NCJ Number
250690
Date Published
April 2017
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This white paper proposes and discusses four questions communities should consider in determining whether or not to embark upon the development and operation of a post-incarceration reentry system that integrates the efforts of corrections, reentry, and workforce-development agencies.
Abstract
These questions stem from the pilot project entitled, "The Integrated Reentry and Employment Strategies" (IRES), which is designed to test innovative approaches to reducing recidivism and increasing job readiness for people returning to communities from incarceration. The IRES also intends to identify successful strategies for integrating reentry and employment programming. The two pilot projects are in Milwaukee County, WI, and Palm Beach County, FL. These sites have made significant progress in establishing processes for referring people to appropriate employment services and ensuring that the services meet the needs of the reentry population. Based on the experiences of these pilot sites, this paper poses four questions for policymakers and practitioners who may be involved in planning to integrate the efforts of criminal justice and workforce-development systems. "Is our leadership committed to a collaborative approach?" is one question. State and local policymakers and key leaders from the criminal justice and workforce-development system must be fully invested in reducing recidivism and increasing the job-readiness of clients. "Do we conduct timely risk and needs assessment and job-readiness screenings?" is a second question. "Have we conducted a comprehensive process analysis and inventory of employment services that are provided pre-release and post-release?" is a third question. The fourth question is as follows: "Do we have a coordinated process for making service referrals and tracking data?" 3 notes