THE FEDERAL INTERAGENCY REENTRY COUNCIL A Record of Progress and a Roadmap for the Future President Barack Obama holds a discussion with incarcerated men at El Reno Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno, Oklahoma, July 16, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) AUGUST 2016 Contents Letter from the Co-Chairs ..............................................................iii Executive Summary. v Participating Departments and Agencies .................................................xiii Introduction ..........................................................................1 What is Reentry and Why is it Important? ................................................3 The Federal Interagency Reentry Council ................................................13 Actions to Date, Objectives, and Next Steps .............................................17 Improving Access to Meaningful Employment Opportunities .............................21 Improving Access to Meaningful Educational Opportunities ..............................32 Improving Access to Health Care, Treatment, and Benefts ...............................39 Improving Housing Stability .........................................................48 Reducing Collateral Consequences ..................................................52 Supporting Children of Incarcerated Parents and their Families ...........................58 Improving Reentry Outcomes for Special Populations ..................................64 Conclusion ..........................................................................75 Reentry Council Resources ............................................................77 THE FEDERAL INTERAGENCY REENTRY COUNCIL: A Record of Progress and a Roadmap for the Future • i Letter from the Co-Chairs As co-chairs of the Federal Interagency Reentry Council, we are pleased to present this report on behalf of the Council’s member agencies. The Department of Justice frst convened the Council in 2011, in an effort to engage a wide range of federal agencies in developing and advancing innovative and comprehensive approaches to reentry. Over the last fve years, this collaboration of more than 20 agencies has worked relentlessly to expand the range of tools that the government uses to ensure that individuals returning to the community from prison or jail have a meaningful chance to rebuild their lives and reclaim their futures. With the Presidential Memorandum of April 29, 2016 that formally establishes the Reentry Council, President Obama has acknowledged the successes of this productive partnership so far, and positioned the Council to continue its work in the years ahead. All too often, returning citizens face enormous barriers that endure long after they have paid their debts to society – and with over 600,000 individuals released from federal and state prisons every year, societal choices about how we treat reentering individuals will have far-reaching implications for all of us. Without effective reentry policies, we risk perpetuating cycles of violence, victimization, incarceration and poverty in our neighborhoods. We risk wasting the potential of millions of Americans whose past mistakes continue to exclude them from the chance to contribute to their communities. That’s why the Reentry Council is dedicated to expanding access to the key building blocks of a stable life – employment, education, housing, healthcare, and civic participation – to give formerly incarcerated individuals a second chance and to create stronger and safer communities for all. The Council has made important progress towards these goals, developing comprehensive strategies to address the breadth of issues related to reentry. Together, we are opening doors to higher education and meaningful employment for justice-involved individuals. We are creating a fairer housing market and connecting those returning from prison with healthcare and treatment. And we are investing in promising reentry programs in states and localities all over the country. Though we have come a long way in the last fve years, there is still much work left to do. The Presidential Memorandum marks an exciting new chapter in our sustained commitment to improving outcomes for returning citizens. This report – mandated within 100 days of the issuance of the Presidential Memorandum – highlights achievements to date and focuses on the road forward. In this next phase of our work, we will chart a course for implementation, ensuring that the Council’s efforts continue to guide the feld in the months and years to come. THE FEDERAL INTERAGENCY REENTRY COUNCIL: A Record of Progress and a Roadmap for the Future • iii Attorney General Loretta Lynch and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Cecilia Muñoz co-chair a Reentry Council meeting on July 6, 2016. Also pictured (from left): Reentry Council Executive Director Amy Solomon, Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray. (Photo: Department of Justice) Of course, the path ahead will not be without obstacles, and the ambitious plan we’ve laid out will take time to implement. But as this report demonstrates, the Reentry Council and our partners nationwide have made a frm commitment to the millions of Americans touched by the criminal justice system. We want all Americans to have a fair chance to live up to their full potential, to engage with their families and communities, and to reach for a bright future that is not defned by their past mistakes. And through the strength of our collective efforts, we are one step closer to ensuring that every American leaving prison is truly able to come home. Loretta E. Lynch Cecilia Muñoz Attorney General Director United States Department of Justice White House Domestic Policy Council iv • FEDERAL INTERAGENCY REENTRY COUNCIL Executive Summary Each year, more than 600,000 individuals are released “America is a Nation of second from state and federal prisons,1 and 11.4 million chances…. Providing incarcerated 2 people cycle through local jails. In addition, a broader individuals with job and life skills, population – roughly one in three American adults – education programming, and has an arrest record,3 mostly for relatively minor, non- mental health and addiction violent offenses, sometimes from decades in the past.4 The long-term, sometimes lifelong, impact of a criminal treatment increases the record will keep many qualifed people from obtaining likelihood that such individuals employment and accessing housing, higher education, will be successful when released. loans and credit – even after they have paid their debt And removing barriers to to society and are unlikely to reoffend. In fact, research successful reentry helps formerly shows that people who stay out of trouble for just a incarcerated individuals compete few years post-arrest are largely indistinguishable from for jobs, attain stable housing, and the general population in terms of their odds of being support their families. All of these arrested in the future.5 Further, pro-social activities such as employment, education, and civic engagement are critical to reducing recidivism – the very things that people with criminal records are and strengthening communities.” 6 often barred from participating in – reduce recidivism. President Barack Obama Presidential Memorandum on To address these large-scale issues, the members of Promoting Rehabilitation and the Federal Interagency Reentry Council have been Reintegration of Formerly Incarcerated Individuals working together since 2011 to reduce recidivism and April 29, 2016 improve outcomes related to employment, education, housing, health, and child welfare. Comprised of more than 20 federal agencies, the Reentry Council coordinates and leverages existing federal resources; dispels myths and clarifes policies; elevates programs and policies that work; and reduces the policy barriers to successful reentry. The Council was recognized in a 2014 GAO report as one of four model interagency collaborations, and the Council’s collective work at the federal level has set a positive example for many states and localities, several of which have started similar councils. On April 29, 2016, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum that formally established the Reentry Council to help ensure the federal government continues this important work. This report responds to the directive in that memorandum, providing a review of the Council’s accomplishments and a roadmap for its future. THE FEDERAL INTERAGENCY REENTRY COUNCIL: A Record of Progress and a Roadmap for the Future • v President Barack Obama greets incarcerated individuals prior to a discussion at El Reno Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno, Oklahoma, July 16, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) The mission of the Reentry Council is to make communities safer by reducing recidivism and victimization; to help those who return from prison and jail to become productive citizens; and to save taxpayer dollars by lowering the direct and collateral costs of incarceration. The Reentry Council advances policies and programs that connect justice-involved persons with meaningful educational and employment opportunities, with access to health care and a safe place to live, so that motivated individuals – who have served their time and paid their dues – are able to contribute to their communities. In its frst fve years, the Reentry Council has accomplished