RHODE ISLAND

Thirty-three percent of Rhode Island's released prisoners return to a correctional institution within a year. Over half return in three years. To address these high rates of recidivism, Governor Don Carcieri has established the Governor's Steering Committee on Corrections Reform and Prisoner Reentry. This group includes key state agencies and is divided into three tiers. The first tier, comprised mainly of cabinet-level appointees, focuses on larger policy issues. The second tier, consisting of departmental appointees and directors of community based organizations, examines management issues. The third tier, comprised of font-line worker and managers, addresses programmatic issues.

Through the Steering Committee, the state has established memoranda of understanding to support five projects aimed at improving reentry. These include the following:

• Coordinated case management
• Housing
• Employment
• Substance abuse and mental health treatment
• Juvenile corrections

Related Links:

• State Project Update

• Editorial
  by Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri

• Voices of Experience: Focus Group Findings on Prisoner Reentry in the State of Rhode Island (pdf)
  A report commissioned by NGA and produced by The Urban Institute that highlights the results from a series of focus groups on prisoner reentry.

• Prisoner Reentry in Rhode Island (pdf)
  A PowerPoint presentation produced by the Rhode Island Department of Corrections and the Providence Plan that highlights state trends in reentry including maps of what reentry looks like in the state.

RHODE ISLAND

This document was prepared by members of Rhode Island's Prisoner Reentry Policy Academy team. It represents their current course of action, but should not be viewed as a final plan. Rather, this document is designed to highlight where Rhode Island is in an ongoing strategic planning process.

Decades of isolating offenders from the community by incarcerating them and/or supervising them on very large probation or parole caseloads with little or no community support have not provided the level of public protection we seek. As a result, Rhode Island communities are absorbing over 300 men and women a month who are released from the Adult Correctional Institutions ("ACI") after serving sentences. In addition, every year over 13,000 men and women come to the ACI awaiting trial and are released after a day, weeks, months or years without serving a sentence.

These released offenders present significant risks to the community. Left on their own, the majority of them will commit new crimes when they are released. Even those determined to do well must overcome many barriers and obstacles in their paths because they bear the burden of having prison records. Reentry is an overwhelming challenge even to those with skills and a positive attitude toward change.

The large number of people caught up in the criminal justice system and the cost we bear for their supervision, for the care of their children, for their physical and mental health and the impact they have on the quality of life in our communities call for action in Rhode Island. The impact of incarceration includes not only the inmates but also their families, friends, children and the communities for which they return. Some Rhode Island communities are burdened by the problems more than others, but no community goes untouched. In fact, 1 out of every 22 men living in Rhode Island is under correctional jurisdiction everyday.

From CY1993 to CY2003, the Corrections' population has increased by 29%. We identify large numbers of people coming through the prison system with infectious disease, with mental illness, with addiction, employment and educational deficits that can be addressed. We can and should prepare people for their release while they are incarcerated and work to build strength within the communities they return to. This change in direction requires policy and planning follow-through that has only just begun in Rhode Island.

GOALS
The reentry initiatives in Rhode Island are aimed at breaking the cycle of incarceration of offenders through strategic and coordinated dedication of targeted social services, life skills training and appropriate supervision. Rhode Island is striving to improve public safety by reducing recidivism rates of returning offenders and establishing a long term reduction of criminal justice and correctional costs.

Through participation in the National Governors' Association Prisoner Reentry State Policy Academy ("NGA"), Rhode Island has assessed the reentry process in the state and identified major service gaps and barriers to reentry. We are developing action plans for improving prisoner reentry. State leaders intend to implement a systematic approach to promoting reentry strategies by creating a comprehensive release plan for all offenders released from incarceration. Following release, plans would include continued support from probation, parole and community-based agencies by increasing access to employment, housing services, health, mental health and substance abuse treatment. This project will provide guidance to agency directors to assist in clarifying agency goals and identifying new governance structures or legislation necessary to improve current practices.

ROLE OF GOVERNOR
In an effort to establish prisoner reentry as a priority in Rhode Island, Governor Donald Carcieri established an Executive Order in 2004 creating the Governor's Steering Committee on Corrections Reform and Prisoner Reentry. The members of this steering committee are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Executive Order names the participation of specific individuals across State Agencies and directs Steering Committee members to focus on prisoner reentry as a priority. The Governor's Director of Policy chairs this committee.

Governor Carcieri takes every available opportunity to promote improved reentry practices. Recently, he held a press conference to announce the NGA initiative on prisoner reentry. The press conference was held at the Family Life Center ("FLC") in Providence, a community-based social service center, funded in part by Rhode Island's Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative ("SVORI") grant, to assist offenders in transitioning from prison to the community.

The majority of the inmates housed at Rhode Island's ACI are Rhode Island residents. During 2003, more than 3,500 sentenced offenders were released from prison in Rhode Island and virtually all of them had probation supervision to follow their release. As inmates leave the ACI they join over 20,500 offenders already in the Rhode Island communities on probation or parole.

The Governor points out that currently, all offenders with the exception of 21 men serving life without parole will eventually return to the community. Additionally, 50% of all sentenced offenders discharged from prison are likely to return to the ACI as a sentence inmate within 3 years of release; 33% within the first 12 months. Recidivism poses a serious risk to public safety and is a major contributor to the size and cost of the State's prison population.

INTERDISCIPLINARY EFFORTS:
Rhode Island's reentry efforts rely heavily upon the collaboration between corrections and other state agencies. To foster this collaboration, the Governor, in his Executive Order, has assigned Department Directors to this Steering Committee on prisoner reentry. Those departments include Corrections, Human Services, Labor and Training, Health, Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals (which is also responsible for substance abuse treatment). Additionally, the Chair of the Parole Board is a committee member, as well as representatives from local and quasi-governmental agencies. Some of these representatives include the Chiefs of Police, the Mayor of Providence, the Executive Director of Rhode Island Housing Corporation and the Executive Director of the RI Public Transportation Authority.

It has become clear to those involved in the reentry initiatives that all agencies mentioned above share the same clients. Inmates at the ACI and offenders in the community under probation or parole supervision are clients of these social service and quasi-governmental agencies, along with many of their children. It is in the best interest of every citizen in the State of Rhode Island to have these agencies working together toward the common goal of successful offender reentry.

Rhode Island is not only involved in the NGA reentry initiative, but also the SVORI and the National Institute of Corrections Transition From Prison to Community Initiatives ("TPCI"). When establishing committees to manage these different projects, it became evident that many of the same agencies were participating in each project and that the goals and objectives of each project overlapped with one another. To avoid duplication of work and to effectively and efficiently manage all of Rhode Island's reentry initiatives, an organized governance structure was created which includes a 3 tiered committee system that allows for each agency to be represented at various levels.

Tier 1 is the Governor's Steering Committee for NGA which also serves as the SVORI Steering Committee. Meetings are held quarterly to obtain information and updates on all reentry initiatives. This committee serves as the high level problem solving group when issues cannot be resolved at a lower level.

The Tier 2 committee members are State department director designees and Executive Directors of community-based agencies. This committee meets monthly to review inter-departmental polices and procedures and to resolve issues relating to identified gaps in services and barriers to offenders successful reentry into the community. They are also exploring how to most effectively implement data sharing across departments to identify common clients for improved case management.

Rhode Island's Reentry Implementation Committee makes up Tier 3. The SVORI Project Manager, community-based agency Program Managers, and representatives from numerous State and community agencies, who are involved with the DOC on the work of reentry at the ground level, meet bi-weekly to address ground-level programmatic issues.

A reporting mechanism is currently in development to facilitate communication between these committees. Identified issues will be documented in this system and assigned as action items. Any progress and/or resolutions will be recorded and this system will document our achievements, as well as issues that may require changes in legislation or budgetary appropriations.

To enhance our level of inter-agency collaboration, Memorandums of Agreement (MOA's) were executed with four State agencies and the Family Life Center and a cross system protocols detailed each of the services that will be provided. The Reentry Implementation Committee (Tier 3) was established to coordinate the operation of these inter-agency projects. The following 5 descriptions detail the progress of projects described in the MOA's.

1. Family Life Center: Coordinated Case Management: A coordinated case management program has been established for ex-offenders at the FLC, a multi-service center dedicated to serving transitioning offenders and their families. The Center has also opened an offender resource center for released offenders at the FLC. To augment the case management program, the FLC awarded a contract to the Rhode Island State Council of Churches to provide a faith-based men's mentoring program.
2. Housing: The Department of Human Services (DHS) awarded a contract to Amos House, a non-profit providing direct support for men, women and children who are hungry, homeless and in crisis. AMOS house has hired a housing advocate who is contracted to work out of the FLC to identify housing for transitioning offenders.
3. Employment: The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) has hired a non-profit agency, Liberty Workforce Services, to operate an employment program that is dedicated solely to serving ex-offenders.
4. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment: The Department of Mental Health Retardation and Hospitals (MHRH) and FLC have established collaborative agreements with existing community- based substance abuse and mental health providers that will dedicate treatment slots specifically to ex-offenders unable to access services otherwise.
5. Juvenile Corrections: The Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF) has contracted for improvement of their MIS system, has coordinated with the Family Court to hire a Magistrate and clerk for a juvenile Reentry Court and is developing a process to expand community resource coordination.

DCYF, MHRH, DHS and DLT and FLC are working with the DOC to assure fairness, appropriateness of services, fiscal integrity, and performance measurement methods.

Rhode Island is fortunate to be participating in many other projects that intersect with the NGA reentry initiative. The SVORI project in Rhode Island is called COMPASS ("Challenging Offenders to Maintain Positive Associations and Social Stability"). Established in 2002, the project focuses on high risk, violent offenders who are leaving prison and returning to high-crime areas in Rhode Island's capital city, Providence. COMPASS is managed by the FLC, a non-profit agency established by a grass roots organization of community leaders. Offenders leaving the ACI who reside in particular areas of Providence with high concentration and volume of persons under correctional supervision receive case management and referral services from the FLC. The ground level work for this project occurs within Tier 3, while Tier 1 serves as both the Steering Committee for SVORI and NGA. This structure provides consistency among all three initiatives (NGA, TPCI and SVORI).

In May 2004, Rhode Island submitted a grant application to expand upon the COMPASS project. If awarded, Rhode Island will be working with the current Weed and Seed project to enhance housing opportunities for offenders leaving prison and returning to Providence. Members of the Weed and Seed Steering Committee have expressed an interest in participating in all levels of Rhode Island's prisoner reentry efforts. The participation of Weed and Seed fills an existing gap in the current reentry program offerings.

Rhode Island is also pleased to participate in the TPCI project. TPCI in Rhode Island is focused on providing solutions to problems that are identified in the reentry process. Identification of problems can occur through the creation of detailed system maps and/or the review of inter-departmental polices and procedures. The membership of the TPCI (Tier 2) committee includes senior level executives from all agencies represented at the Tier 1 level. This group will implement changes within their authority and will make recommendations to Tier 1 for changes that require higher level decisions. WHAT CHANGES HAVE OCCURRED OR WILL OCCUR ON ACCOUNT OF THE INITIATIVE?
One change that has occurred in Rhode Island as a result of the NGA reentry initiative relates to collaboration. The leadership of the Governor and his staff have elevated the issue of reentry to the executive level of government and provided impetus for true collaboration. Over the past few months, Rhode Island has come to realize that while we thought all agencies were collaborating to reach common goals, we were simply cooperating with one another. Through our work with NGA, we have come to realize that collaboration is much more than simply exchanging information and sharing resources for a common purpose; it is also the ability to alter activities and enhance the capacity of each agency for mutual benefit. This level of collaboration allows Rhode Island to respond effectively to reentry problems.

The other major change for Rhode Island is in the area of governance. Prior to this project, Rhode Island reentry initiatives were operating independently. Individuals working directly with offenders would identify problems and issues around prisoner reentry but had no ability or authority to affect change. The NGA project prompted Rhode Island to consider a more efficient governance process that allowed for more effective problem solving. The creation of the tier system provides organization to all reentry projects occurring in Rhode Island. Additionally, people at the ground level identifying issues now have a mechanism to forward unresolved issues up the chain of command for resolution.

A third change specifically refers to how the Department of Corrections plans to address offender management and programs. Rhode Island has been working steadily toward adopting two new tools for more effective offender management: the Level of Service Inventory-revised (LSI-r) standardized risk/needs assessment tool, coupled with the implementation of an Individual Program Plan (IPP) for offenders.

The goal of the IPP is to assess the rehabilitative, programmatic and treatment needs of each offender sentenced to a year or more in prison and to design a specific plan to address these needs. Utilization of the LSI-r will drive the development of both the institutional and discharge portions of the IPP. Although the LSI-r is currently being administered to inmates involved in the COMPASS program, soon we will be administering this tool to newly sentenced inmates as part of the initial creation of the IPP. Each offender's plan will then be reviewed and updated during periodic IPP review sessions with LSI-r reassessment throughout the offender's incarceration; the treatment plan will be maintained as the offender reenters society and is supervised under probation or parole.

Editorial by Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri

For the past decade the Rhode Island Department of Corrections has been developing inmate reentry programming. Projects have been implemented on an ad hoc basis from grants for HIV discharge planning, to offering employment assistance to housing services, to drug and mental health treatment. However, until recently formal partnerships had not been established to provide comprehensive services to empower inmates with the services they need to become lawabiding citizens and bridge the divide between institutions and the community.

In order to reduce recidivism, enhance public safety and provide former inmates with the tools they need to lead productive lives, it is imperative to foster and develop strong partnerships with human service agencies, local law enforcement and community organizations.

First, government officials and community leaders must join together in a collective mission to ensure an offenders successful reentry into society.

That's why I recently signed an Executive Order creating a steering committee on prisoner reentry, which is comprised of representatives of a host of state departments, including health, education, public housing and transportation and law enforcement agencies.

Our goal is to join forces to ensure that offenders do not return to a life of crime. We need a collective effort to achieve this goal. This point comes to light when you consider the following statistic. Over fifty percent of former inmates return to Rhode Island's prison system within three years of being discharged. In fact, more than one-third return within the first 12 months.

Effective reentry programs help break this cycle.

When offenders leave a correctional facility, many return to their former neighborhoods. If social service systems are not in place to support these offenders and law enforcement is unaware of their presence, they will ultimately end up committing new crimes leading to reincarceration. The resulting increase in taxpayer costs goes beyond the individual offender. It includes families and children who may seek additional services to assist them.

Additionally, it is important to recognize that prisoner reentry is not merely a corrections issue. It affects public safety and the quality of life for residents.

The challenge lies in harnessing statewide resources from agencies that share the burden of transitioning offenders back into the community in an effort to reach the common goal of reducing recidivism. This will not only benefit offenders, but will also help the community at-large.

It will mean safer neighborhoods and reduced criminal justice and correctional costs.

As Governor, I have met with former inmates and have heard about the hardships and challenges they faced when reentering society. It is essential to have leadership at the very highest level of state government to bring the community together and stress the importance of collaborating to establish comprehensive prisoner reentry programs that makes a difference.

To enhance the quality of life for all, it is incumbent upon state leaders to pave the way for inmates to make meaningful contributions to society.

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