Street Safe Task Force Adopts Recommendations
The Street Safe task force chaired by Attorney General Roy Cooper and Secretary Alivn Keiller has adopted all the draft recommendations.
There are many good recommendations generated by the committee, but no new continuing funding is recommended to carry out these proposals. We hope that policy makers - and community leaders - don't fall into the trap of thinking that most of these goals can be accomplished entirely by volunteers. If that was the case, most of these worthy goals would already have been accomplished by the fabulous volunteers already hard at work in our state.
Good Recommendations but Funding is Needed - The Task Force has made a number of good recommendations, but we urge policy makers, advocates and families to also endorse much-needed continuing funding to make sure those re-entering our communities are actually linked back into local services. Re-Entry Services that really work - and don't simply refer offenders from one agency to another - are needed in every county and they are not currently available.
"Ban the Box" is another proposal that did not get included but would help with employment. Too many good applications are tossed out without an opportunity for an interview. If an employee's experience is good enough to get an interview, that is the appropriate place for an applicant to explain his or her background. The "box" on many applications that requires a person to indicate if they've ever been convicted of a felony should be removed.
Next Steps - Task Force leaders and members are now expected to look at the recommendations and see which ones might actually be put into place in a year where the budget deficit could top 4 billion dollars. Without funding, quick or widespread improvements will be unlikely.
The adopted recommendations are listed below:
CREATE A COHESIVE CONTINUUM OF OPPORTUNITIES, FROM INTAKE THROUGH AT LEAST ONE YEAR AFTER RELEASE
This is a good goal, but many of the recommendations in this section are unlikely to be effectively implemented without some funding. The Street Safe task force does not recommend funding. It does recommend:
1. Expand case planning to include a periodic reassessment of inmates and base programming on needs identified through assessments.
2. Strengthen and support non-profit groups focused on the reentry population.
3. Non-profit community groups, service providers, and local government should be organized into local reentry councils.
4. Encourage contact between community and offenders prior to release.
5. Increase contact between offenders and their families when individual assessments determine that this contact would be beneficial.
--- Moving inmates closer to their families; case managers connect inmate to community programs in county of release
6. Investigate dual assignment of inmates in both educational and work programs to increase participation. - "offer work and education opportunities from both DOC and from outside service providers.
7. Increase the opportunity for inmates and probationers to learn "soft skills."
8. Ensure that training offered to inmates concides with jobs that are in demand in the market place.
9. Empower DOC to enter into Memoranda of Understanding with licensing agencies, such that there would be a presumption of fitness if an inmate completes training.
10. Build networks with private employers and provide incentives for employing ex-ffenders.
11. Expand entrepreneurship training
12. Evaluate the Work Release Program for possible enhancement and increased participation as a tool for prisoner reentry, while continuing to ensure public safety.
INCREASING SAFE, SECURE HOUSING OPTIONS FOR FORMER OFFENDERS
13. Establish incentives for developing housing available for ex-offenders.
14. Create model residential reentry program.
15. Public housing authorities should consider removing blanket prohibitions on housing people with criminal histories.
PROVIDING INCENTIVES FOR LIVING WITHIN LEGAL BOUNDARIES
16. Create a list of all collateral legal disabilities that offenders face. (Underway)
17. Implement Certificates of Relief from Disabilities in NC
18. Study the options for a more coherent expungement mechanism for those that have proven their determination to stay out of prison for good.
19. Individuals should be able to exit prison without having outstanding legal issues and charges holding them back from seeking employment if they could have been resolved while in custody.
MAKING GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT AND COORDINATED
20. The Division of Social Services should proactively go into prisons to determine eligibility for health and nutritional benefits.
21. Provide an identification document upon release.
22. Mental health services received in prison should be coordinated with mental health serivces received in the community. DHHS should designate a Care Coordination employee who is specifically responsible for the coordination of mental health services for DOC ex-offenders with severe and persistent mental illness released within the LME's catchment area.
23. Expand Department of Labor and DOC collaboration in prisoner vocational programming.
24. Accountability among state agencies - Each state agency that is part of the task force should designate one person responsible for overseeing relevant recommendations.
