HUDSON CORRECTIONAL FACILITY REENTRY UNIT

Transcription

1 HUDSON CORRECTIONAL FACILITY REENTRY UNIT The Correctional Association (CA) visited, a medium security prison operating a pilot reentry unit for men on May 27, The facility is located in Hudson, NY, approximately 115 miles north of New York City. At the time of our visit, Hudson housed 360 inmates, with a total capacity for 402. The Visiting Committee focused solely on the prison s 40-bed, specialized reentry unit run by the Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) in conjunction with the Division of Parole and the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). This unit was opened on March 1, 2009, and is the third specialized reentry unit opened by DOCS. The reentry unit houses men being released to Capital District counties including Albany, Rensselaer, Columbia, and Schenectady. Hudson operates a variety of academic and vocational programs for general population inmates; however, individuals in the reentry unit do not generally participate in those programs and only interact with the general population at meal times and during recreation. Facility staff reported that participants of the reentry unit are able to participate in general population Transitional Services and on a case-by-case basis, a participant may also enroll in one of the academic or vocational programs offered at Hudson if a clear need is demonstrated. Reentry unit program length varies per inmate, with the average stay ranging from 90 to 120 days. Since many of the individuals with whom we spoke on the day of our visit were released shortly thereafter, the CA obtained a limited number of mail surveys (five) about the reentry unit, although we were able to conduct 17 brief interviews with the unit s residents during our visit. We base this report on data supplied by the facility prior to our visit; findings from surveys; conversations with the Acting and Hub Superintendents, the Executive Team, Parole representatives, program staff and inmates; written correspondence with inmates; and observations made during our visit. Facility administrators had the opportunity to review a draft of this report and provided the CA with additional information and comments during a conference call on March 11, Their comments and updated data have been included in this final report. Summary of Findings and Recommendations The Visiting Committee was pleased to see a high level of collaboration amongst DOCS and Parole staff. We commend the efforts of Parole and facility staff towards assisting inmates - 1 -

2 with reentry and providing opportunities for inmates to transition to greater independence upon release. We recognize that the reentry program at Hudson is fairly new, but we are concerned that certain key goals are not fully being realized in implementation and that the Department may need to adjust program content to better meet the needs of the inmate population. Our principal recommendations to relevant state, DOCS, and Parole officials include these measures: Make the reentry unit at Hudson a voluntary program in order to maximize the use of limited resources and ensure greater effectiveness. Take steps to reinforce to program staff the importance of the Individual Service Plan (ISP) remaining inmate driven. Continue to use methods such as motivational interviewing to identify areas in which inmates may need support during the transition back to the community, and offer further training on this approach. Continue to place greater emphasis on securing stable and appropriate housing for every inmate discharged from the Hudson reentry unit. Develop better relationships between program staff and outside social service providers and employers so that inmates leaving the reentry unit have scheduled appointments and job interviews at the time of their release. Continue to collaborate with social service agencies and Medicaid staff in order to more efficiently process important documents and applications. Examine the programs offered to inmates and take steps to decrease repetitiveness, allow for more one-on-one meetings and increase participant engagement in the groups. Reentry Unit The reentry unit at Hudson is the result of an effort by DOCS and Division of Parole to move inmates closer to home to assist them with their transition back to the community. This program is also a response to challenges encountered by the many social service agencies that require face-to-face interviews with individuals and by the community-based organizations that lack the resources to travel long distances to present information about their programs to soon-tobe-released inmates housed throughout the prison system. Admission Criteria Inmates transferred to the Hudson reentry unit must have between 90 to 120 days remaining before their release date, although the unit will occasionally accept inmates with 60 days remaining on their sentence. In addition, inmates must be assigned a medium security level, be returning to the Capital District, and require no mental health treatment. Parole violators are eligible to participate in the program. DOCS Central Office determines which inmates will be transferred to the unit and conducts a pre-assessment screening of need, including a criminogenic assessment. Two weeks prior to the transfer, a list of selected inmates is provided to Parole to verify the accuracy of each inmate s county information. Hudson receives the list of inmates names the week before they arrive at the facility. According to program staff, there is a waiting - 2 -

3 list for inmates to transfer into the unit. The reentry unit at Hudson is not voluntary as inmates do not have the right to refuse the program. Program Description and Curriculum Inmates in Hudson s reentry unit reside in a 40-bed dorm separate from the main facility and many of their group sessions are held in this same building. Reentry unit inmates may use Hudson s general computer lab, containing 20 individual terminals, as well as the facility s library. They are given keys to their own rooms in an effort to provide them with greater independence and to help ease the transition back to the community. We found the program area to be colorful with many posters and inspirational quotes decorating the walls, however the resource area located in the basement was quite dark, lacking any windows. This area contained information about college programs, General Educational Development (GED) programs, the ACT college entrance exams, Career Discovery and other pamphlets from area agencies. We were pleased to see that there were some resources available in the program area, and we encourage staff to increase the number and variety of resources available. Individuals transferred to the reentry unit attend a reentry orientation. They are also given an Individual Service Plan (ISP) questionnaire, which is designed to get inmates perspectives on what they need to prepare for reentry, to identify previous shortfalls, and to articulate how they would like DOCS and Parole to assist them. After completing the questionnaire, inmates participate in an ISP conference that involves their Correction Counselor, Supervising Correction Counselor, Senior Parole Officer, Field Parole Officer, Facility Parole Officer, and occasionally, the Assessment Specialist from the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). All these individuals, except the Field Parole Officer, also meet with the inmate prior to discharge to discuss the Final ISP. The ISP document is meant to change over time according to an inmate s needs. In addition to information regarding employment, education, and housing needs, the ISP includes both medical and mental health issues. A Licensed Assessment Specialist (LAS) from OASAS also performs a one-on-one assessment with each individual. The LAS visits the facility once a week to conduct this assessment, and the final assessment document is sent to local departments of social services and other pre-release agencies. At the time of our visit, we were informed that an OASAS assessment was required before an inmate could begin the process of applying for Medicaid. A variety of group sessions are offered to inmates in the reentry unit including: Relapse Prevention, Reentry Oriented Opportunities Towards Success (ROOTS), Going Home, Digital Literacy, Career Zone, Jobs for Success and a Peer Education program. An inmate s Correction Counselor determines what groups the inmate must attend. ROOTS is a program that allows inmates to meet with previously incarcerated individuals who have successfully returned to the community. These outside volunteers come to the facility and present information to the inmates. In addition, there is a ROOTS Orientation program in the local Parole offices in two counties in the Capital District (Albany and Rensselaer), where ROOTS members who have been successful upon their release from prison meet with newly released individuals to offer assistance and support. Going Home is a version of the Thinking for a Change course, a program now being offered in most DOCS facilities instead of Transitional Services Phase II. Going Home uses a - 3 -

4 curriculum based in cognitive behavioral thinking (CBT) that has been adapted to focus on reentry issues. Inmates in the reentry unit are able to learn computer fundamentals, including Internet skills, via the Digital Literacy program, which inmates can continue to take in the community if they are released prior to completion. For employment assistance, Career Zone, a DOCS-staffed Department of Labor (DOL) program, conducts one-on-one vocational aptitude assessments with the inmates. In addition, Jobs for Success assists inmates with resume writing, interview skills, and identifying potential employers on the outside. The goal of the program is for every inmate to leave Hudson with a resume that has been reviewed by facility staff. We learned during our March 2011 call with staff that facility staff were preparing to develop an additional mentoring program administered by ROOTS. Based on inmate perceptions, there appeared to be a slight disconnect at the time of our visit with regard to what the inmate s plans were post-release and what the facility and Parole staff required. Facility staff believe that this conflict is often the result of an inmate having an unrealistic expectation for what they may be able to do upon release, and they hope that working with formerly incarcerated individuals who have been through the reentry process can help inmates develop more ownership over their ISP. The CA supports the idea of a mentorship program and urges the facility to move forward with this program as soon as possible. There are two reentry resource centers at Hudson, one located in the general library and one located in the Transitional Services program area, which inmates can use for creating resumes, writing cover letters, and applying to local colleges. Inmates in the reentry unit are able to obtain assistance from the facility s Transitional Services program, and have the opportunity to meet with the Parole Officers that will be assigned to them upon their release to discuss their future plans. Community-based organizations also visit the program to present information about the services they offer. Acquisition of Important Identification Documentation and Public Benefits Hudson reentry unit staff work with inmates to obtain their Social Security cards and birth certificates, which can greatly assist individuals leaving prison. This effort is generally started 120 days before the individual is to be released, but Parole officers will try to expedite the process for those who need the documents more quickly. Reentry staff also assist inmates in filling out Medicaid applications. The Division of Parole has identified a point person in each county to facilitate the process of obtaining necessary documents, but has found the process remains challenging, particularly with regard to enrolling in Medicaid. In Rensselaer County, the Department of Social Services Director deputized a Parole Officer who is now an initial screener for much of the Medicaid enrollment paperwork. He then hand-delivers the paperwork to the appropriate office. In Columbia County, facility staff are unable to turn in the paperwork, leaving an individual to apply in person after being released. The Medicaid application process is more complicated than obtaining birth certificates or Social Security cards, and during our visit, we were told that inmates were required to sign the paperwork in person at the local department of social services. 1 Facility Parole Officers assist 1 It is our understanding that pursuant to new State Medicaid guidelines, in-person interviews are no longer necessary for approval of a Medicaid application. The application process, however, may be more complicated if the - 4 -

5 inmates in processing Medicaid applications and reported spending a good deal of time advocating on behalf of inmates to ensure their applications are processed. We commend the facility s efforts in this area and were pleased to learn that problems with the submitted application occur fairly rarely. The four counties in the Capital District have not agreed to send local social service or Medicaid representatives to Hudson to conduct appointments, citing issues with staffing and resources. Reentry programs should create processes that enable individuals being released from prison to be successful in the community. Ensuring that soon-to-be-released inmates quickly receive benefits and identification documents is an important step toward success on the outside. We urge State officials to continue to place pressure on local social services departments to identify individuals and local offices that can either provide enrollment services inside the prison itself, or authorize prison staff from the reentry unit to initiate the process themselves. Collaborations The success of a reentry program is built upon the strength and effectiveness of the collaborations between agencies. Hudson reentry unit staff participate in bi-weekly teleconferencing with representatives from DOCS, Parole, OASAS, and the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). We were informed that there is also a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Social Services in order to process paperwork when inmates are 120 days from being released. In addition to the above collaborations, each county has a separate Reentry Task Force that is closely affiliated with community-based organizations that assist individuals with reentry needs. The Albany County Reentry Taskforce (ACRTF) was established in 2008 and is charged with various tasks, including: assisting high risk individuals being released from prison to develop and manage service plans; analyzing the current reentry system to identify and address gaps in service and other barriers to successful reentry; and engaging community members and agencies to develop a more coordinated and comprehensive reentry system. The taskforce has been a great resource to the community, assisting many individuals to secure employment, find suitable housing, enroll in educational programs, and obtain needed medical, mental health, and substance abuse treatment services. The ACRTF is a grant funded initiative, and we strongly support its continued existence and expansion. As discussed previously, a number of community-based organizations regularly visit the reentry unit at Hudson to present information about their programs. Many of the individuals with whom we spoke voiced complaints that these presentations were solely informational and did not allow inmates to enroll in services or set up appointments for after their release. In addition, they felt that the presentations were repetitive since organizations would present the same information during every visit. Individuals in the reentry unit expressed a strong desire to set up appointments and job interviews while incarcerated as they believed this would help them feel more prepared and confident for their release. Facility staff reported during our March 2011 call that many of the community-based agencies were able to meet with program participants individually if requested, but we saw no evidence of this at the time of our visit. We are unclear whether the opportunity to meet with the agencies individually was not available or whether participants individual is seeking other public benefits for which the local social service office requires in-person interviews and other documentation. Finally, it appears that each of these four county social service departments has somewhat different procedures for receiving and processing inmate benefit applications

6 were unaware of this option. We encourage the facility to work with community-based organizations to visit more often, formalize a process for enabling participants to sign up for individual meetings and to offer concrete services during these visits, rather than simply providing information. We understand that for many organizations, more frequent, inmatespecific visits could present a challenge due to limited resources, and we urge the reentry unit to explore the use of videoconferencing with community-based organizations that are unable to conduct in-person meetings. Participant Assessment Participants with whom we spoke and who completed surveys expressed mixed views about Hudson s reentry unit. Many inmates suggested that Hudson s reentry program would be most effective if it were voluntary. Some inmates we interviewed did not believe they needed reentry assistance because they had already made arrangements in preparation for their upcoming release. These inmates in particular, though others also agreed, felt that the program was driven more by staff s views on inmates needs rather than inmates actual needs. A few inmates reported that even in cases in which they clearly specified what types of services they needed and for which they had begun to make arrangements, their own suggestions and planning were dismissed by staff members. Inmates seemed most positive about the Going Home, Parenting Skills, Jobs for Success, and the Peer Education programs, but also generally described many of the programs as repetitive. While we recognize that finding appropriate housing can be very challenging, we were concerned that some of the inmates with whom we spoke were being released to area shelters and that many inmates reported that housing was not prioritized within the program. Parole reported during our February 2011 call that only two inmates were sent to shelters in the past year and informed us that they do prioritize finding housing for individuals in the program. Overall, inmates interested in reentry assistance expressed a clear desire to secure stable housing, job interviews and other important appointments prior to their release. Recommendations We recommend that state policy makers work with the Division of Parole, OASAS, DOCS Central Office administrators and facility officials to implement the following measures: Make the reentry unit at Hudson a voluntary program in order to maximize the use of limited resources and ensure greater effectiveness. Take steps to reinforce to program staff the importance of the Individual Service Plan (ISP) remaining inmate driven. Continue to use methods such as motivational interviewing to identify areas inmates may need support in during the transition back to the community, and provide further training in this approach. Continue to place greater emphasis on securing stable and appropriate housing for every inmate discharged from the Hudson Reentry Unit

7 Develop better relationships between program staff and outside providers and employers so that inmates leaving the Reentry Unit have scheduled appointments and job interviews upon release. Explore the use of videoconferencing between community-based organizations that are unable to visit the facility and program participants. Continue to collaborate with local social service agencies and Medicaid staff in order to more efficiently process important documents and applications. Continue to support the Albany County Reentry Task Force. Review community providers presentations to inmates to increase participant engagement in the sessions, foster one-on-one follow-up between the agencies and the participants, and decrease the repetitiveness of the presentations