Criminal Justice Information Authority Summer 2002

WEBSITE 3 RESEARCH 4 GRANTS 6 TECHNOLOGY 7 One day at a time Ex-offenders help each other overcome obstacles to reentry

By Cristin Monti Evans he hardship doesn’t often end at Jerome Collins, of TASC, at a Winners’ Circle meeting. He started the prison door for newly re- the first group in 1997 and there will soon be 10 around the state. Tleased men and women trying to reintegrate into society. Ex-offenders who have done their time find them- selves joining a society that seems The challenge of reentry: unwilling to embrace them and help ease their way toward a lifestyle that is free of crime. keeping ex-offenders free

Recently released individuals often By Daniel Dighton find themselves without the many re- sources they need to successfully n a recent evening in a spacious basement room at the offices of rebuild their lives. Many have a sub- Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC), some 30 men and stance abuse history that fueled much Owomen sat on folding chairs in a large circle and shared their stories. They of their criminal behavior. Many also laughed and they cried, and when they spoke they introduced themselves as an lack the social and family foundations alcoholic or addict. they need to get back on their feet. They talked about their common day-to-day struggles — difficult family situa- Help and hope tions, getting and holding jobs, feeling alone or isolated — and how they cope In her effort to remain law-abiding and with the stress while staying clean. They offered each other encouragement and drug free, Janice Coleman finds gave support. Another thing they have in common is that they have all been in strength in helping others who are prison or jail. They are part of the Winners’ Circle, a peer-led recovery support group for ex-offenders. Continued on page 7 Continued on page 2 Illinois Continued from page 1 Criminal Justice Information Authority TASC Project Manager Jerome Collins and helped modernize the way they started the first Winners’ Circle in 1997 work. with two ex-offenders. He modeled it George H. Ryan Candice M. Kane The Illinois Criminal Justice Informa- Governor Executive Director on a similar program in Texas, and he tion Authority identified offender Members also asked inmates what kind of a pro- gram would help them when they left services as a priority in its 2001 Crimi- nal Justice Plan for the State of Illinois. Peter B. Bensinger, chairman prison. Today there are Winners’ Circle President, Bensinger, DuPont meetings at seven locations in Illinois, To that end, several initiatives by the & Associates Governor’s Office and millions of dol- Albert A. Apa with three more sites expected to be Former director, Illinois Police going by fall. lars in federal grants, many Training Board administered by the Authority, are sup- Dorothy Brown The men and women in the Winners’ porting programs geared toward the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Circle have taken steps to change their successful reentry of ex-offenders into Timothy F. Bukowski lives. They are working hard to beat the the community. Sheriff, Kankakee County odds. But for every ex-offender at the Richard A. Devine Winners’ Circle, there are hundreds Burgeoning business State’s Attorney, Cook County “Get tough” crime legislation of the Barbara Engel more falling back to a life of drugs and Victim Advocate crime and a return trip to prison. 1980s and 1990s led to longer prison Norbert Goetten stays and more drug offenders going to Director, Office of the State’s Attorney’s An estimated 38,000 inmates will leave prison. Add in high recidivism rates and Appellate Prosecutor Illinois prisons this year, about the Theodore A. Gottfried you have the recipe for a corrections Director, Office of the State same number that left the year before, budget in Illinois that jumped from $115 Appellate Defender and the year before that. If current million in 1978 to about $1.3 billion Terry G. Hillard trends continue, more than 40 percent Superintendent, today, and a system that grew from 10 Police Department of these ex-offenders will return to institutions in 1978 to 28 in 2002. Maureen A. Josh prison within three years of their re- Clerk of the Circuit Court of DeKalb County lease, and most of those within the first But economic conditions today have Thomas J. Jurkanin two years of release. made it difficult for states to keep build- Executive Director, Illinois Law Enforcement ing more prisons to lock up more Training and Standards Board Stopping the cycle offenders for longer periods of time. John J. Millner Chief, Elmhurst Police Department The cycle of offender imprisonment, That, and declines in violent crime in Sam Nolen release, and return to prison has long recent years, may help explain a level- Director, Illinois State Police been a driving force behind the bur- ing off in state prison populations John C. Piland geoning U.S. prison population. In across the nation. State’s Attorney, Champaign County Illinois, Gov. has focused The federal Bureau of Justice Statistics Attorney General of Illinois on breaking that cycle of recidivism by Michael Sheahan making prisoner reentry a priority is- recently reported that the nation’s Sheriff, Cook County sue. Among the governor’s initiatives prison population grew by only 1 per- Donald N. Snyder Jr. cent in 2001, the smallest annual Director, Illinois Department targeting ex-offenders is the Illinois of Corrections Workforce Advantage program, which increase since 1972. In the second half John Z. Toscas provides an infusion of state and local of 2001, the federal prison population Attorney resources to improve the overall envi- was up 2.8 percent, but the state prison Michael Waller population actually declined by 0.3 per- State’s Attorney, Lake County ronment in distressed communities, which tend to be home for many ex- cent, according to the BJS bulletin, offenders. The governor also doubled “Prisoners in 2001,” released in July. the number of parole agents in the state In Illinois, the crime rate in 2001 fell 2.9 Created in 1983, the Illinois Criminal Justice Infor- percent over the previous year, the sev- mation Authority is a state agency dedicated to improving the administration of criminal justice. Most of the work of the Authority falls into three major divisions: Research and Analysis; Information Systems and Technology: and Federal and State Grants Administration. The Compiler, Summer 2002 Vol. 21, No. 2 The Authority is governed by a 20-member board comprised of state and local leaders from the crimi- nal justice system and members of the public. Produced quarterly by the Office of Public Information Copyright © 2002 Illinois Criminal Justice Informa- Editor Assistant Editor tion Authority. All rights reserved. Intended for free Daniel Dighton Cristin Monti Evans distribution only. Permission to copy and redistrib- ute parts or all of this publication can be obtained E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] from the Office of Public Information. Visit the Authority online at: www.icjia.state.il.us Printed by authority of the State of Illinois, August 2002. Printing order number 03–051; 6,500 copies. Write to: The Compiler, ICJIA, 120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1016, Chicago, IL 60606. Telephone: 312-793-8550, TDD: 312-793-4170, Fax: 312-793-8422

Page 2 Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority tively. But recently, the economic and social Website costs of incarceration have brought such pres- improvements sure on the system that Recently, the Authority revamped its the needs and experi- website. The redesigned site — ences of ex-offenders www.icjia.state.il.us — continues to be have suddenly come to a tremendous tool for Internet users in the forefront of criminal search of community crime statistics, justice planning and criminal justice research of a state and policymaking. national scope, or news about state and federal grants. Studying the issue The Authority’s upgraded website now To gain a better under- conforms to federal and statewide ac- standing of the factors cessibility guidelines. These guidelines that most affect ex-of- specify how web content should be fenders’ reentry into the made available to people with physi- A recent Winners’ Circle meeting in Chicago. community, the Urban In- cal, sensory, and cognitive disabilities. stitute, a public policy Emphasis is now placed on providing enth straight year that crimes reported research organization in Washington, text-equivalents for non-text images D.C., recently began a comprehensive and streamlining the overall site layout to police decreased. At the Illinois De- so that users using electronic screen partment of Corrections, after years of study of ex-offenders in a handful of readers or speech synthesizers can suc- steady growth and a peak of more than states, including Illinois. The study will cessfully navigate through the entire 45,600 inmates in 2001, the population analyze reentry from four perspectives: website. seems to have plateaued, with 43,101 the individual, the family, the commu- inmates as of June 30, 2002, and a nity, and the state — to include state DataNet forecasted population in 2003 of 43,201 programs and policies and the social A popular feature of the Authority’s inmates, according to IDOC officials. and economic climate. The researchers website is the Criminal Justice DataNet, hope that the knowledge gleaned from a web-based database application One sure thing about prisoners is that the three-year study will help states and which allows website users to research nearly all of them are eventually going communities improve prisoner reinte- broad issues facing the criminal justice to leave prison, and most will go back gration and enhance public safety. system or simply examine crime trends to the community they left behind. They in a specific Illinois city, county or re- will typically return without a job or job In a separate but related initiative, the gional area. Currently, criminal offense skills, without much education, and fre- Urban Institute will provide the Author- and arrest data from the Illinois State quently without a place to call home. ity with a report on how federal grant Police uniform crime reporting pro- What they will have is a felony record, money the Authority administers can gram are available from 1983 through and usually a history of substance best be used to support the successful 1998 on each of Illinois’ 102 reentry of offenders into the commu- counties. Users are able to display data abuse, as well as a host of other per- in a variety of graphs and tables, and sonal problems to overcome. nity. to download data into a spreadsheet In many ways it seems society isn’t Also, the Authority’s Research and for further analysis. An upgrade to the Analysis Unit has begun a study that existing DataNet is under way and will about to forgive ex-offenders. There is a provide users with additional function- stigma attached to being a convicted will examine factors that influence re- ality, including enhanced graphing, felon, and many jobs are simply off cidivism among ex-offenders in Illinois, mapping, and analytical capabilities. limits. There are state laws, for ex- focusing in particular on the role gang ample, that prohibit convicted felons in involvement plays in rearrests after re- General information Illinois from getting licenses to be bar- lease from prison. The study is being In addition to providing statewide bers and cosmetologists, among other supported with a grant from the federal criminal justice data, the website con- professions. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delin- tinues to provide information from the quency Prevention. Authority’s three main areas of opera- “Once you get convicted you’re always tion: research, information systems, serving time, because that follows you “Going Home” initiative and federal and state grants. the rest of your life,” said George Will- Several reentry initiatives have been Users interested in keeping current iams, director of community launched recently in Illinois. In July, partnerships for TASC, which provides with the Authority’s website can regis- Gov. Ryan announced that the Illinois ter online for the free CJ Dispatch, a extensive case management services to Department of Corrections (IDOC) had twice-monthly e-mailing that high- inmates and ex-offenders in Illinois. received a $2 million grant from the lights recent Authority publications, For years, these men and women have U.S. Department of Justice to support upcoming grant and funding opportu- nities, and new additions to the been on the outside of mainstream soci- the Illinois Going Home prisoner reen- try program in the North Lawndale website. More than 1,000 subscribers ety as individuals, and forgotten or currently receive the e-mail. largely neglected by society collec- community of Chicago. Illinois was Continued on page 4

THE COMPILER SUMMER 2002 Page 3 Research Continued from page 3 among 49 states splitting $100 million trouble. This migration perpetuates the Capital punishment under the Serious and Violent Offender social and economic distress of many Reentry Initiative, a collaboration in- troubled urban neighborhoods. The Authority’s Research and Analysis volving the federal departments of Unit (R&A) recently provided technical Agriculture, Commerce, Education, With more than 2,700 parolees between assistance to Governor Ryan’s Commis- Health and Human Services, Housing the ages of 17 and 35 currently living in sion on Capital Punishment on a the community, North Lawndale has special analysis of capital cases in Illi- and Urban Development, Justice, La- bor, and Veterans Affairs. one of the highest concentrations of ex- nois. R&A researchers assisted in offenders in the state. The North linking data from the Chicago Homi- cide Dataset and criminal history “These federal funds will help us con- Lawndale Employment Network has es- records to information maintained by tinue our progress in administering timated that more than 70 percent of all the Illinois Department of Corrections programs designed to rehabilitate indi- North Lawndale men between the ages (IDOC) and information obtained via viduals and to reduce crimes of 18 and 45 have a criminal record. the Law Enforcement Agencies Data committed by prior felons,” Ryan said System. Researchers analyzed more in a statement announcing the grant. Unemployment in North Lawndale is than 7,000 death certificates obtained around 27 percent. Incomes are low, from the Illinois Department of Public The Going Home program will direct crime rates are high, and single mothers Health in an effort to match additional services to juveniles and young adults head a majority of the households, ac- victim information to IDOC records. with a propensity for violence or of high cording to the latest U.S. census. North R&A also coordinated three focus risk of returning to prison. Contact with Lawndale was targeted by the Illinois groups of homicide victim survivors the participants will begin before they Workforce Advantage and Going Home and worked with Northwestern are released, and the program will uti- programs in an effort to improve these University’s Center on Wrongful Con- lize newly formed transition teams, conditions and help a significant contin- victions to conduct a panel discussion involving individuals wrongfully sen- which will include IDOC parole offic- gent of ex-offenders. tenced to . Three reports ers, TASC case managers, and North were submitted to the Commission on Lawndale Employment Network staff. Specialized programs Capital Punishment, focusing on victim In collaboration with IDOC, the Author- and survivor issues in homicide cases The 200 inmates selected for the pro- ity recently committed nearly $2 million and the needs of those wrongfully gram will receive a variety of services, in federal Anti-Drug Abuse Act funds, convicted. The Authority’s work was including assessment, case manage- along with more than $625,000 in state incorporated into the commission’s ment, cognitive restructuring, a matching funds, toward transitional April 2002 final report to the gover- voucher pool for treatment, transitional and reentry programs focusing on nor. housing, employment training and needs of specific groups of offenders. placement assistance, and specialized The programs are part of an IDOC ef- Homicide research youth services. Approximately 525 in- fort to develop a system-wide approach In cooperation with the Chicago Police mates currently fit the requirements to to transitional reentry of offenders and Department, R&A researchers con- participate in the Going Home program, consist of assessment, individualized tinue to update and add to a according to IDOC. comprehensive database containing case planning and case management information on every homicide that As part of the program, a similar group that continues after release to the com- occurred in the city of Chicago be- of offenders returning to the neighbor- munity. The four programs are briefly tween 1965 and 1996. The Chicago ing communities of West Garfield, described below. Homicide Dataset is now being up- Austin, and West Humboldt Park will T With the help of $432,600 in federal dated through 2000. With the help of receive less-intensive services and be a $4,500 grant from the Justice Re- and matching funds, a post-release sub- search and Statistics Association connected with existing networks of stance abuse case management (JRSA), R&A also is participating in a faith-based organizations and commu- program has been operating for more five-state grant project to study inci- nity agencies. than a year at the Southwestern Illinois dent-based homicide data. The Authority will conduct an evalua- Correctional Center in St. Clair County. Researchers have collected and ana- The program targets adult male inmates lyzed data from homicide case file tion of the program by tracking recidivism rates of participants. The with chronic substance abuse and information from several local police criminal histories. departments in Illinois as part of the Authority has committed up to $700,000 project. Their report will be completed in federal Juvenile Accountability In- T With $533,333 in federal and match- later this year. centive Block Grant Funds to possibly ing state funds a community-based expand the North Lawndale model to transitional program is being developed Drug task force research serve juveniles in other Chicago neigh- for female offenders at the Decatur Cor- Researchers have completed a final borhoods. rectional Center and a Chicago-area draft report for a project analyzing A notable trend among ex-offenders re- Adult Transitional Center (ATC). differences between targeted offend- Women offenders face unique issues, ers of special drug task forces in the turning home is that many return to the state and the targeted drug offenders same crime-ridden and economically and this program will provide gender- of local police departments. Funded depressed area where they got into responsive, individualized case

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Page 4 Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority management services, with a particular The foundation specializes in employ- Research continued focus on homelessness and finding safe ment preparation and job referrals for housing. The program will complement ex-offenders, along with basic skills through the Department of Justice, existing collaborative initiatives be- classes that can lead to a GED. In the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and car- tween IDOC and the Illinois classroom the instructors attempt to ried out in cooperation with Loyola Department of Human Services at the establish a model workplace environ- University, the project collected data Decatur facility and selected ATCs that ment to instill appropriate on criminal histories and drug arrest assist female offenders with the transi- communication skills and other traits dispositions from a sample of Illinois’ multijurisdictional drug task force ar- tion back to the community. necessary for holding a job. What many rests and a comparison group taken of the clients learned in prison were T Another transitional program will from local police department arrests. survival skills, such as intimidation and The study also developed a means to utilize $625,000 for community-based menacing behavior. “That’s part and compare Authority-funded Metropoli- substance abuse treatment for adult parcel for surviving in an institution, it’s tan Enforcement Group (MEG) and males at the West Side Adult Transi- not so good on a job,” Tonn said. Task Force unit activities with the gen- tional Center in Chicago. The program eral drug control activities in the areas will provide residential substance In addition to the two ATCs it runs for they serve. This technique was used to abuse treatment and a transitional pro- IDOC, Safer has programs at its main develop profiles of each unit to place gram. office in Chicago, at the Cook County their efforts into the larger context of drug control efforts in their respective T Jail, and at Safer facilities in Rockford A total of $912,500 will go toward a and Davenport, Iowa. jurisdictions. similar substance abuse treatment and transitional program for young offend- The foundation gets about 4,500 walk-in Disproportionate confinement ers at the Illinois Youth Center-Chicago clients a year in Chicago out of some The Authority also has been working and at the West Side ATC. 18,000 ex-offenders who return to the on projects related to the dispropor- area during that period, Tonn said. The tionate confinement of minorities. Also, the U.S. Department of Justice foundation places about 700 to 800 ex- One project, funded by the Illinois recently announced changes to the offenders into jobs each year, drawing Juvenile Justice Commission, is looking Residential Substance Abuse Treatment on an active pool of about 300 employ- at the disproportionate representa- (RSAT) program guidelines that will al- ers who have hired ex-offenders in the tion of minorities in the Cook County juvenile justice system. Researchers low up to 10 percent of the roughly $2 past couple of years. million Illinois received this year under have completed the collection and the program to go toward community- Employment specialists at Safer focus analysis of data from various contact based treatment programs. Previously, as much on screening and placement in points in the juvenile justice system and finished a draft report of those RSAT funds could only be used for jobs as they do on making sure the findings. Case level data also is being programs in correctional facilities. clients keep their jobs. Part of Safer’s collected as part of this project to success is due to the fact that it pro- measure the influence of specific fac- Jobs are key to success vides support for its clients and the tors on decisions made as the juveniles In light of the large number of inmates companies that hire them for one year, are processed through the system. A returning to North Lawndale, IDOC Tonn said. “It’s a package deal.” separate project, funded through opened an adult transitional center JRSA, focuses on the development of a there. The Safer Foundation has oper- Over the years Safer has taken various comprehensive statistical profile of ated the North Lawndale ATC under approaches to helping ex-offenders each of Illinois’ 102 counties. The pro- contract with IDOC for the past two succeed in the community, and many of files will assess disproportionate years. Safer is a nonprofit organization them have been somewhat experimen- minority representation and contain a tal, Tonn said. “I think we’re just kind of host of data and information to aid that for the past 30 years has been juvenile justice planning, problem helping ex-offenders find jobs as a at the door of understanding what works. It’s not to the point that we have identification, and problem solving. means for reestablishing themselves on The profiles will be available on the the outside. In addition to the 200-bed the recipe yet. We’re always trying new Authority’s website. North Lawndale facility, Safer has oper- things.” ated IDOC’s 350-bed Crossroads ATC In addition to the regular basic skills Other research for more than 15 years. classes and job services that they pro- Researchers have begun work on a vide, the foundation also is working project funded by the National Youth The philosophy of the Safer Foundation Gang Center that will examine the has always been that holding down a with the Illinois Department of Public Aid in a program focusing on family recidivism of gang versus non-gang job was essential for keeping ex-offend- members released from Illinois pris- ers from reoffending or violating reunification. Tonn estimated that 60 ons. parole. “We knew that if an offender percent to 70 percent of male ex-offend- The Authority also recently received a didn’t have a legitimate income, he was ers in the area are fathers, and typically they are not supporting their children. grant from JRSA to conduct an in- going to have an income one way or depth examination of the another,” said Ron Tonn, associate vice Safer believes that connecting the fa- thers with their children and the backgrounds, needs, and services re- president for public fund development ceived by female delinquents that at the Chicago-based organization. children’s mothers will help prevent re- have been committed to IDOC. cidivism. The program is just getting

Continued on page 6

THE COMPILER SUMMER 2002 Page 5 Grants Continued from page 5 under way at the two transitional cen- 2000, but the actual time served in Recent Authority designations ters Safer operates in Chicago. The prison is typically only about four to program seeks to bring fathers into seven months. Because the time in T $2.2 million in Victim of Crime compliance with their child support prison is so short for these offenders, Act (VOCA) funding to 24 child advo- cacy centers across Illinois. These obligations without being punitive, they don’t receive many services be- centers provide direct services to Tonn said. fore they are released, said David abused children. Centers had to have Olson, a senior research scientist with been operational prior to December Expand focus beyond reentry the Authority who works on correc- 2001 to be eligible for funding. As Tonn sees it, the attention being tions issues. given to reintegration is too narrowly T $905,724 in federal fiscal year focused. To seriously address the issue “If they come in with an eighth grade 2001 Local Law Enforcement Block education, they aren’t going to get their Grants (LLEBG) to 60 local law en- of reentry, the criminal justice system needs to pay more attention to the GED in four months,” Olson said. Simi- forcement agencies for officer safety larly, he added, by the time these equipment. These funds will provide front end of the system, before nonvio- 18 new police vehicles, several mobile lent drug offenders are taken out of inmates go through intake and get as- data terminals, and more than 20 in- their communities and sent to prison. signed to a prison, there’s not much car video systems. “In Illinois, we’re in a lot of turbulence time for extensive substance abuse right now when it comes to ex-offend- treatment. Federal grant designations ers. The focus needs to be broader than Reintegration isn’t so hard for these The Authority recently received desig- just reentry,” he said. offenders because they didn’t really nations for several grants from the spend much time away from the com- U.S. Department of Justice for federal More resources should be devoted to fiscal year 2002. community-based programs for non- munity. But they don’t come back with violent offenders with addictions, Tonn better tools for avoiding the mistakes T $984,700 in LLEBG funds. said. Another priority should be to help they’ve made in the past, and now they T $19.5 million in Anti-Drug ex-offenders find legitimate jobs as an have a felony conviction on their Abuse Act (ADAA) funds. Also alternative to the lucrative drug record. “The problem is they go back to known as the Edward Byrne Memorial economy that exists in many communi- the same place with the same negative State and Local Law Enforcement As- ties, he said. influences they had before,” Olson sistance Program, these funds support said. government programs that support According to IDOC’s 2000 Statistical drug law enforcement and combate Presentation, prisoner exits rose by 4 IDOC Director Donald N. Snyder Jr. violent crime. percent in 2000, continuing a trend that said he supports a debate on the value T $2 million in Residential Sub- began in 1989. A major reason for the of community-based treatment for non- stance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) increase in exits was the increase in violent drug offenders. funds to continue providing assistance admissions for lower class drug of- to state prison inmates. “We need to look at the value we return fenses, which tend to have short to taxpayers on the dollars we spend. T $15 million in VOCA funds. incarceration periods. Putting thousands of inmates in prison Funded with fines paid by those con- for a few months for possessing and victed of violating federal laws, VOCA The offense of Class 4 drug possession was the most common sentence to using drugs is costing taxpayers mil- supports direct services to victims of lions of dollars every year,” he said. violent crime. The act requires that IDOC in 2000, and resulted in 4,290 priority be given to services for victims prison admissions. The next most com- The value of using those dollars for of sexual assault, domestic abuse, mon sentences were for the Class 2 incarceration alone is the central issue, child abuse, and other groups identi- felonies of burglary, which accounted Snyder said. fied by the state as underserved for 1,647 admissions, and manufacture/ victims of violent crime. delivery of a controlled substance, “Some of these offenders may need to T $4.9 million in Violence Against which accounted for 1,437 admissions. be in prison for their criminal behavior. Women Act (VAWA) funds. VAWA However, we could probably screen funds are used to improve the re- Substance abuse is a pervasive prob- many of them out and get them in drug sponse of the criminal justice system lem throughout the inmate population. treatment programs that would cost to victims of sexual assault and do- U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of less and be more effective in dealing mestic violence. Justice Statistics surveys indicate that with offenses they might commit in the in addition to inmates serving time for T $7.18 million in Juvenile Ac- future,” he said.‹ countability Incentive Block Grant actual drug offenses, many more were (JAIBG) program funds. JAIBG funds sentenced for crimes they committed are used for initiatives that enable either while on drugs or to get money prosecutors to address drug, gang, for drugs. and youth violence problems more effectively, and programs establishing The average prison sentence for Class and maintaining interagency informa- 4 drug possession was 1.8 years in tion-sharing capabilities.

Page 6 Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority Continued from page 1 Technology struggling in their transition from ward Coleman applied for extensions and of the state to ordinary citizen. Coleman stayed at the recovery home for nearly IIJIS strategic plan is a leadership group member of the a year. She took courses in office ad- Winners’ Circle, a, peer-led recovery ministration, got a job, and was able to The Illinois Integrated Justice Infor- mation Systems (IIJIS) project is on support group of ex-offenders facili- pay rent to the recovery home. She schedule, with the completion of a tated by Treatment Alternatives for Safe eventually found an apartment. Today statewide strategic plan expected by Communities (TASC). she and her new husband are making the end of 2002. The plan will be plans to purchase a house. submitted to the governor and will “I was looking for comfort,” she said of detail the work that needs to be her reintegration in December 2000 af- Coleman’s first attempt at reintegrating done to reach goals for the exchange ter serving 18 months at Dwight and recovery took a much different of criminal justice information in Illi- Correctional Center for cocaine posses- turn. She served 11 months and entered nois for the next two years. sion with intent to sell. “When I went to a work release program in 1993 for a Winners’ Circle, I found people just like drug possession conviction. She then The strategic plan will put forth strat- egies for integrating Illinois justice me coming home from the penitentiary moved into Grace House, a recovery information systems through the or the county jail, trying to live and get home in Chicago for female ex-offend- sharing of complete, accurate, timely, back into society. I could talk about ers. She found work as a waitress, and and accessible information. problems and things that were bother- eventually moved in with a friend. ing me and I started getting involved.” The IIJIS Planning Committee recently “I stayed clean for seven months and I completed a “Scenario for Justice In- Coleman received substance abuse was doing real good, but waitressing formation Sharing in Illinois,” which treatment in Gateway Foundation’s had always been a trigger for me – fast identifies the types of information Corrections program prior to her re- money,” she said. “For a while, I was exchanges desired for an integrated justice information system in Illinois. lease from prison. After serving her able to save, but I wasn’t attending Such exchanges might include a po- time, Coleman moved into Kedzie meetings. I was working and trying to lice officer needing immediate information on a vehicle during a traffic stop, or a judge needing com- plete and accurate criminal history “I had so many trials and tribulations, information to set bail in a case. things I didn’t know how to deal with, A gap analysis of the Scenario is be- ing conducted to identify those and I turned to drugs for comfort. I information exchanges that can be accomplished now, and to identify didn’t know what to do then. Today I do.” obstacles to additional exchanges. To assist in the statewide effort, and — Janice Coleman to facilitate county-level integration planning, project staff members are convening discussion groups to make gap determinations from the per- House, a halfway house for men and find an apartment, and in the course of spective of justice information users women. “When I came out, I refused to that, I ended up relapsing.” and suppliers representing all justice go back to my family and so-called agencies involved in offender-based friends,” she said. “They were enablers. Coleman said a personal decision to decision-making. Participants also I got off the Greyhound bus downtown, steer clear of drugs and alcohol plays a will enhance the Scenario by review- hopped in a cab, and went straight to key role in the progress she has made ing the information requirements for each stage of offender-based deci- the recovery home.” this time around. Now four years clean, she works in the outreach and outpa- sion-making and noting regional and At Kedzie House, Coleman was given tient division of Chicago’s Haymarket jurisdictional differences in user re- three months to obtain a state identifi- Center. The center serves chemically quirements. cation card, find a job, and locate dependent men and women and their The discussion groups will be orga- affordable housing. While obtaining a families, including homeless and court- nized around specific practitioner state identification card may seem like mandated offenders, through detox, groups identified in the Scenario, in- a simple task to most people, it can be residential, outpatient, and special cluding police, sheriffs, prosecutors, difficult for individuals who are exiting treatment programs. defense attorneys, judges, circuit court clerks, corrections officials, and the prison system due to a lack of “I started using drugs and alcohol when probation/court services officers. In necessary documentation, uncertainty addition, staff members will convene about where and how to obtain the I was 31,” said Coleman, now 45. “Be- fore I started using drugs and alcohol, I multi-agency discussion groups in card, and even transportation issues. three counties where integration Further complicating matters, ex-of- had a productive life. But I had so many planning activities have already be- fenders are unable to line up services, trials and tribulations, things I didn’t gun. housing or employment without a state know how to deal with, and I turned to identification card. Continued on back page

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that others can’t reach,” he said. “Ev- said. he reach,” can’t others that

he said of his work. “It gives me a me gives “It work. his of said he “My gift is being able to reach people reach to able being is gift “My

“It reminds me of where I came from,” came I where of me reminds “It

outreach work once he left prison. left he once work outreach

Circle leadership group member. group leadership Circle tion, and took steps to continue his continue to steps took and tion,

Haymarket Center, and is a Winners’ a is and Center, Haymarket group facilitator during his incarcera- his during facilitator group

resources available,” Andy said. Andy available,” resources

ease counselor and case manager at manager case and counselor ease ‹ Sheridan. He eventually became a became eventually He Sheridan.

can do, but you have to have the have to have you but do, can

works as a sexually transmitted dis- transmitted sexually a as works Corrections program during his stay at stay his during program Corrections

enough, and you have to do what you what do to have you and enough,

cantly to the strides he has made. He made. has he strides the to cantly treatment in Gateway Foundation’s Gateway in treatment

“You have to be willing to have had have to willing be to have “You

help others has contributed signifi- contributed has others help church. He received substance abuse substance received He church.

Andy believes being in a position to position a in being believes Andy dent of the health ministry at his at ministry health the of dent

other resources for ex-offenders. for resources other

years clean, Andy also serves as presi- as serves also Andy clean, years

importance of recovery homes and homes recovery of importance suing that life.” that suing

Now 52 years old and four-and-a-half and old years 52 Now

ington, D.C., to speak about the about speak to D.C., ington, they don’t pick up drugs and keep pur- keep and drugs up pick don’t they

Administration conference in Wash- in conference Administration

find another direction and keep going, keep and direction another find the rest of their lives.” their of rest the

Abuse and Mental Health Services Health Mental and Abuse

and they have somebody to help them help to somebody have they and Andy said. “A lot of people are in for in are people of lot “A said. Andy

members traveled to a Substance a to traveled members

“It’s not true. When a person gets tired gets person a When true. not “It’s but a lot of people weren’t so lucky,” so weren’t people of lot a but

Winners’ Circle leadership group leadership Circle Winners’

always return to crime,’” Andy said. Andy crime,’” to return always “I went through what I went through, went I what through went “I

organizations. In July, they and other and they July, In organizations. addict always an addict,’ or ‘they will ‘they or addict,’ an always addict

guest lecturers before a variety of variety a before lecturers guest fortunate. public (about ex-offenders) is ‘once an ‘once is ex-offenders) (about public

Coleman and Andy have served as served have Andy and Coleman himself considers He incarceration. “The biggest misconception by the by misconception biggest “The

after two years and nine months of months nine and years two after

couraged me, and I found mine.” found I and me, couraged

years ago. years Correctional Center in December 2000 December in Center Correctional

people’s interest. A counselor en- counselor A interest. people’s

be used, joined Winners’ Circle two Circle Winners’ joined used, be cars. He was released from Sheridan from released was He cars.

think I had the ability to draw to ability the had I think

Andy, who asked that his last name not name last his that asked who Andy, seven times since 1969 for stealing for 1969 since times seven

wasn’t an outspoken person. I didn’t I person. outspoken an wasn’t

Misconceptions Andy has been in and out of prison of out and in been has Andy

Prior to treatment the last time, I time, last the treatment to Prior

just need encouragement to find it. find to encouragement need just experiences.” my through learned do.” I Today then. do to

erybody has some kind of niche, they niche, of kind some has erybody I what of some back give to chance what know didn’t I comfort. for drugs Continued from page 7 page from Continued