1 / 16

Housing: A Significant Reentry Barrier

Housing: A Significant Reentry Barrier . Nicole E. Sullivan NC Department of Correction Office of Research and Planning. The Situation…Nationally. More than 2 million offenders are incarcerated in the U.S.

paloma
Download Presentation

Housing: A Significant Reentry Barrier

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Housing: A Significant Reentry Barrier Nicole E. Sullivan NC Department of Correction Office of Research and Planning

  2. The Situation…Nationally • More than 2 million offenders are incarcerated in the U.S. • One out of every 112 men and one in every 1,724 women are incarcerated in state or federal prison • 96% of offenders in prison will eventually leave and return to their communities

  3. Current Offender Population in NC As of October 13, 2009 Prison Inmates – 40,948 Male Inmates 37,873 Female Inmates 3,075 Probationers – 110,505 Parolees - 3,145 Total 154,598 Prison Releases: 2006 – 2007 = 26,986 2007 – 2008 = 27,637 2008 – 2009 = 28,860 86% released without supervision

  4. Homelessness: The Unsung Reentry Problem • Estimated 30 to 50 percent of formerly incarcerated become homeless in urban areas • It is estimated that 25 to 50 percent reside in emergency shelters

  5. Housing & Reintegration A key component of successful reentry planning is securing housing prior to an offender's release in order to prevent homelessness. Research suggests that reducing homelessness helps reduce recidivism and contributes to public safety.

  6. Categories of Housing Needs • Individuals with children • Individuals who are able-bodied and employable • Short-term housing assistance needed • Individuals with limited employment history and educational achievement • Varying degrees of housing assistance needed • Individuals with disabilities (e.g., mental illness, chronic disease, or substance abuse) • Long-term housing assistance needed

  7. Barriers to Housing for Released Offenders • Family members fear them or will only assist on short-term basis • Lack of funds to pay deposits and/or monthly rental or lease payments • Exclusion from public housing (drug offenses, sex offenses) • Supportive housing programs often lack staff trained to work with offender population • Discharge planning not focused on long-term housing as a primary need

  8. Barriers to Housing for Released Offenders • Homeless shelters cannot accept offenders directly from prison • Lack of transportation to seek housing outside of urban areas • Supervision restrictions on where to live • Limited number of beds available in transitional housing • Community fear and lack of education regarding needs

  9. How can communities assist the formerly incarcerated with housing? • Begin working with offenders and DOC prior to release • Involve faith initiatives to provide services and support such as mentoring and family services • Develop networks of local volunteers and community-based organizations in reentry initiatives • Create/build supportive networks that will assist with specific needs such as mental health, substance abuse, family reunification, and employment

  10. NCDOC Housing Efforts to Date • Going Home Initiative provided the following: • Regional housing workshops designed to provide information and housing strategies to community partners • Limited rental assistance (direct payments to landlords in lieu of deposits) • Identified housing providers willing to serve offenders due to post-release supervision and/or reentry program participation and support

  11. Creating a Paradigm of In-Reach • Post-Release housing providers must establish relationships with correctional agencies to understand the needs of offenders • Understanding the parameters in which correctional agencies must work • Information sharing • Transfers • Disciplinary actions • Changes in release dates • Limited space for meetings • Flexible meeting schedules with correctional staff

  12. Choosing a Housing Paradigm • Many factors must be considered when choosing a housing paradigm • Structure • Scale of Program • Target Population • Location • Outcomes

  13. Importance of this Housing Discussion • NC DOC does not have a funding stream to provide housing for released offenders • NC DOC receives numerous inquiries annually from community partners requesting guidance on developing reentry housing • Public relations concerns (NIMBY, etc) • Governor’s StreetSafe Task Force – recommendations for reentry housing

  14. Office of Transition Services (OTS) Created in September 2007 to coordinate reentry activities internally and externally for the NCDOC Roshanna S. Parker – Research & Evaluation Analyst (919) 716-3089 / rparker@doc.state.nc.us Anthony Reggi – Correctional Planner II (919) 716-3098 / treggi@doc.state.nc.us Monica L. Artis – Community Development Specialist (919) 716-3091 / martis@doc.state.nc.us Vincent Gaddy – Community Development Specialist (919) 716-3096 / vgaddy@doc.state.nc.us http://www.doc.state.nc.us/rap/OTS.htm

  15. Contact Information Nicole E. Sullivan, Manager Office of Research and Planning nsullivan@doc.state.nc.us (919)716-3080

More Related