The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that combines the power of a membership association, representing state officials in all three branches of government, with policy and research expertise to develop strategies that increase public safety and strengthen communities.
Visiting is an essential way for families to maintain and strengthen relationships during a family member’s incarceration, particularly for children with incarcerated parents. This brief shares 12 best practices for supplementing in-person visiting with video visiting options.
To connect people in reentry with housing, an essential first step for corrections agencies is to engage with their Continuum of Care, charged by HUD to prioritize people for HUD-funded homeless assistance on a community level.
This webinar provides strategies for corrections leaders and staff to build these relationships, with a focus on establishing buy-in to serve a shared population and implementing community-wide prioritization and referral processes.
The webinar also features presentations from communities that have successfully built partnerships across the criminal justice and housing/homeless assistance systems to increase housing opportunities for people reentering.
Affordable housing is fundamental to successful reentry. To help policymakers build sustainable pathways to housing, The Council of State Governments Justice Center, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, conducted the first national survey of state Departments of Corrections reentry coordinators, receiving responses from 37 out of 50 states plus the District of Columbia. This national report outlines current practices, highlighting areas where policymakers can direct efforts to increase connections to housing.
The ability to find and secure employment, particularly with a livable wage, is one of the most critical aspects to helping people lead safe and healthy lives. Unfortunately, many people leaving prison and jail face barriers and stigmas associated with their incarceration that prevent them from obtaining employment. Supported employment services, customized for people with behavioral health needs, can help address these challenges and provide the assistance needed for people with behavioral health conditions to obtain and sustain gainful employment as they reenter communities. This brief highlights four ways that reentry and community supervision programs can use supported employment services to prepare people with behavioral health needs for successful reentry.
During the reentry process, people work across various sectors to offer support to people who are being released from incarceration by providing connections to care for behavioral health, housing, transportation, and other supportive services. While there are challenges providing connections to care, there are also some success stories that Second Chance Act grantees can offer insight on. This webinar features two grantees who have utilized innovative ways to provide post-release connections to care for people who are returning to various communities. Video Run Time: 1 hr., 12 mins
As telehealth expands, communities across the country are looking for information on how best to facilitate connections to care for people with serious mental illnesses being discharged from jail. This webinar hosted by the Stepping Up partners focuses on increasing connections to care in a changing world, featuring tips and strategies directly from counties.