CT Reentry Strategy

CT Reentry Collaborative Rob Hebert, Bridgeport Sue Gunderman, Hartford Dana Smith, New Britain Char Dornne Bussue, New Britain Earl Bloodworth, New Haven Donald Robinson, New Haven Kia Baird, Southeastern CT John Duca, Southeastern CT Jeremy Kosbob, Stamford Beth Hines, Waterbury Brittany Caruso, Windham Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy Andrew Clark Director Renee LaMark Muir Senior Research and Policy Analyst Mary Janicki Senior Research and Policy Analyst John Noonan Senior Budget and Policy Analyst Daryl McGraw Research and Policy Analyst The CT Reentry Collaborative would like to extend thanks to the Office of Policy and Management’s Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division for its assistance in both convening the meetings of the Reentry Strategy Workgroup and in the development of this document. www.ctreentry.org www.ccsu.edu/imrp June 28, 2018 Under Secretary Mike Lawlor Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division Office of Policy and Management 450 Capitol Avenue, MS#52CJP Hartford, CT 06106-1379 Dear Undersecretary Lawlor, The leaders of the CT Reentry Collaborative would like to thank you for all the work that has been done around criminal justice reform and reentry under Governor Malloy’s administration. We feel there have been many positive changes impacting thousands of individuals who have returned home or been diverted from incarceration. Connecticut is leading the way when it comes to these reforms. With that being said, the CT Reentry Collaborative, a stakeholder in this process, is concerned about the continuity of this progress with the introduction of new executive branch administration that may be wholly unfamiliar with the current strategic objectives and strategies for reform. As such, the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP), as convener of the CT Reentry Collaborative, would like to work with your office to review and revise the 2011 State of Connecticut’s Reentry Strategy. With an updated statewide reentry strategy, each community could align policies/goals around current best practices, reducing silos, building stronger collaborations; which, in turn, would allow us to be more united when a new administration comes in next year. Creating safer communities, supporting the rights of victims, and reducing recidivism are fundamental core beliefs of the CT Reentry Collaborative, along with treating individuals with dignity and respect as they return home from incarceration. It is our hope you will grant us the opportunity to update the State of Connecticut’s Reentry Strategy as we believe this will have a positive impact on each of our communities across our state. Thank you for your time and we look forward to your response. Sincerely, Andrew Clark Dana Smith IMRP/CCSU New Britain Reentry Roundtable Rob Hebert Earl Bloodworth Bridgeport Reentry Collaborative New Haven Reentry Roundtable Sue Gunderman Kia Baird Greater Hartford Reentry Council Southeastern CT Reentry Roundtable Beth Hines Martine Mikell Greater Waterbury Reentry Council Windham Regional Reentry Council Planning for Successful Reentry Strategies to Continue Connecticut’s Second Chance Initiatives EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Since 2008, the Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division, within the Office of Policy and Management, has been required to produce an annual Reentry Strategy that “provides a continuum of custody, care and control for [people] who are being supervised in the community, especially those [people] who have been discharged from the custody of the Department of Correction, and assists to maintain the prison population at or under the authorized bed capacity.” This updated Reentry Strategy (December 2018) describes the continuous efforts and achievements over the past decade to improve the transition from incarceration to the community, break the cycle in and out of the justice system, provide public safety, and improve the lives of justice-involved people, their families and Connecticut communities. It also offers recommended strategic directions to continue to move Connecticut’s reentry initiatives toward the stated goals. The process to produce the Reentry Strategy was overseen by the CT Reentry Collaborative and the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy in collaboration with the Office of Policy and Management’s Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division, state and municipal justice system stakeholders, nonprofit provider organizations, victim and community advocates, and justice-involved people and their families. The Reentry Strategy creates a recommended framework to guide comprehensive and coordinated policy development and service delivery systems for people transitioning from jail or prison to communities throughout the state, with the goals of reducing recidivism, improving public safety, saving and more efficiently using taxpayer dollars, and assisting people to return to and stay home. Reentry Goals This recommended Reentry Strategy is intended to have a positive effect on breaking the cycle in and out of jail or prison, reducing contact with the criminal justice system, and enhancing the likelihood of justice- involved people finding their way to full citizenship through the following while also meeting the unique needs of people in special populations. • Livable wage employment • Safe, affordable and appropriate housing • Access to healthcare • Educational opportunities • Restoration of certain rights and privileges of citizenship • Family involvement • Community engagement The Reentry Strategy recognizes the process of reentry begins at arrest and continues through discharge from prison and community supervision and even past the end of the sentence to remove any barriers i caused by the stigma of criminal record. This process is larger than the state criminal justice system, its success in achieving the stated goals is dependent on a multi-pronged approach including collaboration between state and municipal governments, communities, and justice-involved people. • The state system provides information and resources to ensure an environment to allow opportunity for successful reentry of justice-involved people to their communities and families. • Communities and municipalities throughout the state welcome justice-involved people and their families and provide information and integrated services to effect and support the reentry process. • Justice-involved people are willing to be law-abiding citizens who recognize their role in the community and to advocate, educate and apply themselves to the reentry process. Reentry is a community-centric approach. And, like all successful communities, it relies on a variety of people and sources to function efficiently and effectively. Connecticut’s reentry stakeholders must also seek out technical assistance, support, and opportunities to collaborate with nonprofit REENTRY PLAN organizations, nongovernmental organizations, • Improve availability of housing options advocacy groups, faith-based organizations, and • Improve rate of self-sufficient, gainful state universities and colleges. Guided by the employment recommended Reentry Strategy’s common • Improve health outcomes and vision, stakeholders should continue to pursue coordination for mental health, addiction federal, state, municipal, and private sourced and primary care treatment funding opportunities for the comprehensive • Sustain access to government assistance network of reentry programs and services. programs • Finally, it is recognized that Connecticut must Maintain justice-involved people’s give equal attention to preventing people, connections to families especially young people, from coming into • Improve access to basic community contact with the juvenile justice and criminal resources and services justice systems. • Improve reentry transition planning • Expedite implementation of parole best Strategic Directions. Strategic directions are practice initiatives provided for eight important need areas. The strategic directions are intended to provide a framework for collaboration, creativity and innovation to continue strengthening Connecticut’s reentry network on state and municipal levels. ii Reentry Strategic Directions •Create Director for Reentry Services within OPM Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division Oversight & Coordination •Establish Reentry Advisory Board to CJPAC •OPM provide grant writing technical assitance to community- provider organizations •Coordinate with public housing authorities and state commissions and authorities Housing •Develop inclusive public housing policies •Provide information on tenant rights •Offer counseling and support to families to stablize housing •Coordinate with Commission on Equity and Opportunity on livable wage employment •Provide vocational training to meet labor market needs and create union skilled labor training programs Employment •Coordinate with DOL to identify labor market needs •Elminate restrictions on hiring people with criminal records and consider expedited pardons and expungement legislation •DOC and DPH provide people leaving jail or prison with medical records (W-10) •Increase access to community care including culturally Mental Health & competent and holistic care •Educate providers on psychological effects of justice- Addiction Treatment involvement •Encourage use of trauma-informed interventions •Provide people leaving jail or prison with interim supply of prescription medication •Subsidize transportation for families to jails or prisons •Reduce visitor restrictions for families & familiy members

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