Transcript Slide 1

police chiefs | formerly incarcerated people | pretrial service administrators | probation officials | state legislators |
substance abuse treatment providers | workforce investment chairs | judges | district attorneys | prosecutors | state
alcohol and drug abuse directors | county executives | crime victims | public housing administrators | victim advocates
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
state corrections directors | public defenders | court administrators | workforce development officials | researchers |
jail administrators | sheriffs | supportive housing providers | state mental health directors | housing development officials
Homelessness and Prisoner Re-Entry
Katherine Brown, Re-Entry Policy Council
Council of State Governments
National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference
Washington, DC
July 17, 2006
What is the Council of State Governments?
• Non-profit, non-partisan membership association of
state government officials
• Funded largely through state dues
• Represents all three branches of state government:
legislature, judiciary, and executive branch
• 4 regional offices
• Provides non-partisan setting to discuss controversial
criminal justice topics outside of the public spotlight
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
What is the Re-Entry Policy Council?
• Bipartisan: Republican and Democrat elected
officials
• Cross-system: Includes key stakeholders from
workforce development, corrections, housing, health
and human services, community corrections, and
law enforcement
• Consensus-Based: Focuses on areas where
agreement can be reached
• National: Comprises representatives from all over
the country
police chiefs | people with criminal records | pretrial service administrators | probation officials | state legislators |
substance abuse treatment providers | workforce investment chairs | judges | district attorneys | prosecutors | state
alcohol and drug abuse directors | county executives | crime victims | public housing administrators | victim advocates
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
state corrections directors | public defenders | court administrators | workforce development officials | researchers |
sheriffs | supportive housing providers | state mental health directors | parole officials | housing development officials
Coordinated by
Council of State
Governments
Project Partners
Association of State Correctional Administrators • American
Probation and Parole Association • National Association of
Housing and Redevelopment Officials • National
Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors •
National Association of State Mental Health Program
Directors • National Association of Workforce Boards •
National Center for State Courts • Corporation for
Supportive Housing • Urban Institute • Police Executive
Research Forum
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
Key Points
•
•
•
Prisoner re-entry and homelessness are
intertwined challenges.
Prisoner re-entry presents opportunities to
prevent and end cycles of homelessness.
Public safety and housing partners across the
United States have developed promising
strategies to address these challenges.
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
Intertwined challenges
•
•
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The number of people released from prison
has increased 350 percent over the last 20
years.
Two million people are in prison and jail at any
time; 97 percent of them will be released into
the community.
Over 1 in 32 people is incarcerated or on
probation or parole supervision in the
community.
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
Intertwined challenges
•
Also in the last 20 years, the number of people
who are homeless has swelled to more than
440,000 to 840,000 people nationwide on any
given night.
•
Nearly half have spent 5 or more days in jail.
•
10-20 percent of those released from prison or
jail was homeless prior to incarceration.
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
Intertwined challenges

71 percent of people released from prison expect to
live with their families, many of whom are
unprepared or ill-equipped to receive them.

People who do not find stable housing after release
are likely to return to jail or prison, at high cost to the
community.

55 percent of prisoners have children under 18;
incarcerated women in particular face challenges in
finding housing for themselves and their children
upon release.
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
Key Points
•
•
•
Prisoner re-entry and homelessness are
intertwined challenges.
Prisoner re-entry presents opportunities to
prevent and end cycles of homelessness.
Public safety and housing partners across the
United States have developed promising
strategies to address these challenges.
04
09
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
Opportunities for Assistance and Partnership
•
•
•
•
President’s Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative
Re-Entry Policy Council and its Report
Corporation for Supportive Housing
Returning Home Initiative
Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime
Reduction Act grants
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
Legislative Preview
• Bipartisan support for federal re-entry legislation:
– House of Representatives (HR 1704, introduced April
2005): Chris Cannon (R-UT), Danny Davis (D-IL), and
104 others
– Senate (S 1934, introduced October 2005): Sam
Brownback (R-KS), Joe Biden (D-DE), and 16 others
• Key Points of the Second Chance Act of 2004:
– $100 million grant program for state re-entry initiatives
– National Resource Center
– Federal Interagency Task Force
– Amends some statutory roadblocks to re-entry
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
Key Points
•
•
•
Prisoner re-entry and homelessness are
intertwined challenges.
Prisoner re-entry presents opportunities to
prevent and end cycles of homelessness.
Public safety and housing partners across the
United States have developed promising
strategies to address these challenges.
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
Promising Strategies
•
Partner with your state Department of Corrections,
community corrections agencies, and local jails.
–
Assess and identify people who are at risk of
becoming homeless significantly prior to their
release date.
–
Cross-train staff to understand the housing
options and limitations for people who have
been released from prison or jail.
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
Promising Strategies
•
Consider individuals leaving prison or jail who
have histories of homelessness as part of the
homeless priority population, to facilitate their
access to supportive housing made available
under the McKinney-Vento Act.
•
Encourage housing providers in your community
to consider applicants individually.
•
Provide assistance to people in the months
following release to sustain stable housing.
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
Promising Strategies
•
St. Andrew’s Court (Chicago, IL)
SRO provides second-stage re-entry housing and
support services
•
Alliance Apartments (Minneapolis, MN)
Transitional and permanent efficiency apartments
for residents who agree to work and live sober
•
Housing Assistance Rental Program (Salt Lake
County, UT)
PHA contracted to place people released from jail
and other special populations directly into
scattered-site rental properties
RE-ENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
Contact the Re-Entry Policy Council
Katherine Brown
Tel: (646) 383-5722
Fax: (212) 482-2344
[email protected] or
[email protected]
www.reentrypolicy.org