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North Carolina's
Criminal Justice Policy Brief
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Continuation Reviews
***Sentencing Services
***Community College Prisoner Education Programs
***Bridge Program - Youthful Offenders Fighting Fires
Offender programs are in line for cuts once again. Three important programs that help the state meet the risks and needs of offenders are undergoing continuation reviews and are not funded in the state budget for 2010-2011.
Since the budget is as tight as it's been at any time in the state's history, funding for these programs will need the support of everyone who cares about spending scarce tax dollars in ways that do not simply rely on locking offenders up at a cost of over $1.3 billion each year. In this update, you can find information about each of these programs and their value to the state.
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Sentencing Services
Saving Money by Providing Options at Sentencing
Ollie Hooker, Licensed Addiction Specialist, Sentencing Services Grad | Mr. Ollie Hooker is now a licensed and highly regarded addiction specialist working for Wake Mental Health. Without Sentencing Services, Ollie would have gone back to prison at a high cost to the state and Wake County would never have benefited from the expertise he has developed.
Sentencing Services is the only program that works at the point of sentencing - before an offender goes to prison - to offer detailed community-based options in complex cases. In Ollie's case, that's just what was needed to help him move beyond addiction and into a life of helping others with addiction problems. Because Sentencing Services works at the sentencing phase, it can save the state $27,000 per year in high prison costs for each offender who is appropriately placed in the community for 12 months.
North Carolina currently holds over 40,000 individuals in our state's prison system and spends over $1.3 billion funding the Department of Correction. The state desperately needs effective and less expensive options - Sentencing Services is one such program. It saves the state the $2.4 million it costs to operate the program many times over.
Reasons to continue Sentencing Services include:
***Sentencing Services has been utilizing an evidence-based model of assessing and matching offenders for over a decade.
***Sentencing Services linked clients to over 200 different treatment resources across the state at the point of sentencing. 90% of these treatment options were funded by agencies other than the Department of Correction (DOC). When judges ordered treatment options on their own, they tended to rely predominantly on just 8 DOC facilities.
***Sentencing Service saves money. If offenders in Sentencing Services had been given their maximum sentences instead of receiving community options, it would have cost the state over $39 million dollars. In addition, the program has saved between $10 and $92 million dollars in prison construction.
***Sentencing Services promotes public safety by doing an intensive assessment of each individual and carefully matches an offender with the needed resources.
***Sentencing Services works closely with probation and helps identify needed resources across the state.
***This is not the time to further reduce the limited options that are available for addressing the risks and needs of the offender population.
***Sentencing Services reduces recidivism. Within an average of 22 months from conviction, 72% of Sentencing Services clients are not rearrested. By contrast, 65% of similarly situated defendants without sentencing plans are not rearrested.
We ask legislators to continue the Sentencing Services program. We would like to see this program fully funded and expanded rather than continuing to rely so heavily on a billion dollar investment in prisons and prison construction when we have programs that can provide so much value to our communities.
The continuation review is scheduled for April 21st at 8:30, Room 421 in the Legislative Office Building. |
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Rep. Angela Bryant and Ricky, a successful community college grad
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Community College Prisoner Education Program
North Carolina must have educational resources available to those in prison, on probation and returning from prison and jail. Most of that education and training is provided by the Community College system at a cost of $33 million. Vocational and educational training are a critical part of what every person needs to be employable in today's workplace and this program must be continued.
Ricky was one of the lucky ones who was able to enroll in the community college training programs while in prison. He attended Stanly Community College and took classes in Heating and Air, Electrical wiring and small business management. He now owns his own business - Triple R Enterprise - and is a licensed general contractor.
Tim, a successful Community College grad |
Tim D, another ex-prisoner who was able to participate in a community college training program said that without training, a person is "thrown back out into society without any skills. You have nothing to fall back on."
The Community College system reported that:
*Nearly one-half of inmates were unemployed prior to admission to prison.
*Most prisoners lack viable vocational or employment skills.
*Criminal conviction creates an additional barrier to a person transitioning back to the community.
*The typical reading level in the prison population is 8th grade. The typical math level is 7th grade.
In spite of the great need, only 10% of Department of Correction inmates are able to participate in prisoner education programs as a full-time assignment on any given day. We need to increase these educational assignments instead of eliminating them for the very population that needs them most.
In the continuation review hearing conducted this week, Rep. Ray Rapp, House committee co-chair said that legislators never planned to eliminate the program, but they did want to obtain information about specific aspects of it. That was good news! We hope most legislators share Rep. Rapp's view that education must be an essential component of the state's correctional activities.
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BRIDGE PROGRAM
Young Offenders Forest Conservation Program
Chris, a Forest Service Employee and successful graduate of the Bridge Program.  |
The Bridge Program works with just 84 youthful offenders each year in the 32 Western counties of North Carolina. The program trains young men in all the essential aspects of firefighting so they can be available - day or night - to help fight fires. When they aren't fighting fires, they are working to prevent fires. They also help to clear impassable highways by removing trees and snow.
Program participants have logged in over 68,000 hours of assistance to the state at a value of over $590,000. The value of preventing fires - while extremely important to Western NC - cannot be calculated. The total program expenses are approximately $1.3 million.
Chris Davis participated in the BRIDGE program four years ago and is now working for the Forest Service in McDowell County as an Asst. Ranger. Davis said "the skills you learn are invaluable." He worked in the flood, built bridges, painted jails and maintained state parks.
While the DOC recidivism study showed little impact on recidivism for all of the offenders who entered the program, DENR calculated a low recidivism rate for program completers. That data appears to be consistent with many other studies indicating that offenders who complete well-structured programs, show significant reductions in recidivism.
Legislators appeared to give the program their strong support. We hope they'll follow that sentiment with a favorable vote when the time comes.
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Building Knowledge & Finding Help
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Upcoming Conferences & Events
Race, Wrongful Convictions and the Death Penalty
Criminal Justice & Political Science Depts.
April 16, 4-6 pm
Winston-Salem
Ex-Offender Reintegration into Society
Legislative Committee
General Assembly
Room 421, LOB
April 21, 2010
Raleigh
Charlotte Community Justice Coalition Conference
Dr. Charles Ogletree
Keynote Speaker
April 31 - May 1
 State & National Research Findings CJPC Staff & Volunteers
Nathaniel Boston
Volunteer Office Aide
Patricia McDonald
Volunteer Office Aide
CJPC
Board of Directors
Linda Weisel
Postconviction Attorney
Dr. Peter H. Burian
Duke University
Classical Studies Professor
Dr. Jarvis Hall
NC Central University
Civic Engagement Director
Edd Gulati-Partee
Self-Help Community Credit Union
Information Technology
Sheria Reid
Institute of Government
Policy Analyst
CJPC is a partner organization
of the following:
Blueprint NC
Community Sentencing Association
HK on J Progressive Coalition for Social Change
"A Movement Not a Moment"
North Carolina Center for Nonprofits
North Carolina
Coalition for a Moratorium on Executions
Together NC
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Contact Us!
Mailing Address:
Post Office Box 309
Durham, NC 27702-0309
(919) 682-1149
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