CRJ/CJI Reentry Forum continues to make news

July 15, 2008, a message from Scott Harshbarger:

The Boston Globe editorial following CRJ’s forum on reentry said it best: until we enact sensible prisoner reentry policies that ensure both public safety and individual success, “Getting Out of Jail Hopeless”, as the Globe wrote, will remain the status quo. Crafting those policies and implementing them was the basis of the CJI study and at the heart of our May 9 forum, “Promoting Public Safety through Successful Community Transition: Toward a System of Offender Reentry.” The study, authored by CJI’s Len Engel, ignited the panel discussion and captured the attention of the Globe, which wrote about the importance of reentry again last week.

House Judiciary Chair Rep. Eugene O’Flaherty and his Senate counterpart, Sen. Robert Creedon, sponsored the forum. Panelists included Hampden County Sheriff Mike Ashe, Massachusetts District Attorneys’ President Michael O’Keefe, Massachusetts Correction Commissioner Harold Clarke, Massachusetts Parole Board Chair Maureen Walsh, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, Mark Stringer, Director of the Missouri Department of Mental Health Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Michael Botticelli, Director of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, and Dale Parent, former Director the National Institute of Corrections Transition From Prison to Community Initiative.

“Reentry starts on day one,” said Sheriff Mike Ashe, no stranger to innovation in corrections policy. Ashe’s success in Hampden County is proof that with support, inmates can, in fact, return to their communities and live successfully without re-offending. If treatment, jobs, and ongoing support are the tools, coordination among all the players is the how-to manual.

"If we don't coordinate, then all of this will be for naught," warned Parole Board Chairman Walsh.

Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Kevin Burke pledged exactly that from the Patrick administration, while Sen. Creedon, drawing on his experiences as an attorney in the Massachusetts criminal court system, got right to the point: “What we’re doing now isn’t working, so we have to change.”

But here’s the good news: the template for success is available – we know what to do. Our own Commissioner of Correction, Harold Clarke, whom CRJ helped introduce to Massachusetts, stressed the importance of first understanding the problem and then identifying what works in changing the lives of people who are criminally involved. As Commissioner of Corrections in Washington State, Harold Clarke created a reentry system based on strategies proven to reduce recidivism. Rep. O’Flaherty addressed the challenges of integrating drug treatment and affordable housing, two cornerstones of successful reentry, into the community. Sheriff Ashe and Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis – a nationally recognized leader in community-based problem solving – underscored the importance of collaboration among traditional criminal justice agencies and community agencies.

And there’s more. The CJI report found that ongoing treatment for mental illness and substance abuse is essential to reducing recidivism. More than 80% of inmates have a history of substance abuse. A recent study on the effectiveness of substance abuse treatment found that treatment in the community following prison resulted in a 50% reduction in recidivism. It further found that treatment that began in prison and followed an individual into the community resulted in an even greater reduction in recidivism.

The point was emphasized by Mike Botticelli, Assistant Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and Missouri Substance Abuse specialist Mark Stringer. Both agreed that treatment for addiction must be available at every stage, from incarceration through transition to the community, without interruption. And as Mike Botticelli reminded us, all too often, in tough economic times, resources for substance abuse and mental health treatment are severely diminished. We know where this leads: more people coming in contact with the criminal justice system, which only increases costs on the back end.

In addition to substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, and affordable housing, stable employment is another cornerstone of successful reentry. Senator Creedon reiterated his belief that work is the key to rehabilitation, while raising important questions about employers’ liability and the appropriateness of extending employment opportunities to those who’ve offended before those who avoid criminal behavior. Parole Board Chairman Walsh made it clear that a balance must be struck. This is a vital part of our work ahead.

I join with our panelists in commending Governor Deval Patrick for assembling a solid team of innovators and experienced practitioners to advance the cause we at CRJ believe in and work for every day: reducing recidivism through proven strategies. I hope you’ll join us, too.

Sincerely,
Scott Harshbarger, President
Community Resources for Justice
Board of Directors