NCJ Number
75452
Date Published
1979
Length
61 pages
Annotation
The development and activities of New York State's Parole Resource Centers Program are examined. Program policy, costs, and a survey of center residents are reported.
Abstract
The program originally aimed to enhance the selected early parolee's chances of reintegration into the community by providing support during the reentry period; its current effort is to serve as a short-term residence program for all offenders released from correctional facilities who have few resources in the community and for parolees or persons on conditional release who develop emergency housing needs. Approximately 200 persons entered the 5 resource centers during 1978. This population represented approximately 3 percent of all persons on parole or conditional release (6,996) during this period and approximately 4 percent of all parolees (4,973). The participation of persons released early has decreased steadily due to a shrinking pool of candidates acceptable to the parole board. A survey of the centers' population between April and June revealed that 19 percent of the early parolees were released to the center with job commitments, while none of those who were released according to the regular schedule had jobs. A comparison of the 1978 residents with the 1973 population showed that the more recent group were less successful in securing employment and in avoiding recidivism during their stay at the centers; no violation or arrest experience was reported for 79 percent of the 1978 group (96 percent in 1973) during residence. The lower employment rate was probably due to the inclusion of high risk parolees in the resident population. Per diem costs for 1978 averaged $23 per resident. This compares with a mean cost of $40 for an inmate of a correctional facility and $4 for a nonresident parolee. Notes, and appendixes containing a list of interviews and case survey results are included.