Although not in the national news as much as some states, Connecticut
faces many challenges. These include the fact that the state has the
nation’s largest income gap and the nation’s largest achievement gap. Yet another complication is a 2016 state Supreme Court ruling that found the state’s education funding system to be unconstitutional.
Most states run on a July–June fiscal year. Passing budgets late is not unusual. For example, as of this past July 2nd, 11 states had not passed budgets. But today, Connecticut is the only state that has not enacted a budget. As such, it operates under the authority of a gubernatorial executive order, updated on August 18th to restore $40 million to services and programs provided by nonprofit organizations.
The state missed a key deadline on October 1st,
when the executive order zeroed out education funding for 85 school
districts and significantly reduced aid to 54 districts. With no county
governments, Connecticut’s structure forces its 169 self-governing
cities and towns to compete for state aid to supplement property taxes.
The continuing standoff has widespread implications as the state’s
financial crisis worsens. For example, an approved state budget includes
the funding Hartford needs to avoid bankruptcy in the coming weeks. As just reported by the Connecticut Mirror, the “budget fight threatens credit for a third of [Connecticut] municipalities.”
Susan Haigh’s reporting for the Associated Press provided an update on the state budget process as of Sunday, October 15th.
For the past week, Democratic and Republican legislative
leaders have been holed up in the state Capitol, without Democratic Gov.
Dannel P. Malloy, combing line-by-line through budget documents. They
said they have been discussing ways to not only cover a projected $3.5
billion deficit in a roughly $40 billion two-year budget, but to make
lasting fiscal changes in hopes of stopping what’s become a cycle of
budget crises in one of the nation’s wealthiest states.
On Monday, October 16th, Malloy offered his fourth budget
proposal for the new biennium asking the state’s General Assembly to
reduce tax increases by accepting even deeper cuts to town aid,
education and social services. Malloy presented his first budget on
February 8th, followed by revised two-year plans on May 15th and September 8th. Malloy continues to insist that the state meet its pension obligations, according to Haigh’s reporting.
The governor, who expressed frustration Thursday over the
slowness of the process, has warned that he’s willing to veto another
budget, even a bipartisan one, if he believes it includes “gimmicks” to
cover the red ink, such as reducing payments to state employee pension
funds.
NPQ reported several days after the Connecticut fiscal year began on July 1st
on what nonprofits might expect with no state budget. Haigh provides an
update on how the governor’s executive order reduced funding for
“social service programs, such as day services to people with
developmental disabilities and initiatives serving people leaving
prison.”
The Connecticut Mirror offers perhaps the best daily update
on the budget process and the consequences of the impasse. Malloy’s
signature prison reform “Second Chance Society”
legislation is a national model for reducing penalties for drug
possession and helping people charged with nonviolent crimes to apply
for parole. Despite this exemplary commitment, the state’s Department of
Correction lost 4.5 percent in this fiscal year’s first-quarter funding.
Jeff Grant, the executive director of Family ReEntry,
which helps inmates leaving prison and their families, said his agency
escaped specific cuts this month but said its non-residential behavioral
health programs were cut last year and services to former inmates are
diminishing across the state. He said he has seen hundreds of former inmates, including himself,
who were helped by mental health and addiction counselors as well as
housing and employment placements provided by state-funded non-profits.
“When I came out, I went to court-ordered drug and alcohol
counseling, which I did do in state here. Thank god it was available for
me,” Grant said.
“With the opioid epidemic that’s going on now and the
cutbacks of a lot of these services, there are a lot of sick and
suffering people out there. I had an opioid addiction. I’m clean and
sober 15 years this week actually, but I don’t know what would have
happened without the programs.”
As the state moves into its fourth month without a budget, the Connecticut Nonprofit Alliance provides tools and on its website homepage
to help people urge the state’s 187 legislators to pass a budget soon
that protects nonprofit programs and services.—Jim Schaffer
The
founders of Covenant House, AmeriCares, TechnoServe and the Hole in the
Wall Gang Camp were my mentors who entrusted me with much. What I can
offer the readers of NPQ is carried out in gratitude to them and to the
many causes I’ve had the privilege to serve through the years.
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.
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 atfamilyreentry.organd you can follow us onFacebookandTwitter.All proceeds go to supporting these valuable programs.
PRESS RELEASE: Hartford, CT - (June 14, 2017) - Family ReEntry, a nonprofit leader that assists families affected by the criminal justice system, and Shared
Studios, a design technology company, will be presenting the new Prison Portal Project during the Connecticut Governor's Reimagining Justice Conference in Hartford, June 14-15.
Studios, and Jeff Grant,
Executive Director of Family ReEntry, will present the new Prison Portal Project,
including a video demonstration of the real-time, face-to-face interactive technology,
on Wednesday, June 14th, at 11:15 a.m. as a part of the special conference held at
The Hartford Marriott Downtown (200 Columbus Boulevard in Hartford).
Created by Shared Studios, the portals and
the patented innovations in hardware, software and design, can be made for all types of remote presentation uses. Family
ReEntry’s Prison Portal Project will establish Connecticut as one of the first states in
the nation to adopt the use of the portals specifically for incarcerated individuals,
returning citizens, and their families and friends.
Working in partnership with the State of Connecticut Department of Corrections and the City of Bridgeport Mayor’s Initiative for Reentry
Affairs, portals will be installed this Fall linking the nation's first portal to be
placed within the confines of a correctional facility and a second
portal anticipated to open in downtown Bridgeport. This will allow families to directly communicate with their loved ones in prison in an
immersive environment “as if they were in the same room,” saving them time off from work and school, costs in travelling to remote prison
locations, etc.
Additional portals are being considered for presentation around the state later this year and in 2018. Suggested sites for the new portals include
New Haven, Hartford, Waterbury, Stamford and New London, among other locations.
Grant explained, "The Governor's Conference is a perfectly
Pres. Barack Obama utilizing a Portal
timed opportunity to show the full extent of this new, immersive audiovisual
technology and the way it will be used by the families and communities impacted by the criminal justice system. Not only do the portals allow
accessible remote visitation between loved ones, but are means for curated 'visits’ to other portals installed around the world in locations such
as Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, etc. They can also be utilized for multiple location visits, group dynamics, counseling sessions and much more.”
The Prison Portal Project presentation is in addition to Family ReEntry's booth exhibit throughout the conference, where attendees can
discover all of the programs and services that the organization provides.
Organized by the office of Governor Malloy, the Reimagining Justice Conference brings together leading criminal justice professionals from
across the country for robust discussions about the collateral consequences of contact with the criminal justice system and will aim to
strengthen a growing consensus that states must reimagine justice in order to reduce crime and end the cycle of mass incarceration. The
conference will include new approaches on the topics of juvenile and young adult offenders, pretrial justice, incarceration, and re-entry.
Additional information about the conference is available at http://portal.ct.gov/reimaginingjustice
More about Family ReEntry:
Family ReEntry is a 501c3 nonprofit, which was founded in 1984 as a reentry support group for men at the Isaiah House in Bridgeport. It has
since grown to include policy advocacy, and intervention, prevention, in-prison, reentry, fatherhood and youth & family programs. Over the
past 33 years, effective advocacy efforts and community-based programs developed by Family ReEntry have significantly reduced the
likelihood that clients will re-offend, be re-arrested, or be re-incarcerated. Its programs provide a spectrum of services designed to disrupt the
intergenerational cycle of incarceration. Family ReEntry addresses the specific needs of each client and their families through individualized
case management and support services. It works to create a positive social network for each client, helping make their transition from prison
back into the community a successful, self-sufficient one, while strengthening their families and the community. Family ReEntry operates its
programs in strategic locations that encompass eight municipal regions and judicial geographic areas, two parole districts and five prisons.
Approximately, sixty-percent of those served by Family ReEntry are from greater Bridgeport – Connecticut’s largest city. The organization
has offices in Bridgeport, Norwalk and New Haven, CT. Programs are also held in Stamford, Waterbury, Derby, New London and Norwich,
CT.
More information is available at www.FamilyReEntry.organd on its social media including, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram
and YouTube.
Media Contact: Greg Walsh, Walsh Public Relations
305 Knowlton Street, Bridgeport, CT 06608
Tel: 203-292-6280; E-Mail: greg@walshpr.com
This is part of a series of interviews conducted by Steve Hawkins,
president of the Coalition for Public Safety, featuring individuals
taking the initiative to change the justice system within their sphere
of influence.
How
deeply should brain science inform our approach to crime? In many
justice reform circles, that’s up for debate. Research showing that
human brains do not fully develop until the age of 25 has led many
correctional leaders to reconsider the age at which young people “age
out” of the juvenile justice system. If younger minds are more amendable
to treatment and rehabilitation, the logic goes, why not take the
opportunity to get things right?
Enter
Scott Semple, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of
Corrections. Connecticut’s journey to justice reform has already
produced a notable decrease in both the crime rate and prison population,
freeing up space and resources for Semple and others to more
expansively rethink how to effectively administer justice. Semple has
taken that opportunity to hone in on youth incarceration and recidivism
with the creation of the T.R.U.E. Unit — a program for incarcerated
young adults within the Cheshire Correctional Institution, designed
specifically for 18–15 year olds. Young adults incarcerated at Cheshire
are taught both practical and relational skills with the goal of helping
them avoid the cycle of recidivism and emerge capable, compassionate
adults.
I
had the opportunity to connect with Commissioner Semple about his
vision for the program at length. The interview has been edited for
clarity.
S.H.:What
was the source of inspiration for your new second chances initiative at
the Cheshire Correctional Institution, and why are you launching it
now?
S.S.:
In 2015, I had the pleasure of visiting prisons in Germany with
Connecticut’s governor, Dannel P. Malloy, and members of the Vera
Institute of Justice. Among the many remarkable things I witnessed was a
prison facility, which housed only young adult offenders. The operation
of the facility was geared to the specific needs of that age group.
The
goal was to launch a similar facility within the Connecticut Department
of Correction. Initially, we had hoped to dedicate an entire facility
to the needs of young adult offenders, but due to fact that this was a
groundbreaking concept, coupled with a difficult fiscal climate, the
decision was made to start out by opening a single unit within a
facility. After much planning and hard work, the unit officially went
online in March 13 of 2017.
S.H.: What is the history of Cheshire, CT, and why was this the place you launched T.R.U.E.?
S.S.:
The building that comprises the original portion of the Cheshire
Correctional Institution predates the inception of the Department of
Correction as a state agency by more than 60 years.
Established
by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1909 and opened in 1913 after
three years of construction, the facility was first known as the
Cheshire Reformatory. Ironically, it was designed as a reformatory for
male offenders ages 16 to 24, with the intention of separating these
offenders from the adult prison population. Within the context of the
Department of Correction, the Cheshire Correctional Institution houses
primarily long-term sentenced adult offenders.
The reason this facility was chosen as the site for the T.R.U.E. Unit is, quite simply, its staff.Warden
Scott Erfe, the management, as well as the rank and file of the
facility all embraced the challenge of implementing this new concept. In
fact, more than 100 staff members volunteered to work in the new unit.
S.H.:
This program focuses specifically on 18-to-25-year-olds. What is unique
about this age group, and why is the state investing in changing their
outcomes in the justice system?
S.S.: Scientific
research has shown that the brain is not fully developed until around
the age of 25. Neuroscience has shown that a young person’s cognitive
development continues into their early twenties, and that their
emotional maturity, self-image and judgment will be affected until the
prefrontal cortex of the brain has fully developed.
Offenders
in this age group frequently display poor decision-making ability, and
are also prone to impulsive behavior. These factors, when combined, all
too frequently result in disruptive behaviors which endanger not only
themselves and other offenders, but staff as well. It is in everyone’s
best interest to attempt to better manage this age group with the hopes
of reducing the number of violent incidents within our facilities.
S.H.:
The program is titled: T.R.U.E., which stands for Truthfulness,
Respectfulness, Understanding, and Elevating. What is the importance of
each of the elements?
S.S.:
Ironically, the actions defined in the acronym of the T.R.U.E. Unit,
are actions that offenders, especially in this age group, struggle with.
They struggle with being truthful, with being respectful, with
understanding another person’s[perspective]. The acronym T.R.U.E. serves
as a constant mental, as well as visual, reminder of what they are
striving for, what they aspire to be.
S.H.: Describe how the program works.
S.S.: The
program works on a therapeutic community based model that applies
behavioral modification techniques in association with peer mentoring
guidance from offenders who are serving life sentences. Family support
is also a key component of the unit.
S.H.: How does T.R.U.E. differ from previous approaches in Connecticut, and why do you think it will work?
S.S.:
We have never before targeted the specific age group of
18-to-25-year-olds. Up until now, the demarcation between an adolescent
and an adult was 18. If an offender was 18 years old, they were not only
considered adults, but they were also treated like adults. We now know,
thanks to scientific research, that this may not be the best approach.
To
be candid, because this is the first of its kind unit we are facing
many unknowns. However, early anecdotal reports indicate that the
changes are working. As time goes by, we will collect data on such
factors as disciplinary reports in order to create tangible performance
measurements for the unit.
I
also firmly believe that, thanks to the high caliber of the staff
members working within the unit, the T.R.U.E. Unit will be successful.
S.H.: What role does family play in the rehabilitation of people behind bars?
S.S.:
Simply put, family support plays an essential role in the
rehabilitation of offenders. If offenders have strong family support,
their chances for successful reintegration are greatly enhanced. That is
why staff at the T.R.U.E. Unit have made additional efforts to engage
and connect with the family members of offenders.
They
have gone out of their way to invite family members of the incarcerated
to informational session at Cheshire. The staff has also taken the
added measure of creating a special email address for family members of
those in the unit. The email address allows for specific information
related to be shared quickly and frequently, thus keeping family members
and offenders invested in the success of the unit.
S.H.:
The T.R.U.E. mentors are serving life sentences. How does this program
challenge some of our assumptions about people sentenced to life in
prison?
S.S.:
It is often assumed that those serving life sentences have no incentive
or motivation to act in a constructive manner. After all, no matter
what a “lifer” does, he’s never getting out.
The
reality is that many lifers feel the need to find some meaning or value
in their lives. They often informally offer advice to younger
offenders, hoping to help them avoid the mistakes they had made.
The
use of lifers in the T.R.U.E. program is a win/win/win situation. The
young offenders, or mentees, benefit from the wisdom of the mentors. The
lifers are able to feel that they are being productive by giving
something back. Even the staff wins, as the mentor/mentee relationships
improves the overall climate in the unit.
S.H.:
Was it counterintuitive to imagine people who have committed serious
crimes helping younger men chart a new course for their lives?
S.S.: For
someone not familiar with a correctional environment, the idea of a
lifer helping anyone is indeed counterintuitive. But for those who work
inside prisons, older offenders giving advice to younger offenders is a
daily occurrence.
S.H.:
It’s not always immediately intuitive to people that an investment in
changing correctional practices can be an investment in public safety.
How do you see this as ultimately upholding the safety of all of
Connecticut’s diverse communities?
S.S.: A
frequently quoted statistic is that 95 percent of all offenders will
eventually return to the community. Would you rather have offenders
return to their communities and just pick up where they left off with
antisocial and violent behaviors? Or would you rather have them equipped
with the support and knowledge necessary to enable them to return as
productive, law abiding members of society?
S.H.: How have correctional officers responded to and engaged in the T.R.U.E. program?
S.S.:
The officers’ reaction to working in the unit has been extremely
positive. Who wouldn’t want to feel like their efforts are having a
positive impact on the lives of others?
S.H.: Do you have any favorite stories from the program to date?
S.S.:
The vast majority of the staff members working in the T.R.U.E. Unit are
seasoned correctional veterans with many years of experience.
Traditionally, these staff members have always thought of offenders as
inmates — undistinguishable, interchangeable, and incorrigible. While
speaking with someone working in the T.R.U.E. Unit, they referred to the
offenders in the unit as mentors and mentees. Having an appreciation of
correctional culture as I do, this seemingly simple change in
terminology in fact represents a significant change in the way we do
business.
S.H.:How
do you plan to measure success of the T.R.U.E. program? Does the
Connecticut DOC track recidivism rates in all of its facilities?
S.S.: We are collecting data specific to the T.R.U.E. Unit on such things as disciplinary infractions.It will take some time, but we will also compile recidivism statistics specific to the unit as well.
S.H.:Do you have plans to expand this program or bring similar versions to other Connecticut facilities?
S.S.: Plans
are already in the works to open a similar unit at the department’s
only female facility, the York Correctional Institution. If all goes as
planned, the unit should be up and running within the next six months.
S.H.: What would you like your legacy to be when it comes to justice reform in Connecticut?
S.S.:
I am no different than anyone else. Just like the staff of the T.R.U.E.
Unit, I am trying to implement policies that will have a lasting
positive effect on the lives of offenders.
Last fall, the Directors of Family ReEntry viewed a TED Talk by Dan Pallotta titled, "The Way We Think About Charity is Dead Wrong." In his talk, Pallotta discussed social innovation and social entrepreneurship, and called upon the nonprofit community to ask ourselves the question, How Do We Change the World?
How Do We Change the World? It was, and is, a daunting challenge.
If we believe in a vision imagined by
Buckminister Fuller as hopeful as a “world that works for everyone,” we must put important questions on the table, like: What is our great vision of criminal justice reform
here in Connecticut and across the country? Where are we now? How did we get here? What do
we want to achieve? How do we achieve it? What partners do we need in the
conversation?
We set out to tackle this head-on. Together with colleagues and some of the best and most innovative
consultants in the country (notably, our friend and my co-author
Sarah Diamond, PhD), we envisioned a changed world where we
solve the “criminal justice problem” by devoting our attention and
resources to healing families and communities. Our goal is to provide first chance opportunities to at-risk
people so that their entry into the criminal justice system is not likely or inevitable. Or, if
they are already in the system, to provide them with the first chance
they never received.
That is, we intend to change the world by serving as convenersof stakeholders in this important conversation, and disruptors of the broken criminal justice status quo.
A First Chance Society: Supporting a Second Chance Society with First Chance Opportunities
Nobody knows the failures of our criminal justice
system better than the individuals and families impacted by
incarceration and the community-based organizations which serve them.
Without the voices of people who have been most impacted by the system,
and an in-depth understanding and valuing of their humanity and life
experiences, our reform efforts are likely to continue to fall short.
Drawing upon our many years of providing critical services in mental
health, domestic violence prevention and reentry for thousands of
individuals and families each year, Family ReEntry introduces the
concept of a First Chance Society to contribute to the dialogue in
Connecticut and the country about reimagining our criminal justice system and towards
building a shared vision for social change.
We whole-heartedly agree with and support
Governor Malloy’s Second Chance Society goals of seeking long-term
solutions to criminal justice reform that “invest in permanent
improvement and reformation instead of permanent punishment.” However,
we believe that this vision must be taken a step further to address the
root causes of mass incarceration, especially with regards to the
association between poverty, zip code, race/ethnicity, health
disparities and who ends up behind bars. We wish to expand our vision for criminal
justice reform by advocating for a First Chance Society, which provides
genuine opportunities for those at risk of falling through the cracks
and who are being left behind in our post-industrial, globalizing
economy.
A First Chance Society is a society in which
fewer people end up involved in a punitive criminal justice system in
the first place. We are inspired by Pope Francis’ call to leaders to
reach out to those who’ve been left out from the global economy and to,
“Give them a voice, listen to their stories, learn from
their experiences, understand their needs.”
What would a society look like in which every
child and adult, no matter their family of origin, socio-economic
background, or zip code had a chance to succeed and was provided the
quality education, skills, resources and opportunities they needed to
live a successful and fulfilling life? Can we transform our criminal
justice system to be more aligned with first chances, or must the system
itself be dismantled? What will this new eco-system for a First Chance
Society look like?
Below are five intentionally thought-provoking
statements to spur further community dialogue toward a society that not
only embraces Second Chances, but also looks toward providing First
Chance opportunities for the people of Connecticut and our nation as a
whole.
Our Prisons have become Warehouses for the Poor
A 2015 report by the Prison Policy Initiative confirms the link between poverty and incarceration [1] in determining that, “in 2014 dollars, incarcerated people had a median
annual income of $19,185 prior to their incarceration, which is 41% less
than non-incarcerated people of similar ages.” In other words, the
people who are in prison are largely concentrated at the lowest end of
the U.S. income distribution. As the authors of this study note, policy
reforms at the federal, state and local level can go a long way to
removing barriers for people returning home from prison to go back to
school, become gainfully employed, reunite with their families etc.
“Reversing the decades-old policies that make it more difficult for
people with criminal records to succeed may require political courage,
but the options are plentiful and often straightforward.” However,
these reforms are insufficient to address the conditions that lead to
imprisonment for crime in the first place. “Our single-minded focus on
imprisonment, has blinded us to the needs of entire communities.” As the
authors conclude,
Permanently ending the era of mass incarceration
will require reversing the decades of neglect that denied our most
vulnerable communities access to good jobs, reliable transportation,
safe housing, and good schools. Making these long-delayed investments in
the basic building blocks of strong and stable communities will ensure
that, once we turn the corner on mass incarceration, we never turn back.[2]
Despite a System that is Broken, we must Find
Ways for People to become Whole
Quoting Dianne Jones, Director of Reentry for the
City of Hartford, “If the system itself is broken, how can we expect
people to become whole again?” Much like critiques of our health care
system, our criminal justice system is heavily fragmented and siloed,
resulting in poor continuity of care for those whom we serve and for
their families. Individuals returning from prison tend to have complex,
multi-dimensional needs. Their families too typically suffer collateral
consequences from both the criminal behavior and challenges encountered
in navigating and interfacing with the system itself. When agencies
operate in silos to try to serve people returning from prison, the
system becomes inefficient and costly, and people are less likely to
succeed. Without their basic needs met and proper supports, many
individuals end up falling back into old patterns that landed them in
the system in the first place.
At Family Reentry, we understand that
our ability to serve our clients and their families is directly
proportional to the degree to which the various other services they
depend on (e.g. housing, job training, employment, legal aid, etc.) are
well-integrated and implemented as part of a comprehensive and timely
reentry plan. Thus, we invite our community partners and stakeholders
in the criminal justice system to join us in creating a better, more interdependent eco-system for individuals returning from prison (and their families),
with the shared goal of ensuring that they and their families have all
that they need to be successful.
Reentry Begins at the Time of a Person’s Arrest
A simple way to consider this statement is that
the fewer people we arrest and detain or incarcerate as a society, the
fewer people for whom we will then later need to provide reentry
services. So one way to reduce mass incarceration is to explore whether
or not our legal sanctions are proportional to the harm done by the
crime and are necessary to keep others safe. Focusing on the time of
arrest also calls to mind efforts to address unconscious bias and other
factors contributing to police making false arrests. With years of
emphasis on making sure we provide culturally and linguistically
competent services to everyone in our catchment area and in supporting
efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in our criminal justice
system, Family ReEntry encourages dialogue around what each of us can do
to make sure that our justice system is doling out justice equitably.
Another dimension to this statement has to do
with the question of when a person’s process of rehabilitation begins?
In a hospital, for example, discharge planning starts on the day of a person's admission.
For some this process could begin when they first start to feel guilt or
regret for their crime. Feeling the weight of the law at the time of
arrest may also spur people to start to rethink their past actions and
consider its consequences. For those involved in patterns of criminal
behavior, the process of rehabilitation involves learning new ways of
thinking and skills to break these patterns. Family ReEntry has a
strong track record of providing effective preventive services via youth
mentoring and domestic violence prevention for individuals in diversion
or court-mandated programs. We invite dialogue regarding creative ways
we as a community can work to elevate the consciousness of a person
such that they are less likely to break the law, and to cause harm to
others. And we support efforts to explore the role of restorative
justice in our criminal justice system or other methods of addressing
crime used in other countries that support rehabilitation over
punishment.
Hurt People, Hurt People
Many people who commit violent crimes or who have
substance abuse disorders have experienced some sort of family
violence, addiction and trauma in their own lives, often as children.
The criminal justice system itself adds another layer of trauma, as
people who have been incarcerated know all too well. Then the stigma
and barriers to rebuilding their lives, such as accumulated child
support payments and court fines, can compound people’s suffering even
after they have served their time. Thus, part of the solution to
reducing crime must rest with equipping people with the tools and
support they need to heal from traumatic experiences and also making
sure our system of justice and society becomes more humane.
From years of providing mental health services
for people with high rates of trauma, Family ReEntry knows that healing
the trauma of a person who has been incarcerated and involving his
or/her family members in the process is not just something that can be
accomplished by prescribing a pill or offering only a brief
intervention, though these may help some. Healing can take many years
and most people need ongoing social support in order to recover from
cumulative traumas and learn healthy coping mechanisms required to lead
healthy and productive lives. At Family ReEntry we are interested in
exploring ways that we as a society can better support the process of
healing that must take place in individuals and families, especially in
our neighborhoods with the highest rates of crime. How can we as a
society invest in preventing people from being hurt, from healing people
who are hurt, and making our systems more trauma-informed? What
diverse healing practices and safe spaces already exist in our
communities and what funds can be catalyzed to grow them?
Let us Create a First Chance Society Movement
We invite everyone to join us in building a
movement in support of a second chance society, with first chance
opportunities. Please let your voices be heard by sharing with us your
thoughts on how best to give everyone in society first chances so as to
make our communities safer, healthier, and more peaceful: firstchancesociety@familyreentry.org.
Gratefully,
Jeff Grant, JD, M Div, Executive Director, Family ReEntry, Inc.
[1]
Rabuy, B. and Kopf, D. (2015, July 9) “Prisons of Poverty: Uncovering
the pre-incarceration incomes of the imprisoned” Retrieved from
Rabhttps://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/income.html.
[2]Rabuy,
B. and Kopf, D. (2015, July 9) “Prisons of Poverty: Uncovering the
pre-incarceration incomes of the imprisoned” Retrieved from Rabhttps://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/income.html.
