet letter. Many of these individuals live in the poorest, most crime-ridden neighborhoods in our state, with limited opportunities – which is in part why they became susceptible to crime in the first place. Many or most also suffer from mental health issues and addiction problems. Without public policies that promote social cohesion and well-being for individuals who have been in prison, research shows that they will soon return to the criminal behavior that landed them in prison in the first place. Nonprofits already do the job with very little funding and resources. Research, for which Connecticut has been at the forefront, categorically demonstrates that good community criminal justice programs (crime prevention, reentry, mental health, substance abuse treatment, diversion programs) reduce recidivism and incarceration rates thereby saving the state (and taxpayers) money (Fagan & Buchanan, 2016); a lot of money in both the short and long term. These programs have a positive return on our investment by eliminating the costs of returning these individuals back to prison or the court system, and helping individuals become productive, tax-paying citizens. Long-term benefit-cost ratios for some community reentry programs in CT are as high as $405.23 for every dollar invested (see “Results First Benefit-Cost Analyses of Adult Criminal and Juvenile Justice Evidence-Based Programs”). Connecticut can be the nation’s leader in criminal justice reform.  We propose that that the state and the nonprofit sector jointly adopt a motto of “First Do No Harm.” While we recognize the challenges and competing priorities within social service programs, let’s not rush to reduce spending on or cut critical interventions that have been built over thirty years of thoughtful planning supported by research and measurable outcomes. Instead, let’s create a re-envisioned public-private-nonprofit partnership that is committed to enlightened policy decisions in our state by investing today in programs that work to help reduce recidivism and provide health coverage and addiction services to those in need, so as to help ensure our future prosperity as a state and a country. We urge the legislature’s passing of the mini-budget this Thursday as an important next step! We at Family ReEntry welcome all thoughts and comments. My contact information is below. Respectfully and gratefully submitted, Jeff Grant, JD, M Div, Executive Director Family ReEntry, Inc. 75 Washington Street Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604 (office) 203-290-0855 (mobile) 203-957-0162 jeffgrant@familyreentry.org familyreentry.org

learn more

Citations: Clark, A., Janicki, M. M., & Noonan, J. (2016). Connecticut Results First Benefit-cost Analyses of Adult Criminal and Juvenile Justice Evidence-based Programs, Pursuant to Public Act 15-5, June Special Session, Connecticut General Statutes, Sections 4-68r and-68s. Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy, Central Connecticut State University. Durose, M. R., Cooper, A. D., & Snyder, H. N. (2014). Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 30 States in 2005: Patterns from 2005 to 2010. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Fagan, A. A., & Buchanan, M. (2016). What Works in Crime Prevention?. Criminology & Public Policy, 15(3), 617-649.

Family ReEntry’s mission is to develop, implement, and share sustainable, cost-effective solutions for the unprecedented numbers of people involved in the criminal justice system, which empower individuals, strengthen families, and build communities. For more info please visit our website at familyreentry.org and you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. All proceeds go to supporting these valuable programs.

DONATE

Advocacy | Programs | Opportunities | Contact

Family ReEntry, Inc.  |  jeffgrant@familyreentry.org  |   501(c)3 Organization  |  203-290-0865

   

Family ReEntry's Testimony on Criminal Justice Before the Connecticut State Legislature Appropriations Committee

Prisonist.org: Faith & Dignity 
for the Days Ahead
Blogs, Guest Blogs & News

Family ReEntry's Testimony on 

Criminal Justice Before the 

Connecticut State Legislature 

Appropriations Committee 
 

Public Hearing:

Weds., Feb. 22, 2017, 6:30 pm

_____________

H.B. No. 7027 AN ACT CONCERNING THE STATE BUDGET FOR THE BIENNIUM ENDING JUNE THIRTIETH 2019, AND MAKING APPROPRIATIONS THEREFOR.

Good afternoon, Senator Formica, Senator Osten, Representative Walker, and members of the Appropriations Committee.   

My name is Jeff Grant and I am Executive Director of Family ReEntry.  Founded in 1984 in Bridgeport, Family ReEntry’s mission is to develop, implement, and share innovative and cost-effective solutions to the unprecedented numbers of people involved in the criminal justice system.  We contract with the Connecticut Department of Correction and the Court Support Services Division, as well as other state agencies, to provide services inside and outside of prison, in support of DOC’s mission to “protect the public” and “provide offenders with opportunities for successful community reintegration.”  

Our high-impact services for youth and families tackle the root causes of violent crime through evidence-based social, cognitive and behavioral interventions that restore healthy family functioning and assist returning citizens in becoming positive contributing members of society. For example, participants in our court-referred domestic/family violence programs (n=1539) for 2014-2015 had a re-arrest rate of 8%, which is 60% lower than the program benchmark for re-arrest rates set by the state (20%). 

I would like to take this opportunity to applaud the bold steps that this administration has taken to reduce the numbers of people in prison through criminal justice reform and Second Chance Society legislation. Having served thirteen and a half months in a federal prison myself for a white-collar crime I committed in 2001, I can personally attest to the humanitarian value of second chances. Without the support from my wife, the faith community and opportunities to volunteer with Family ReEntry when I came out of prison, it is unlikely that I would be standing before you today as a tax-paying citizen, non-profit leader and advocate for returning citizens.  

All taxpayers in our state will benefit if Connecticut’s prison population levels can be sustained or further decreased, so long as public safety is not jeopardized.  With these goals in mind, Family ReEntry opposes the proposed one-million dollar cut to DOC’s community support services, and requests that the amount remain at the same level as last year ($34,803,726). 

While we understand the pressing need for a balanced state budget, we believe that cuts to community-based services are not in the best interest of public safety or the longer-term fiscal health of our state.  

With more individuals returning from prison and jail to our communities, it is all the more urgent that we maintain our investment in community services to ensure that recidivism rates do not increase.  Research shows that when individuals returning from prison do not have the social supports and resources they need to rebuild their lives, they are much more likely to commit another crime and return to prison within one to three years of release.^[i] The first six months in reentry are a critical time for intervention and for linking individuals without the necessary supports to much needed behavioral health, housing, legal aid and other rehabilitative services.[ii]  Reentry service providers are on the front-lines in preventing other critical problems our state faces as well, including overdose deaths[iii] and children from witnessing domestic violence.

Evidence-based community programs yield significant returns on investment by reducing recidivism.  As stated in a PEW Center on the States report[iv]: 

Policy makers must confront the reality that, for the foreseeable future, roughly seven out of every ten offenders will continue to serve all or part of their sentences in the community. Ensuring public safety and balancing a budget, then, require states to strengthen badly neglected community corrections systems, so they can become credible options for more of the lowest risk offenders who otherwise would be in prison. 

The non-partisan Connecticut Regional Institute for the 21rst Century (CT21) report[v] concerning the fiscal future of our state---recommends that, “The current Department of Correction re‐entry programs both internal and community based need to be funded and sustained” and they also warn that “Connecticut must resist temptation to reduce funding for these programs.”  A 2006 national opinion survey likewise indicates that the general public also favors rehabilitative services for offenders, as opposed to a punishment-only approach by an almost 8 to 1 margin[vi].

As the state continues to garner cost savings from criminal justice reform measures, it would behoove the state legislature to maintain the state’s investment in reentry services as part of justice reinvestment. Everyone will be the beneficiary from front-line investments that will help restore healthy families, increase public safety, rebuild our communities and continue to reduce our prison population. 

Thank you for your attention to this important issue.  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Respectfully submitted,

Jeff Grant, JD, M Div, Executive Director

Family ReEntry, Inc.

75 Washington Avenue

Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604

FamilyReEntry.org

(o) 203-290-0855

(c) 203-957-0162

jeffgrant@familyreentry.org

---

[i] Kempker, G., Gibel, S., Giguere, R. A (2010) Framework for Offender Reentry. Silver Spring, Maryland. Center for Effective Public Policy.

[ii] Source: Draine, J., & Herman, D. B. (2007). Critical time intervention for reentry from prison for persons with mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 58(12), 1577-1581.

[iii] Yale’s 2016 plan for Connecticut Opioid Response (CORE) states that 44 percent of fatal overdoses in Connecticut occurred among individuals who had a history of having been detained by the DOC.  For individuals with an opioid disorder released from DOC, 60% of overdose deaths occurred within six months of their release. Retrieved from

http://www.plan4children.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/COREInitiativeForPublicComment.pdf

[iv] Source: One in 31: The Long Reach of American Corrections; PEW Center on the States; March 2009; page 22

[v] Source: BlumShapiro (2010). Connecticut Regional Institute for the 21^st Century: Assessment of Connecticut’s Correction, Pardon and Parole (Report No. 2). Retrieved from http://www.ct21.org/attachments/article/116/prisonreportppt.pdf: page 37 [emphasis added].

[vi] Krisberg, B. & Marchionna, S. (2006). Attitudes of U.S. Voters Toward Prisoner Rehabilitation and Reentry Policies. Oakland, CA: National Council on Crime and Delinquency.

Playing With Fire: An Open Letter from Family ReEntry On Connecticut's Plan to Cut Funding For Criminal Justice & Public Safety

Prisonist.org: Faith & Dignity 
for the Days Ahead
Blogs, Guest Blogs & News 

 On Friday, May 6, at 10 am, a Press
 Conference has been scheduled at
 Family ReEntry’s office
 at 75 Washington Ave., Bridgeport.
 you are invited to attend!

 

Playing With Fire:

An Open Letter from Family ReEntry

On Connecticut's Plan to Cut Funding 

For Criminal Justice & Public Safety

By Steve Lanza & Ronda Muir

_____________

We at prisonist.org urge you to read this 

letter carefully and forward it to your 

Connecticut state legislators as soon as possible.

Time is of the essence. - Jeff  

_____________

"A hero is one who does the best of things 

in the worst of times, seizing every 

opportunity" - Joseph Campbell 

The governor and legislature are taking steps that drastically reduce Connecticut’s public safety and jeopardize our most vulnerable citizens. Disproportionately high cuts implemented last week by the Connecticut Department of Correction, in anticipation of the state budget being voted on this week by the legislature, have devastated the community justice providers across the state.

Family ReEntry is a high-impact nonprofit agency with integrated services for reentering citizens, those suffering from mental health and substance abuse, perpetrators of family/domestic violence, and at-risk youth and families. These programs help halt the tragic inter-generational cycle of violence and abuse and are proven to reduce recidivism, victimization, wasted lives, state and local costs, and a number of collaterally negative consequences, as well as create a positive climate for business growth Connecticut.

Family ReEntry was notified last week of the closing of 67% of its DOC community programs, including two large mental health and substance abuse treatment programs, which are already over-utilized and are projected to treat 1,600 by June 30, when the contracts are being terminated. We work with other community justice providers across the state essential to providing humane and effective care, and many of their programs were also eliminated this past week.

Without these services, crime will increase, incarceration will increase, associated costs will increase, unemployment will increase, and communities, families and individuals will suffer. This precipitate move will also negatively impact nonprofits throughout the state, resulting in layoffs of valuable workers, which will drive up the Connecticut’s unemployment costs and decrease income and sales tax revenue.
 
The regard in which Connecticut is held when it comes to the national conversation about criminal justice reform is being quickly sullied. While the fiscal year 2017 deficit is estimated at roughly 6%, these programs statewide, where even a small reduction will have a devastating and lasting ripple effect, are being disproportionately burdened by these cuts. 

Needed structural and policy changes to improve our state criminal justice system and produce associated benefits and savings will be much less likely from such a decimated base. In the long-term, these cuts will increase costs and leave a legacy of human and social destruction, as has happened in other states that have attempted to balance their budget on the backs of their most vulnerable.

Connecticut should create a long-term budget plan that funds human services and community justice at appropriate levels to maintain quality of care. Other investment strategies in the nonprofit sector, such as Social Impact Bonds and similar instruments, should be considered and savings in less critical public safety areas explored. In the meantime, the community justice sector and its vulnerable beneficiaries should not be unfairly sacrificed to the current budget.

Now is when the people of Connecticut need heroes!

Please implore your legislators to prevent these devastating budget cuts in the community justice sector and protect public safety. 

Yours,


Steve Lanza, Executive Director, Family ReEntry
Board Member, International Community Corrections Association, Member, CT Domestic Violence Offender Program Standards Advisory Council, Faculty, University of Connecticut, Department of Human Development & Family Studies

Ronda Muir, Esq., Chair, Board of Directors, Family ReEntry

______________

Comments from Social Media: 

Adam Dolan Malloy pushes $3000 credits for people who buy electric cars [i.e. toys for the wealthy], but he's fine with gutting programs like this. Incomprehensible. 

An Open Letter to Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy and Our State Legislators, by Rev. Jeff Grant, JD, M Div: On the State's Plan to Cut Funding for Prisoner Reentry

Prisonist.org: Faith & Dignity 
for the Days Ahead
Blogs, Guest Blogs & News 

An Open Letter to Connecticut 

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy 

and Our State Legislators:

 On the State's Plan to Cut Funding for

Prisoner Reentry

By Rev. Jeff Grant, JD, M Div

Dear Governor Malloy and
Our Connecticut State Legislators,

I am on the Board of Directors of Family ReEntry, an essential nonprofit agency serving released inmates and their families in Fairfield and New Haven Counties.   

These reentry services include critical mental health and substance abuse treatment for over 1,500 Paroles each year – thus increasing public safety, reducing recidivism, and decreasing the collateral consequences and costs.  In addition, Family ReEntry provides effective interventions for over 1,200 family violence offenders throughout the State - resulting in significant reductions in the victimization of women and children. These programs help halt the tragic intergenerational cycle of violence and abuse. 

Family ReEntry Youth Programs focus on prevention and very early intervention for children of incarcerated parents and youth involved in the Juvenile Justice System – thus saving lives and dollars. Other community justice providers across the State are essential to the social order, humane and effective care, and public safety.   

Without these services, crime will increase, incarceration will increase, associated costs will increase, unemployment will increase, and communities will suffer. This is not an attractive climate for business!

I am reaching out to implore you to do everything in your power to prevent budget cuts in the community justice sector. 

Cuts already implemented have devastated the community justice providers across the State.  Family ReEntry, for example, has lost 67% of its Department of Corrections community programs, including two large mental health and substance abuse treatment programs, which were already over utilized by 450 Parolees and were projected to effectively assess and treat 1,600 by June 30 when the contracts are terminated. What happens to public safety after that?  And these are only two of the many mental and substance abuse treatments programs eliminated this week.   

If you recall, it did not go so well when hundreds of psychiatric facilities were closed in the U.S.  According to the NYT, the policies that led to the release of most of the nation's mentally ill patients from the hospital to the community without appropriate care in the community are now widely regarded as a major failure. Sweeping critiques of the policies, notably a report of the American Psychiatric Association, have spread the blame everywhere, faulting politicians…..and others.  Another dismal policy failure should not be your legacy. 

Some relevant points for you to consider:

Find Another Way: Please attempt to meet the projected budget deficits without devastating the nonprofit human services and criminal justice (CJ) sectors.  Even a small reduction in these sectors will have a devastating and lasting ripple effect.  In the long-term, these cuts will increase costs and leave a legacy of human and social destruction.

Plan Long-Term: Create a long term State Budget plan that funds human services and community justice at appropriate levels that maintain quality of care and a stable workforce. Nonprofits are businesses throughout the State - vital to the State’s economy and its ability to attract new businesses.

Don’t Compromise Public Safety: Cuts to the criminal justice sector will result in decreased public safety (and commensurate costs) and setback much needed criminal justice system reforms (with commensurate human, societal, and financial costs).

Don’t Retreat: Decimating the community justice sector and the mental health and substance abuse sectors will make future structural changes and savings much less likely.  “You cannot build an effective and efficient criminal justice system on a weak crumbling foundation destroyed in fiscal years 16, 17, and 18.”
 
Consider Alternative Solutions: Although long-term structural changes are needed in the State’s Budget, the only way to achieve the long-term fiscal and policy goals without major setbacks is a combination of carefully targeted and realistic expense reductions and some increases in revenue.  Consider other investment strategies in the nonprofit sector, such as Social Impact Bonds and similar instruments.

Focus on Effectiveness: Like other providers in the CJ sector, Family ReEntry is a high-impact, cost-effective provider of community justice services for reentering citizens, those suffering from mental health & substance abuse, perpetrators of family/domestic violence, and at-risk youth and families.  These services are proven to decrease costs, increase public safety, reduce victimization, and create a climate for business growth in the State.

I have confidence in you and all the leadership to recognize that Connecticut holds a unique position in this country - we have a safe place to live and work that leads the nation in social reform.  It is inconsistent and simply wrong to cut funding at a time when the Federal government and our sister states finally recognize the scope and severity of criminal justice, mental health and substance abuse problems, and are redoubling their efforts and funding to find solutions.

We need to keep moving forward and use justice reinvestment strategies to provide an ever safer, more secure and more enlightened place for our children to grow and prosper. We must keep our eye on the long-term prize, not cave to short-term budget demands. Otherwise, what do we have left?

Please feel free to call upon me if I can provide any service in this regard.

Thank you for your consideration of these critical issues.

Blessings,

Rev. Jeff Grant 

Steve Lanza, Executive Director of Family Reentry,

provided key points incorporated in this letter.

_________

Comments from Social Media: 

Alison O Jordan: "There are cost benefits to consider as well - linkages to primary care after incarceration using an evidence- informed intervention have found reductions in ED use and improvements in socioeconomic status that reduce other systems costs and improve lives (see paper below). Health outcomes for HIV-infected persons released from the New York City jail system with a transitional care-coordination plan. . Citation Am J Public Health. 2015 Feb;105(2):351-7. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302234."

Laura Lillian Best Absolutely! Second Chance Initiatives WILL NOT Work without Reentry Initiatives!

Irma Fordin Ceglia Well said

   

 __________

DONATIONS

We are grateful for all donations to our Ministries that enable us to grow, reach out and serve this community for which there is far too little understanding, compassion and empathy.  Donations can be made by credit card/PayPal here, at the "Donate" button on on our site, prisonist.org, or by sending your check payable to: "Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc." P.O. Box 1232, Weston, Connecticut 06883. 

Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. is a CT Religious Corp. with 501c3 status - all donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Thank you for your support and generosity.

__________

If you, a friend or a family member are experiencing a white-collar or nonviolent incarceration issue, please contact us and we will promptly send you an information package by mail, email or via Dropbox.

The darkest days of a person's life can be a

time of renewal and hope

__________

Progressive Prison Project/ Innocent Spouse & Children Project

Rev. Jeff Grant, JD, M Div, Minister/Director
jgrant@prisonist.org
(o) 203-769-1096
(m) 203-339-5887
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In
Pinterest
Google+

Tumblr

Lynn Springer, Founding Advocate, Innocent Spouse & Children Project
lspringer@prisonist.org

(203) 536-5508

George Bresnan, Advocate, Ex-Pats
gbresnan@prisonist.org
(203) 609-5088

Jim Gabal, Development
jgabal@prisonist.org
(203) 858-2865

Babz Rawls Ivy, Media Contact
mediababz@gmail.com
(203) 645-9278