Solutions to Poverty Summit:Reducing Neighborhood Crime Through Positive Interventions

Rochelle Perry

Policy Field Educator & Organizer

Safer Foundation

Monroe, LA

December 7, 2004

2

The recent United States Census Bureau American Community Survey statistics on Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States shows the number of Louisiana residents in 2003 living in poverty increased by 42,419. 

Educational Opportunities Employment Opportunities Economic Development Community Assets Family Assets

Contributing Factors

The Big Picture

3

Crime and Incarceration

In 2003, U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced approximately 24 million crimes, according to findings from the National Crime Victimization Survey.

– -- 77% (18.6 million) were property crimes

– -- 22% (5.4 million) were crimes of violence

– -- 1% were personal thefts. In 2003, 6.9 million people were on probation, in jail or prison, or on

parole at yearend 2003 -- 3.2% of all U.S. adult residents or 1 in every 32 adults.

State and Federal prison authorities had under their jurisdiction 1,470,045 inmates at yearend 2003: 1,296,986 under State jurisdiction and 173,059 under Federal jurisdiction.

Local jails held or supervised 762,672 persons awaiting trial or serving a sentence at midyear 2003. About 71,400 of these were persons serving their sentence in the community.

4

Louisiana Crime and Incarceration

Significant Finding:

• In 1991, the total population of state inmates was just over 20,000. The year-end total of 35,823 inmates in 2001 represents a 79.0 percent increase over the 1991 figure.

• From 2000 to 2001, the Louisiana state inmate population grew by 869 offenders (2.5 percent). The growth in 2001 was the smallest one-year change in the past ten years.

• From 1991 to 2001, the population of state offenders in state facilities grew by approximately 5,000, while the state offenders in local facilities grew by more than 10,000.

• According to the monthly statistics for adult Probation and Parole the total number of offenders under supervision was 61, 718.

Source: Louisiana Dept of Public Safety and Corrections

5

Reducing Neighborhood Crime Through Positive Interventions:

Addressing Re-entry of people with criminal records

Re-entry Issues:

High density reentry communities are also high poverty communities, often lacking capacity to meet the needs of returnees. Levels of support for returnees are inconsistent statewide.

The staples (treatment, housing, employment services, family reintegration) are not available to all who need them, and the dollars that are available are not allocated to ensure successful reentry. Legislative and administrative barriers create real issues, particularly in terms of housing, as well as employment.

Statewide system is not in place to allow for reentry planning (individual and community) during pre-release. Point of release planning and support are very limited.

6

The mission of the Safer Foundation is to reduce recidivism by supporting, through a full spectrum of services, the efforts of former offenders to become productive, law-abiding members of the community.

Safer’s Mission and History

501(c)3 in operation over 30 years, focused exclusively on the criminal justice population

$19 million annual budget, 300 employees

Operates in two states with 15 sites and provides technical assistance in several other states

Diverse Governing Board of Directors (business, research/urban planning, legal, media) Five Advisory Boards, including CARRE (Council of Advisors on Reduction of Recidivism through Employment)

30 Separate Funding Streams/Funding Accountabilities: currently operate programs funded by the Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois Department of Public Aid, Illinois Department of Employment Security, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Chicago Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development, Chicago Department of Human Services, Illinois Secretary of State, U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Illinois Community College Board

Provide direct service, as well as public policy and advocacy services. Safer’s competencies include employment, residential services, linkages, contract management, technical assistance and research based model development and implementation

Represented by Safer’s President on local and national boards, including the National Institute of Corrections, the H.I.R.E. Network, Urban Institute’s Reentry Roundtable, Chicago Communities in Schools, Chicago Alliance For Collaborative Effort, Council of State Governments Reentry Policy Council, National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, Salvation Army Advisory Council

Clients Doubled 2000 - 20047

Safer: Demand Growth

4073 3894

5758

6931

8382

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

FY 2000 FY 2001<4.4%

FY 200247.9%

FY 200320.4%

FY 200420.9%

Safer Client Intakes

8

Overview of Safer Activities

Technical Assistance

Advocacy & Policy Leadership

Direct Services

• Post-Release Community Services.• Secured Institution Services.• Secured Community Based Services.

• Facilitate the C.A.R.R.E. Network.• Support Legislative Change.• Publish Policy Papers.• Government Collaborations.• Policy Think Tank Partnerships.• State Model Development Contractor

(Sheridan).

• Faith-based and Community-based Organizations in Chicago, via Ready4Work.

• Local and Statewide Organizations via emerging Statewide Initiatives.

• National Advisement to Policymakers and Organizations.

9

Safer’s Direct Services

Employment – Job Preparedness, Placement, RetentionModels/Program Designs:Job Preparedness TrainingSheridan (Sheridan Correctional Center; statewide)Ready4WorkJob Placement, Retention for 180 days

Education - Literacy, GED and Adult Basic Education Models/Program Designs:PACE (Cook County Jail)Youth Empowerment Program (Chicago)ABE/GED Classes – ATCs, Harvey, Rock Island, Davenport

Supportive Services – Case Management, Linkages, Specialty ProgramsLife SkillsParentingLinkages with many providers, examples include Adler School of Psychology, Access Health Care and Clinic, and Cook County Hospital

ResidentialCrossroads and North Lawndale ATCs, 550 capacity, including housing, minimum security, work release, substance abuse treatment, and education

10

Safer: Employer Relationship Building

Strengthen Current Employer Relationships

Build New Employer Relationships

Learn from Employers

Acknowledge Employers

• Employment specialists are at the forefront of employer relationships.

• They provide support, resolve issues, build partnerships.

• Employment specialist have individualized marketing plans.

• Safer partner with Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to create an employer brochure on the benefits of hiring formerly incarcerated people.

• Safer has an Employer Advisory Council that consists of 13 active Safer employers.

• Council participants provide input on how to improve Safer services and recruit more employers.

• Council is instrumental in continuous improvement activities like the employer brochure and new job readiness course.

• Safer hosts an Annual Employer Recognition Event.• Employers and clients participant and share their

experiences.

11

Safer’s Demonstration Initiatives

Sheridan: Begins upon entrance in prison with reentry planning, career development and job training and continues to the community with two years of job placement, retention, and career advancement; integrated service delivery with Gateway, TASC, Parole, vocational and educational providers. Statewide focus.

Ready4Work: Prerelease case management planning and job training, continuing to the community with 12 months of faith-based mentoring, employment, and case management supports. Focus on Chicago: faith-based capacity building and community-based program provision.

Halfway Back (under design):Community-based placement and programming for technical parole violators (rather than returning to prison), provides counseling, education, job placement and substance abuse treatment while housed in the community, with intensive case management support while transitioning out of the center.

Housing (under design):Transitional, independent housing with case management supports and long-term housing planning, including financial literacy, credit repair, and job/career supports.

12

Safer Foundation: Local Advocate & Policy Thought Leader

• The Need for Public Policy Advocacy to Reduce Barriers to Employment for Ex-Offenders.

• Reducing Barriers to Employment for Women Ex-Offenders.

• Government Personnel Policies Impacting the Hiring of Ex-Offenders.

• A Review of the State of Illinois Professional and Occupational Licensure Policies as related to Employment for Ex-Offenders.

Safer C.A.R.R.E. Network

Safer Policy Publications

Safer organizes and facilitates a community wide Council for

the Reduction of Recidivism through Employment

composed of over 50 members, senior executives from

community organizations, business, politics, and academia.

Efforts include: Expungement, Sealing, Certificate of

Rehabilitation and Cook County Ordinance.

National

• NIC Community Corrections.

• Urban Institute Reentry Roundtable.

• Council of State Governments Reentry Advisory Team.

• National Hire Network Board.

• Ready4Work Demonstration Site.

2

Six New Policies to Promote Ex-Offender Employment in Illinois

State of Illinois• Public Act 93-0210-Criminal Identification- Expungement

Allows for the obliteration or destruction of the arrest record, fingerprints and “mug shot” of the individual. Expunged cases are deleted from the court data bases. Any inquires into the case that has been expunged will appear as if the individual has never been arrested. Each law enforcement agency expunges or destroys their records, therefore, it will appear as if the crime never occurred.

• Public Act 93-0211-Sealing of Misdemeanor Conviction Records

To provide for the automatic sealing of arrests and convictions records for persons convicted or placed on supervision for a misdemeanor or who have been without a conviction after 3 or 4years in case of a conviction or supervision.

• Public Act 93-0207-Certificates of Relief from Disabilities and Good Conduct

To reduce restrictions to state professional/ occupational licenses and employment for former offenders. For the State to certify rehabilitation of former offenders to reduce barriers to employment.

14

New Policies to Promote Ex-Offender Employment in Illinois

• Public Act 93-0208-Transitional Jobs for Ex- OffendersTemporary publicly subsidized jobs that combine real work, skill development and support services to help participants overcome substantial barriers of employment.

City of Chicago• Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development Transitional Jobs

Program Servicing Ex-OffendersEstablish a transitional jobs program for former offenders with felony convictions through a grant provided by the City of Chicago to eligible city certified contracting agencies. Program is to provide paid work experience, on-the-job mentoring, case management ,job seeking skills training, job placement assistance, post employment follow-up, professional development, and supportive services.

County of Cook • The Cook County Re-Entry Employment Project

To provide access to employment for former first time offenders with a misdemeanor or felony conviction in county government and/or with private companies that have contracts with the county.

15

Safer: Outcomes

• Safer saw 8.4% of the State’s total population of formerly incarcerated and probationers.

• Over 1,000 individuals benefited from the services available at Safer’s two Adult Transition Centers.

• Over 1,700 clients were placed in employment.

• 47% were retained at 180 days.

• 900 served in new program models.

• 56% of our Basic Skills clients earned their GED, for a total of 277 GED acquisitions.

In FY04, over 7,300 were served beyond intake by the Safer Foundation. During FY04:

16

Safer’s Success

Success may be measured by the lives Safer has touched, the families that have benefited, the communities that were impacted. One objective measure is the recidivism rate of Safer Clients.

3 Year Recidivism Comparison (1999)

48%

28%

21%

19%

IDOC releases

Safer clients achieving 30 days of employment

Safer clients achieving employment

Safer clients receiving supportive services

60% reduction

17

Closing Thoughts

• Living Wage Employment – To meet this prerequisite an offender must be drug-free, reside in safe affordable housing, and have appropriate employment skills.

• Stable Social Support – Strong family support and involvement, along with positive community engagement is needed for long term stability.

• Collaboration – It’s crucial that the Department of Corrections, other Public Agencies, Private Service Providers, Community Organizations, Faith Groups, and Families work and plan together.

There are no quick, cheap, or easy solutions to the complex issues of poverty and successful reentry. However, key factors that must be addressed include: