NCJ Number
242864
Date Published
April 2013
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This report from the Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research examines best practices for residential reentry centers.
Abstract
This report from the Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research at Rutgers University presents a framework and set of guidelines for the structure, implementation, and evaluation of residential reentry centers (RRCs). As stated in the report, RRCs are "community-based residential facilities that provide structured case management services ... and work opportunities to people incarcerated in prisons or jails just prior to or after their release." The report discusses the need for residential reentry facilities, the guiding principles for RRCs, the effectiveness of RRCs, how to improve the performance of RRCs, and guiding principles for performance-based contracting. Some of the guiding principles of RRCs include providing a mix of reentry services, matching clients to services and RRCs, use of standardized risk and needs assessment and management tools, and use of client-centered and client-driven interventions. The report highlights the effectiveness of RRCs that are currently in use across the country and provides suggestions for improving the performance of the centers. These suggestions include establishment of performance standards, development and use of a rating metric, and continuous monitoring and evaluation of the performance of RRCs. As noted in this report, RRCs can act as a bridge for successfully integrating people into the community after incarceration. A set of recommendations is presented at the end of the report that provides information for improving the performance of RRCs.