BOSTON REENTRY INITIATIVE (BRI)

Transcription

1 BOSTON REENTRY INITIATIVE (BRI) Advisory Committee Meeting Presentation by: Nilvia Hernandez (BPD/ BRI)

2 BRI HISTORY Boston Reentry Initiative (BRI) was founded in 2000 in response to a 13% spike in violent crime, with Reentry Steering Committee convened by mayor Menino. The Boston Police Department(BPD) and Suffolk County Sheriff s Department (SCSD) developed BRI in partnership with other law enforcement agencies, social service providers, and faith-based organizations to focus its re-entry resources on offenders who posed the greatest risk of committing violent crimes upon their release into Boston s most violent neighborhoods.

3 SUFFOLK COUNTY HOUSE OF CORRECTIONS Largest county adult correctional facility in Mass. Sentences up to 2 ½ years for conviction on any single count of criminal complaint Eligible for parole upon completion of ½ sentence Many SCHOC offenders return to the community without any supervision; only a few serve on and after probationary sentences and a smaller handful are on parole. Population for 2012 was 1,360 inmates Little or no job history Unstable housing situation Undereducated Health issues including chronic disease and mental illness 57% of male and 80% of female inmates are parents 79% self-report a history of substance abuse

4 SUFFOLK COUNTY HOUSE OF CORRECTIONS CONT. General SCHOC Reentry offerings Mental and Physical health care Substance abuse treatment Vocational and education Common Ground Institute (skills-based vocational certificate program) Industry- Specific courses Job readiness Education, tutoring, and GED Prep Parenting classes and child support set-up Religious services Establishing community connections

5 Service Providers BRI PARTNERSHIP (*PAST & PRESENT) Lead Agencies Supervision Community - Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC) - Whittier St. Health Center - Youth Options Unlimited (YO) - MA Dept of Revenue - Dept of Youth Services (DYS) - ABCD * Community Resources for Justice (CRJ) Faith- Based Partners * Ella J. Baker House * Bruce Wall Ministries *The Nation of Islam * Boston Ten Point Coalition Suffolk County Sheriff s Dept (SCSD)/ Suffolk County House of Corrections (SCHOC) Boston Police Dept (BPD) Mayor s Office Probation Parole Dept of Correction (DOC) Suffolk County DA s Office US Attorney s Office

6 3 CORE IDEAS Focus on highimpact players/ gang affiliation Joint public safety and social service approach Intervention efforts grounded in research to effect real change

7 BRI GOALS Increase public safety Reduce recidivism of returning high-risk offenders By 50% Developing a coordinated and continuum of treatment and transitional assistance that begins at the HOC and continues post-release. Support community & family reunification

8 BRI TARGET POPULATION Targets inmates between the ages of and are considered high risk for continuing their involvement in crime. High Impact Players Extensive criminal backgrounds, histories of violence, firearm offenses, and gang involvement. 100% chance of committing other/ same crimes PACT involve individuals to be most active driving firearm violence in the city. (Partnerships Advancing Communities Together)

9 Boston Re-entry Initiative Selection Process Selection & Panel Exchange of Information BPD HOC List vetted by SCHOC Reentry Coordinator, the Suffolk county DA s office, and the US Attorney s office Pre-panel Briefing Panel Presentation Community Partners Law Enforcement Case Manager Other institutional programs representatives within the HOC. Preparation for Release RELEASE Offender is assigned to a Case Manager Intake Risk/ Needs Assessment Reentry Plan In-house Programming Process of Enrollment: Education Substance Abuse Transition Plan Other Institutional Programs Discharge plan Post Release Services 12 Months Supervision from Case Manager: Monitor Progress Services Provided Health Services Employment Connections Housing Advocacy

10 BRI CASE TRACKING BRI Data Analyst (out of BPD), BRI Director (out of SCHOC), & the Case Managers enter information on each BRI participant into a centralized database Some of the information captured includes: Educational or vocational training progress Employment status Probation/ Parole notes Attendance at counseling Substance abuse issues Community involvement Gang activity Re-arrest

11 BRI Outcomes OUT OF THE 176 BRI OFFENDERS TO SIT ON A PANEL IN More than 50% of the men selected have remained arrest free or have a subsequent arrest for minor (less) charges Less than 1% of the men selected were rearrested on serious and violent (greater) charges. 39% of the men selected have been arrest free for up to a year or more.

12 Outcomes # Change # of Clients Housed Less Greater No Arrest Same Deceased Refusal 10 * Inactive-Disinterest were not counted on this report 23 13

13 ARREST BY DISTRICT BEFORE CONVICTION

14 BACK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD About offenders are released each month by the Suffolk County Sheriff s Dep. majority whom return to residences or shelters in the most crime-impacted neighborhoods within 5 mile radius of the facility. 74% of BRI releases in return to the neighborhoods of Dorchester, Roxbury & Mattapan

15 ARREST REPORTS

16 BRI EVALUATION BRAGA, PIEHL, AND HUREAU, JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN CRIME AND DELINQUENCY, 2009 Independent Evaluation led by Harvard University researchers that included comparative analysis or recidivating and non-recidivating BRI participants as well as inmates in the target population who elected not to participate in the program. Key outcome measure = subsequent arrest after release from jail Looked at two different outcomes: Arrest for all crimes Arrest for violent crimes Examined arrest patterns for both groups for 3 years post-release

17 BRI EVALUATION BRAGA, PIEHL, AND HUREAU, JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN CRIME AND DELINQUENCY, 2009 Key Findings: The time to recidivism (arrest) was reduced for BRI participants relative to comparison group offenders The evaluation estimated a 30% reduction in recidivism rates among BRI participants BRI participants were less likely to be rearrested for a violent offense relative to the comparison group Failure rates remained high (especially for gang members), but overall results suggest that welldesigned reentry programs can impact even the most serious offenders

18 BRI TEAM True-See Allah SCHOC, Director Maria Cheevers BPD, Director, Office of Research and Development Nilvia Hernandez BPD, Data Analyst Franz Dorcena Y.O.U, Case Manager Stephen Peevy Y.O.U, Case Manager Cedric Rucker Y.O.U, Case Manager Mike Mitchell Y.O.U, Case Manager Supervisor EdwinValentino Harris DBEDC, Case Manager Elias Monteiro DBEDC, Case Manager Supervisor

19 THANK YOU Boston Reentry Initiative (BRI) Advisory Committee Meeting Presentation by: Nilvia Hernandez (BPD/ BRI)