| MPRI eNews
Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Update
October 2008 |
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| MPRI Parolee Outcomes through November 2007 |
Total MPRI releases: 9,388
Expected number of returns: 1,921
Actual number of returns: 1,428
Improvement: 493
While these results for MPRI parolees are precisely what was hoped for, it is still too early to say that MPRI activities alone caused the changes. For much more information, click here. |
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| Welcome to MPRI eNews for October! |
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This month, we've added two new features that we hope will be useful to you.
First is a report on MPRI parolee outcomes that shows broad statewide improvements in the return-to-prison rate since the MPRI was launched compared to 1998 parolees. For more detailed data, just follow the link at the bottom of the box. This information will be updated as new data become available each quarter.
Second is a link to news media reports on the MPRI. These are drawn from newspapers and other outlets from across Michigan. As you will see, there are lots of exciting developments and a huge amount of creativity about how to implement the MPRI successfully. You can find the link to these reports on the Quick Links block below on the left.
If you have not yet invited your networks of colleagues, friends, or family to subscribe to MPRI eNews, you can do so by sending this link to your email list:
You can forward a copy of this edition only by clicking here. That works best for sending to only a few folks.
As always, we thank you for reading! Please send us your comments and suggestions.
Jeff Padden and Paul Elam
Public Policy Associates, Inc. |
| Tax Credits Available for Hiring Former Prisoners |
Employment is an essential ingredient to reentry success, but jobs are very hard to come by for former prisoners. Often, employers worry that hiring prisoners will not benefit their businesses. The federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) aims to entice employers to take a chance. It allows them to take up to $2,400 off the first $6,000 in wages of a former prisoner who works at least 400 hours. That's a direct tax credit of 40% of the initial wages. For those who work to find jobs for returning prisoners, this can be a very useful tool in catching the attention of prospective employers. For much more information about how the WOTC works, click here. | |
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| ACTION ALERT: Update on MPRI Candidate Education |
On October 17, all candidates for the Michigan House of Representatives were sent a third informational letter from Public Policy Associates, Inc. building on the basics about the MPRI that had been provided in the previous two mailings. In addition, the candidates received hot-off-the-presses copies of the 2008 MPRI Progress Report. This education process will continue with a final mailing following the general election that will offer briefings on the MPRI for incoming legislators.
Candidates need to hear from you to truly understand how the MPRI works in your community. Right now, before the election, is a great time to catch their attention about important issues like the MPRI. So, please call them or pay a personal visit. They will truly value your perspective and insight. For a copy of the letter, click here. If you don't know what House district you are in, click here. Once you know your district number, click here for a list of all candidates and their contact information. This includes both incumbents and challengers. |
| It's the "Award Winning" Wayne/Monroe MPRI Now |
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Community Action Agencies (CAAs), which were created by President Lyndon Johnson during the 1960s to wage the War on Poverty, continue to be a major force for attacking the causes and consequences of poverty in our communities. The Wayne-Metropolitan CAA, part of this storied network, serves 43 communities in Out-Wayne County. Its committed staff collaborates with many public and private entities to deliver "...comprehensive services to low-income persons, which promote positive change for Out-Wayne County communities, individuals and families empowering them to become self-sufficient."
Each year, the agency recognizes its best allies by presenting them with the Partner in Progress Award, and this year, Wayne/Monroe MPRI was a recipient. In announcing the award, Lisa Johnstone, the W/MCAA Director of Development and Communications, said that MPRI "...ensures compassionate care for persons experiencing major life barriers."
The award is emblematic of the strong relationships being developed between the Wayne/Monroe MPRI and service providers across Out-Wayne County. It also reflects an important principle of the MPRI Model, which emphasizes the need for collaboration among all relevant service providers in a community.
Former prisoner Doug Haskins was also recognized as the W/MCAA Client of the Year. For an article about his success, click here.
To see the Partner in Progress award letter, click here. |
| The Washtenaw MPRI Targets Tough Cases for Housing |
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Washtenaw County's MPRI--thanks to funding from the JEHT Foundation, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw County Barrier Busters, the Washtenaw Housing Alliance, and Religious Action for Affordable Housing--has implemented a two-year pilot program that provides a rent subsidy and supportive housing services for 20 returning prisoners, identified prior to release, who have a severe mental illness or physical disability and who are returning to the community homeless. These individuals tend to have the highest risk of failure on parole, typically spending only a short time in the community before retuning to prison.
After their release, participants live in one-bedroom apartments and receive regular visits from a housing support services worker. Enhanced services provided by the project include: (a) housing counseling, referrals, and placements; (b) security deposits; (c) basic furnishings and housewares; (d) subsidized rents; and (e) supportive services focused on remaining stably housed and crime free. Lessons learned from this pilot can help shape supportive housing services for all of Washtenaw's MPRI participants and can also inform local planning in other MPRI sites across the state.
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| Muskegon County Sheriff's Office Selected as Re-Entry Learning Site |
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Under the leadership of Sheriff Dean Roesler, the Muskegon County Sheriff's Department was selected as one of only four law enforcement agencies in the nation to participate in a new project launched by the Council of State Governments Justice Center (CSG), the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The project focuses on law enforcement's role in improving the safe and successful transition of people from prison or jail to the community. As a Re-Entry Learning Site, the Sheriff's Department will benefit from a local needs assessment, individualized technical assistance, and increased access to data and analysis pertinent to re-entry. In addition to taking the lead in providing valuable information to the field about specific aspects of difficult-to-execute law enforcement re-entry activities, selection as a Learning Site will enhance the impact of the Sheriff's Department's strong partnership with the Muskegon MPRI to improve community safety.
For more on the Muskegon County program, click here. For more information about the national initiative, click here. |
| Summit on Poverty to Include Corrections Focus - November 13 |
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On November 13, 2008, the first Michigan Summit on Poverty will be held at Cobo Center in Detroit. The event will include a focus on the relationship between corrections and poverty. Governor Granholm and Martin Luther King III will speak. The goal of the session is to mobilize action aimed to eliminate poverty.
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