ALAMEDA COUNTY REENTRY NETWORK STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-2012 Developed by the Coordinating Council
Contents ALAMEDA COUNTY REENTRY NETWORK STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-2012... 1 Reentry in Alameda County: Population and Service Needs... 4 Alameda County Reentry Network... 8 Committees and Structure... 9 Desired Outcome and Goals of the Reentry Network... 12 Desired Outcome:... 12 Goals... 12 Reentry Overview and Strategies... 16 Diagram of Reentry Network s vision of how the reentry process should work... 17 Sentencing and adjudication... 18 Incarceration... 18 Pre-Release... 18 Release... 19 Reentry... 19 Building an Effective Reentry System in Alameda County... 20 Data, Information and Evaluation... 20 Rigorously evaluate reentry programs across Alameda County... 20 Monitor and track the supply of and demand for services... 21 Increase access to information about reentry services in Alameda County... 21 Infrastructure and Support: The role of the Reentry Network... 22 Create a Reentry Network website to provide a central location for reentry related information in Alameda County... 22 Conduct an in-depth examination of various service areas and identify issues, problems and opportunities within each service area... 22 Remove Policy and Administrative Barriers... 23 2
Overview, Implementation Schedule and Performance Outcomes... 23 Increase the efficiency and supply of services for formerly incarcerated people... 25 Increase connections to positive social networks prior to and upon release... 27 Increase personal and professional opportunities for formerly incarcerated people... 29 Annual and Five Year Performance Outcomes by Goal... 31 GOAL #1: Increase the efficiency and supply of services for formerly incarcerated people in Alameda County... 31 GOAL #2: Connect incarcerated people to positive social support systems prior to release 31 GOAL #3: Increase personal and professional opportunities for formerly incarcerated people... 32 Resource Development... 32 Align and connect work to current public funding and programming... 33 Conducting joint fundraising efforts... 34 Utilizing the philanthropic community... 34 Developing and utilizing partnerships with other county and state-wide efforts... 35 3
Reentry in Alameda County: Population and Service Needs Over the past 25 years the United States and the State of California have experienced a period of mass incarceration. The impact of this mass incarceration has not been limited to our prisons and jails. The impact of this mass incarceration has extended into our communities and families. Research indicates that over 90% of people incarcerated in jails or prisons will be released. 1 A recent report by the PEW Charitable Trust found that 1 in 36 adults in California are under correctional control i as of 2007. 2 In 1982 the figure was 1 in 69. While 1 in 36 adults may be under correctional control, they are not evenly distributed across California communities. High concentrations of formerly incarcerated people tend to live poor urban communities of color. In Alameda County neighborhoods like South Hayward, Ashland/Cherryland both West and East Oakland have substantially higher densities of formerly incarcerated people than other parts of the county. In Table 1 we list the zip codes with the highest concentrations of probationers and parolees in Alameda County. Below this table in Object 1 is a map of these data. Upon return, the reentry population and the communities to which they return face a wide array of challenges. Evidence shows the reentry population is 3-4 times sicker than the general population, lack employment and need permanent housing upon release. Unfortunately, the communities to which they return are often the communities least capable of meeting their health and reintegration needs. Furthermore, CDCR and County Jails do not provide many supports during the As of 2007, 1 out of every 36 adults in California are incarcerated or on probation or parole reentry process and, consequently, over half (56%) of all persons released from CDCR and return within 3 years of their release. The numbers are similar for persons sentenced to Alameda County jail and probation supervision with around 60% reentering either prison or jail within three years. The flow of persons between these communities and prison and jails destabilizes the communities of return but also creates substantial barriers to providing ongoing health, employment, housing and educational services to a population in great need of these services. Recognizing these unprecedented levels of reentry, there has been growing interest in addressing the needs of the formerly incarcerated and the communities to which they are returning. This interest has been seen at within all levels of government, the non-profit sector, the philanthropic sector and universities. Until recently, despite this high level of interest, there had been very little infrastructure built to specifically address the reentry population. Consequently, the various i Correctional control incarcerated or on probation or parole 4
sectors interested in reentry tended to function in silos, communicating with one another in a discrete and isolated fashion. This was especially apparent in the lack of a county-wide coordinated plan for dealing with the reentry population, a lack of efficiency in leveraging funding and a virtual absence of county-wide policy. Meanwhile, the reentry population continued returning to communities that were unprepared to address the wide range of needs this population presents. The Strategic Plan is an attempt to address this lack of coordination and the Alameda County Reentry Network, described below, has emerged to provide an infrastructure capable of addressing the diverse and urgent needs of formerly incarcerated people in Alameda County. TABLE 1: ZIP CODES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PROBATIONERS AND PAROLEES Rank Zip Code Cities within Zip Code ii Probationers iii Parolees iv Total 1 94601 Oakland, Alameda 809 478 1,287 2 94621 Oakland 778 506 1,284 3 94603 Oakland, San Leandro 943 276 1,219 Hayward, Cherryland, Ashland, Castro 4 94541 Valley 671 283 954 5 94605 Oakland 622 312 934 6 94544 Hayward 487 267 754 7 94606 Oakland 453 222 675 8 94607 Oakland, Alameda 363 250 613 9 94609 Oakland 421 121 542 10 94608 Emeryville, Oakland 360 147 507 11 94587 Union City, Hayward, Fremont 399 101 500 12 94578 San Leandro, Ashland, unincorporated areas, Castro Valley 344 131 475 13 94612 Oakland 209 249 458 14 94538 Fremont, Newark 336 71 407 15 94560 Newark, Fremont 325 70 395 16 94619 Oakland 328 57 385 17 94545 Hayward, unincorporated areas 180 200 380 ii For zip codes that contain more than one city listings are organized by land are from largest to smallest proportion iii A total of 11,684 valid records of probationers were located throughout the Alameda County, as of April 24, 2008. This count does not include clients listed as transient, clients residing out of the County, clients with no address, and duplicate cases. Although the Probation Department published a total of 16,432 cases in the Alameda County, only 11,684 records were sufficient to be mapped. iv A total of 4,664 valid records of parolees were located throughout the Alameda County, as of September 8, 2008. Although CDCR published a total of 4,751 cases in the Alameda County, only 4,664 records were sufficient to be mapped 5
Rank Zip Code Cities within Zip Code ii Probationers iii Parolees iv Total Fremont, Union City, unincorporated 18 94536 areas 274 94 368 19 94577 San Leandro, Oakland 266 99 365 20 94703 Berkeley 237 66 303 21 94501 Alameda 239 59 298 22 94580 San Lorenzo, San Leandro, Ashland, Cherryland, Hayward 254 44 298 23 94546 Castro Valley, Hayward, Fairview 223 56 279 24 94602 Oakland, Piedmont 198 71 269 25 94551 unincorporated areas, Livermore 237 21 258 26 94615 Oakland, Alameda 244 N/A 244 27 94555 Fremont, Union City, Newark 189 31 220 28 94550 Livermore, unincorporated areas 148 35 183 29 94702 Berkeley 121 55 176 30 94579 San Leandro, San Lorenzo, unincorporated areas 124 18 142 31 94610 Oakland 104 23 127 32 94568 Dublin, unincorporated areas, Pleasanton 86 33 119 33 94542 Hayward, unincorporated areas, Fairview 94 23 117 34 94710 Berkeley 86 23 109 35 94704 Berkeley 39 59 98 36 94539 Fremont 72 14 86 37 94588 38 94566 39 94552 Pleasanton, unincorporated areas, Dublin, Hayward 69 14 83 unincorporated areas, Pleasanton, Livermore 54 15 69 unincorporated areas, Castro Valley, Fairview 60 1 61 40 94617 Oakland 52 N/A 52 41 94611 Oakland, Piedmont 18 29 47 42 94706 Albany, Berkeley 28 17 45 43 94709 Berkeley 36 6 42 44 94705 Oakland, Berkeley 31 4 35 45 94502 Alameda 31 2 33 46 94618 Oakland 8 5 13 47 94707 Berkeley 10 2 12 48 94708 Berkeley 9 3 12 49 94586 unincorporated areas, Fremont, Hayward, Pleasanton 7 1 8 50 95035 Fremont 5 N/A 5 51 95391 unincorporated areas 3 N/A 3 TOTAL 11,684 4,664 16,348 6
OBJECT 1: ALAMEDA COUNTY PROBATIONER AND PAROLEE POPULATIONS
Alameda County Reentry Network In 2007, amidst growing concerns about reentry and recidivism, Arnold Perkins, former director of the Alameda County Public Health Department, and his colleague, Karen Perkins, convened a planning group and facilitated a process through which a variety of stakeholders met and planned what it would take to improve outcomes for those returning from incarceration into Alameda County. The centerpiece of the strategy is the creation of a countywide network through which the various programs and services of government and community organizations could plan, coordinate and deliver services effectively to those returning from incarceration with a goal of decreasing recidivism and improving public safety The Alameda County Reentry Network is the product of their efforts. The Reentry Network has adopted the acronym of S.A.F.E.T.Y. to describe its work. By S.A.F.E.T.Y. we mean that the Reentry Network provides STRATEGY A comprehensive county wide plan for providing effective services to the formerly incarcerated Mechanism to connect new programs with current programs/ initiatives Coordinating Council provides a bird s eye view to ensure ongoing planning across Reentry Network ADVOCACY Collaborate with state/county/city leadership to be efficient in advocacy activities Develop policy, services and funding recommendations in Annual Plan and Mid-Year Report FACTS Collect data and information on promising practices Develop materials that inform policy makers, providers, the police and the general public Reduce burden on city, county and state agencies to fulfill multiple data requests Ensure accessibility to reentry population and program data EFFICIENCY Easier to effectively pool resources from various stakeholders Establishes a clear system for communication among reentry stakeholders TEAMWORK Collaboration, cooperation and coordination between reentry programs, initiatives and providers Incorporate communities and neighborhoods into a county wide approach
YARDSTICK A county wide set of outcome measures Track progress and need across programs and initiatives Provides funders and decision makers with resource for understanding needs and opportunities Committees and Structure Initially, the planning group behind the Reentry Networks sought to establish a single roundtable that included all stakeholders. However, during development it became clear that a single table could not meet the diverse needs of those working on reentry. Instead, the planning group connected existing tables and created new ones to fill gaps. The power in such an infrastructure is how it defines a clear mechanism for communication and coordination between stakeholders, while also serving as a resource for alignment of new and emerging programs seeking to work in Alameda County. Based on the overwhelming support, in January 2008 the Reentry Network was officially initiated with the launch of the Coordinating Council and the Implementation Committee. The Reentry Network currently includes representatives from elected officials at the city, county and state level, Oakland Human Services, Probation Department, Sheriff Department, CDCR, Public Health and Social Services agencies and many more. Below is a description of the various Reentry Network committees and councils (for more information visit the Reentry Network website at www.acreentry.org): The Coordinating Council serves as the hub through which information is exchanged throughout the Network and produces the Annual Plan and Mid-Year Reviews. The Coordinating Council is composed of the chair from each of the other Reentry Network committees, staff from elected officials and county/city agencies and departments. As the hub of the Reentry Network the various committee chairs who sit on the Coordinating Council bring policy, program, data, and resource issues to the Coordinating Council for discussion. The Coordinating Council takes this input and identifies ways in which to address these issues. Additionally, the Coordinating Council facilitates the process by which the Reentry Network s annual priorities are established (see below for a discussion of this process). The Decision Makers Committee: meets twice a year to approve the Annual Plan for the upcoming year and six months later to receive a Mid-Year Review. The Decision Makers Committee is composed of state and county elected officials, mayors of various Alameda County cities, foundation presidents, county/city agency and department heads and correctional administrators. Throughout the year the Decision Makers work with the Coordinating Council to identify and garner support for new legislation and policy initiatives that come from the various committees. The semi-annual meeting schedule of the Decision Makers Committee is an effort to decrease the number of meetings that Decision Makers are required to attend. In doing so the Reentry Network is able to present them with a clear and concise set of policy and legislative recommendations that have already been identified and priorities by the various committees. 9
The Implementation Committee: works to improve implementation of current reentry initiatives and expand effective reentry initiatives across Alameda County and the cities. The Implementation Committee is composed of service providers involved in or developing specific reentry initiatives/programs, the county/city staff managing those initiatives and other county/city staff that impact the implementation of reentry initiatives and programs (e.g. District Attorney s office). The implementation Committee serves an advisory and support role. In their advisory role the group provides a venue for collaboration of key public partners and community-based agencies that are funded to provide specific services for various reentry initiatives across Alameda County. In their support role the group offers a forum to discuss and address specific on-the-ground implementation issues and challenges across jurisdictional and departmental lines. The Networking and Professional Development Committee: a vehicle for service providers and others to network and identify/provide professional development activities. In collaboration with the Coordinating Council this group identifies professional development needs of providers and works to build their capacities through informing them of professional development opportunities and, if needed, offering professional development activities for providers. This group also communicates with organizations representing the formerly incarcerated to identify information, services and other opportunities for the formerly incarcerated and to support sharing of information with them. The Community Forums: formed on an ad hoc basis to allow for dialogue between the reentry network and the community so that the Reentry Network can help support community efforts as well as inform and be informed by the communities most impacted by reentry. Community Forums are the sounding board for the Reentry Network regarding issues facing communities and individuals as they return to their homes or when the Reentry Network is contemplating implementation of new or different policies, programs, or processes to solve problems. The Community Forums may be an existing group or a new group if an appropriate one does not exist. Community Forums may meet on their own to discuss issues and then report to the Coordinating Council. Additionally, the Coordinating Council may be aware of issues and ask Community Forums to meet and provide input on ways to resolve those specific issues. The Reentry Task Forces: bring together issues specific stakeholders to conduct and in-depth examination into the Health, Employment, Housing and education. The Task Forces are focused on collecting data and information on current issues, problems and opportunities, identifying promising practices and policies and developing recommendations for addressing challenges facing the formerly incarcerated of Alameda County. They are the primary vehicle for developing service specific recommendations around how to best meet the needs of the formerly incarcerated. The Task Forces are often connected with the annual priorities of the reentry network and therefore help the Coordinating Council determine the annual goals, objectives, and activities that should be included in the Annual Plan. In order to understand exactly how these various committees interact with one another see Object 2 which provides an overview of the relationships between the various Reentry Network committees and a brief statement describing the function of each committee. 10
OBJECT 2: ALAMEDA COUNTY REENTRY NETWORK OVERVIEW
Desired Outcome and Goals of the Reentry Network In the description of the Reentry Network above, there is frequent mention of the Annual Priorities. These refer to specific set of priorities that the Reentry Network will be focused on during that particular year. While there may be a need to extend priorities beyond a single year the purpose of establishing them is to coordinating and concentrate our efforts on a particular service area. In establishing the annual priorities each of the committees seeks input and advice from their members and participants in their activities. Additionally, the Coordinating Council surveys Network members and other stakeholders to gather their input. Finally, we look at supply and demand data in each of the service areas and survey developments in the field of corrections and reentry for ideas and trends. The Coordinating Council then analyzes these sources of information and develops a set of priorities that they will offer to the Network for endorsement and support. These priorities are then included in the Annual Plan. Our goal is to reduce recidivism among the formerly incarcerated of Alameda by 50% by 2013. While the Annual Priorities enable the Reentry Network to focus their efforts on a particular area, they do not provide a coherent vision of reentry for the county. Thus while the design of the Reentry Network had established a system for coordinating the work, it had not provided a clear Reentry Network s broader vision. Thus during the first two meetings of the Reentry Network s Coordinating Council there was discussion around the theory of change that would drive the work of the Reentry Network. Based on the concerns of various members of the Coordinating Council, the Network established the following Desired Outcome and Goals Desired Outcome: To increase public safety by reducing recidivism among the formerly incarcerated of Alameda County by 50% by 2013 Goals GOAL #1: Increase the efficiency and supply of services for formerly incarcerated people in Alameda County GOAL #2: Connect incarcerated people to positive social support systems prior to release GOAL #3: Increase personal and professional opportunities for formerly incarcerated people The reason for selecting both a desired outcome and a set of goals was to make clear that the work of the Reentry Network was focused on a achieving a very specific outcome, reducing recidivism and increasing public safety, and connecting that outcome to a theory of why recidivism happens and a method for diminishing the rate of recidivism. We arrived at this conclusion after many attempts at organizing our goals and objectives around specific services; however, there was general consensus that recidivism was not merely a matter of insufficient services. In other words, the Coordinating Council came to the conclusion that we could not service our way out of high rates of recidivism. Therefore, we structured our outcomes and goals around the systemic and human causes of recidivism itself. In the Table 2 below we
present the Alameda County Reentry Network s Outcome, Theory and Method Matrix which summarized the outcome of the Coordinating Council s effort. 13
TABLE 2: OUTCOME, THEORY AND METHOD MATRIX Desired Outcome Reduce recidivism among the formerly incarcerated of Alameda County in order to increase public safety Theoretical Framework: Recidivism is the product of a.. Lack of a coordinated, coherent and effective system for preparing incarcerated people for release and delivering the planned services and supports upon release Inadequate and insufficient supply of personal and professional opportunities and supports available to the formerly incarcerated. Specific service and support needs include: - Income and employment - Safe and sober housing - Health care/coverage - Family reunification - Education and training Lack of positive connections to social networks( families, faith institutions, positive peer groups, mentors, organizations) that can aid and support in the formerly incarcerated person s personal and professional development as well as their health and well being (social capital?) Lack of development of a healthy value system prior to incarceration Failure of corrections system to deal with the unhealthy value system during incarceration Inadequate human capital demonstrated through: - Low levels of formal education or training - Inadequate acquisition of marketable skills that can translate into personal earning and family support Method Develop and manage a system that ensures an adequate supply of quality services and supports to meet the needs of the formerly incarcerated. Remove policy and administrative barriers to the services and support systems mentioned above. Create a system to identify and track supply and demand of services and rigorously evaluate reentry programs and services Establish and formalize pre-release planning that identifies service needs and, prior to release, connects prisoners with community based service providers to meet those needs Establish positive peer groups, familial and community supports to form positive social network Implement programming during incarceration that builds a positive values system (cognitive restructuring) Provide opportunities for community service and engagement prior to and upon release Increase and improve education and job training during incarceration Develop pre-release plans that are realistic and address the pre-employment and training needs of the individual Develop post release continuum of employment opportunities to meet the range of needs
This Strategic Plan has been framed around this outcome and these goals rather than around specific service areas. In doing so, we are not only adhering to our theory of change but also recognizing the need to examine Health, Employment and Income, Housing and Education with a Task Force and develop a recommendations specific to these service areas. The first of these Task Forces was completed in March 2008 and the final report can be seen as Appendix 1. In Object 3 below we present an overview of the cycle by which the Reentry Network examines specific reentry issues and coordinates and supports the ongoing work of the various committees. OBJECT 3: SERVICE PRIORITIZATION AND UPDATES TO THE ANNUAL PLAN
Reentry Overview and Strategies Successfully reentering society after incarceration is extremely difficult. Often the underlying issues that lead to a person s incarceration are not addressed during their incarceration. Upon release many formerly incarcerated persons are in need of a wide range of services such as housing, health care, mental health and substance abuse services, employment and education. In all likelihood these needs existed prior to the person s incarceration and, without intervention, they continue to exist after the individual has been released. Faced with the added disadvantage of obtaining a criminal record and being cut off from their social networks the majority of formerly incarcerated people in California will return to state prison or county jail. Breaking this cycle and the negative impact it has on our communities requires developing a system of reentry that begins working with people from sentencing through community based supervision and community integration. The system outlined below describes the Reentry Network s conception of the essential elements of an effective reentry system at each point in the reentry process. Regardless of the Upon release many formerly incarcerated persons are in need of a wide range of services such as health care, housing, mental health and substance abuse services, employment and education particular service being provided we believe there are critical activities that need to happen at each juncture of the reentry process. These activities are: Service delivery should begin during incarceration Community based service providers should be working with incarcerated persons throughout their incarceration Case Managers should provide transitional case management/coaching to connect recently released individuals with the specific services Connection should be made with a long term provider of services. After the diagram we go into greater depth around the various strategies and activities at each point along the reentry process. 16
Diagram of Reentry Network s vision of how the reentry process should work 17
Sentencing and adjudication STRATEGY: Incorporate risk and needs assessment throughout the criminal justice process beginning with sentencing. 1. Conduct risk and need assessment prior to sentencing and provide results of assessment to judge. 2. Coordinate assessment tools with those currently in use at the institution LS/CMI County Jail and Probation COMPASS CDCR and Parole 3. Identify mandatory participation in particular services as a condition of incarceration in either state prison and/or county jail Incarceration STRATEGY: Utilize incarceration as an opportunity to address individual needs, increase human and social capital and to begin establishing a connection with positive social networks. 1. Begin service delivery by community based providers immediately upon incarceration with pre-release planning beginning a minimum of 120 days prior to release. 2. Implement programming during incarceration that builds a positive values system in the incarcerated individual. 3. Increase partnerships and participation of community based service providers in offering services to individuals during incarceration 4. Conduct ongoing individual assessments to track progress and identify areas of need. 5. Begin enrollment and eligible public benefits 6. Improve educational and employment programs during incarceration 7. Offer programming that allows prisoner to maintain and/or repair social relationships with family and friends. Pre-Release STRATEGY: Establish and formalized pre-release planning that identifies service needs and, prior to release, connects prisoners with community based service providers 1. Develop pre-release plans that are realistic and address the needs of the individual 2. Pre-Release plan should be developed prior to release and have buy-in from: Prisoner, Community Based Case Manager and Parole/Probation Officer. 3. Offer peer driven case management and supports to facilitate transition process 18
Release STRATEGY: Develop a system for providing transitional services that connect formerly incarcerated with positive social networks that were established prior to release. 1. Connect formerly incarcerated person with support system immediately upon release Offer programming during incarceration that maintains and repairs social relationships on the outside Identify service providers for housing, health, employment, etc. Address any immediate issues that would prevent successful reentry (e.g. substance abuse) 2. Provide opportunities for community service upon release 3. Offer peer driven case management and supports to facilitate transition process Hiring of formerly incarcerated as case managers Reentry STRATEGY: Establish and strengthen support system between highly impacted communities and reentry population 1. Create opportunities for community members from highly impacted neighborhoods to become involved in reentry process 2. Identify service providers that are under the radar (e.g. churches) STRATEGY: Establish a collaborative and assessment driven approach to criminal justice supervision that can adapt and respond to the community integration process in ways that support the long-term stability of the formerly incarcerated individual. 1. Develop a mechanism for increased communication between Parole, Probation and Municipal Police Departments 2. Offer assessment driven supervision STRATEGY: Develop a service delivery system that has the capacity and supply of services to meet the needs of the formerly incarcerated. 1. Increase the supply of services dedicated to the formerly incarcerated in Alameda County 2. Provide service providers with professional training opportunities to develop their understanding of the formerly incarcerated 19
Establish professional development requirements for all service providers who receive funding through the Oakland and Alameda County Workforce Investment Boards. 3. Explore best practices within each service area Building an Effective Reentry System in Alameda County In the previous section we have presented an overview of our vision for reentry in Alameda County. Focusing on each step of the reentry process we have identified strategies and activities that we believe will achieve our desired outcome of increasing public safety and reducing recidivism. However, an effective system must developing and improving to meet new challenges that may not be embedded within the phases of the reentry process. Below we describe the systems and infrastructure that we are designing to support, evaluate and improve our practices and ultimately improve our communities and the lives of the formerly incarcerated residents of Alameda County. Data, Information and Evaluation In order for the Reentry Network to improve, adjust and fine-tune the reentry service delivery system in Alameda County we must be capable of evaluating reentry programs and understanding the scale and scope of services available to the formerly incarcerated. The Reentry Network has 5 data and information related strategies that will help us to achieve our goals. Rigorously evaluate reentry programs across Alameda County Improving reentry services begins with conducting rigorous evaluations of reentry programs across Alameda County. These evaluations must be connected to a system of accountability that rewards success and improves poor performance. The results of these evaluations will be included in the Reentry Network s Annual Plan and presented to the Decision Makers Committee twice a year. In order to develop and implement such a system the Reentry Network will: Create county-wide set of performance standards by service area The Reentry Network will work with its members (esp. service providers and program administrators) to conduct a thorough investigation of current performance standards already in place across Alameda County. Beginning with the performance measures from the City of Oakland s Measure Y/Project Choice data system we will establish a standard set of performance measures for Employment, Housing, Health Care and Education against which reentry providers will be judged. By using the Measure Y data system the Reentry Network will not only 20
be expanding on what already exists but will also have access to the current data in the Measure Y database which can serve as a baseline for evaluating progress. Create an online system to manage program performance and service supply data The Reentry Network will develop an online system to manage program performance data. The system will allow providers to both enter performance data and to extract pre-fabricated reports about their performance. In addition, this system will be capable of track the supply of reentry dedicated service slots in Alameda County. The Reentry Network will work with the City of Oakland s Measure Y program to explore the capabilities of their online data management system and potentially expand this system to meet the need of the entire county. Monitor and track the supply of and demand for services In addition to evaluating reentry services it is important that the Reentry Network develop a system for tracking the supply and demand of reentry services across Alameda County. These data will be critical to both service providers making referrals and to policy and funding decisions around reentry. The online data system used to manage program performance data should also be capable of tracking the supply of reentry services. However, it is also necessary to develop a means for tracking the demand for reentry services (i.e. the service needs of the formerly incarcerated). Work with correctional partners to access assessment data and track the service needs of the reentry population In the description of the reentry process outlined above there was an emphasis on incorporating assessment into each phase of the reentry process. The Reentry Network will work with our correctional partners to access these assessment data and monitor the service needs of the formerly incarcerated returning to Alameda County. Increase access to information about reentry services in Alameda County Create an online Reentry Resource database Urban Strategies Council will develop an online reentry resource database which will include all low cost and free service providers in Alameda County. The database will be searchable by all major service areas and will have the capability to produce a hard copy print out of search results. The system all the service providers specially designed to specific circumstances of the reentry population and address the numerous social, legal and administrative issues that the reentry population faces. The content in the database will be maintained by the providers in order to keep the information current. Increase Peer to Peer Feedback about reentry services Urban Strategies will incorporate a user review function into the reentry resource database which will 21
allow users to rate service providers. This will serve as a supplement to the performance data and will be included in the Annual Report. Infrastructure and Support: The role of the Reentry Network Addressing the wide range of activities that comprise this Strategic Plan will require an infrastructure which can support and coordinate implementation the Alameda County Reentry Network will serve as that infrastructure. As a centralized, county-wide body the Reentry Network provides stakeholders with a common venue to address reentry related issues, problems and opportunities in a collaborative manner. By unifying this process the Reentry Network is able to fill in the gaps and address those lines of work which fall outside the mission of any single organization or agency. Below we describe the way in which the Reentry Network will unify and support reentry stakeholders and the work outlined in this Strategic Plan. Create a Reentry Network website to provide a central location for reentry related information in Alameda County The Reentry Network will continue to develop and expand its website to be the primary source for information about reentry in Alameda County. The website will provide access to current research, legislation and funding opportunities for reentry stakeholders. In addition the website will serve an administrative role, providing committee members with easy access to meeting minutes and relevant documents. Chairs of the various Reentry Network committees will be capable of posting their events, materials and information themselves thus eliminating the need for a single organization to be solely responsible for maintaining the website. Furthermore, the website will provide a reentry calendar which provides information on upcoming events and services. Conduct an in-depth examination of various service areas and identify issues, problems and opportunities within each service area Reentry Task Forces The Reentry Network will conduct a series of Reentry Task Forces that are focused on collecting data and information on current issues, problems and opportunities, identifying promising practices and policies and developing recommendations for addressing challenges facing the formerly incarcerated of Alameda County. These task forces will provide a wealth of detailed recommendations which are specifically focused the issues within a particular service area. For an example of the type of report that this process generates see Appendix 1: Reentry Health Task Force Report. i. 2008: Health Care Services ii. 2008-09: Income and Employment Services iii. 2009-10: Housing services iv. 2010-11:Education Services 22
Remove Policy and Administrative Barriers In order to ensure successful outcomes for the formerly incarcerated there will be an ongoing need to address policy and administrative barriers that hinder these outcomes. The Reentry Network will use the following approaches to address these barriers: Identify and present Decision Makers with policy and legislative barriers: The Reentry Network will use the Decision Makers Committee as a point of first contact for presenting reentry policy and legislative issues. Based on these presentations the Reentry Network will identify Decision Makers who are will to carry legislation and advocate for policy in their respective legislative bodies or public agencies. Coordinate and connect with policy advocacy with reentry networks from other county and state wide bodies Where relevant the Reentry Network will connect the policy and legislative advocacy with reentry networks/council that represent other counties and any state-wide advocacy groups. Using these connections the Reentry Network will both reduce the burden on local stakeholders to be solely responsible for advocacy and be more effective advocating through a larger body. Demonstration/Pilot programs: The Reentry Network will also connect the removal of policy and legislative barriers with demonstration and pilot programs. As new ideas and recommendations emerge the Reentry Network will support and/or conduct a number of pilot programs. In connection with these programs the Reentry Network will work with Decision Makers to remove policy and legislative barriers specifically for the participants in these pilot programs. Doing so will allow the Decision Makers and the Reentry Network to identify and address any unforeseen issues that may arise as a result of the barrier s removal. Alter agency practices The Reentry Network will work with county and city agencies/departments to identify administrative practices which function as barriers to serving the formerly incarcerated. Using both the pilot programs and direct advocacy, the Reentry Network will work cooperatively with the agencies to identify solutions to these barriers. Overview, Implementation Schedule and Performance Outcomes The diagrams below present an overview of the Objectives, Strategies and Activities for each of the three goals. As the Theory of Change chart above indicates each of these goals has been selected because of its connection to recidivism and the work outline in these diagrams is being conducted in pursuit of our desired outcome of reducing recidivism 50% by 2012. For each goal we present an overview of the objectives, strategies and activities followed by an implementation 23
schedule for this work. At the end of this section a series of performance outcomes and measures are presented by objective. The overview diagram summaries the various strands of work presented above. Rather than structuring these diagrams around the reentry process they have been designed around the Theory of Change chart above. This approach allows the Reentry Network to maintain our focus on the particular needs of the formerly incarcerated regardless of where that line of work may fall within the reentry process. The Implementation Schedule outlined below includes the primary benchmarks or performance outcomes that will indicate progress toward our desired outcome of a 50% reduction in recidivism among the formerly incarcerated in Alameda County. The performance outcomes listed below are drawn from the Objectives, Strategies and Activities outlined in the flow charts above for each goal. They represent the lines of work that will produce the most tangible and sustainable results and therefore have been included in this Implementation Schedule. Finally the performance outcomes outline below will serve benchmarks of progress towards our desired outcome of reducing recidivism 50% by 2012. 24
Increase the efficiency and supply of services for formerly incarcerated people 25
Increase connections to positive social networks prior to and upon release
ID Objective, Strategy, Activity Start Finish 1 Establish and repair connection to positive social networks during incarceration 1/1/2008 12/31/2012 2 Develop programming that maintains and repairs social relationships 11/3/2008 11/3/2010 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 3 Begin service delivery by community based providers immediately upon incarceration 1/1/2008 12/31/2012 4 Est./strengthen support system between highly impacted communities and reentry population 6/11/2008 4/26/2012 5 Identify community resources that are under the radar 6/11/2008 6/11/2009 6 Create opportunities for residents from highly impacted neighborhoods to be involved neighborhoods 9/22/2008 12/17/2010 7 Increase opportunities for community service upon release 12/1/2009 4/26/2012 8 Offer peer driven case management and supports to facilitate transition process 1/1/2008 11/23/2012 9 Hire formerly incarcerated persons as case managers 1/1/2008 1/28/2011 10 Offer mentoring programs for young adults with successful formerly incarcerated people 1/10/2008 11/23/2012 11 Develop pre-release plans that are realistic and address the needs of the individual 2/6/2009 6/18/2010 12 Develop a format for the pre-release plan that addresses the immediate issues facing the individual and is capable of being completed 7/6/2009 11/3/2009 Est. a system for beginning pre-release planning upon entrance 13 2/6/2009 6/4/2010 into facility and at a minimum 120 days prior to incarceration 14 Ensure that all providers and supervision staff are involved in and have agreement on the pre-release plan 8/10/2009 6/18/2010
Increase personal and professional opportunities for formerly incarcerated people
Annual and Five Year Performance Outcomes by Goal GOAL #1: Increase the efficiency and supply of services for formerly incarcerated people in Alameda County Annual Performance Outcomes Five Year performance Goals % of reentry population connected to provider prior to release % of reentry population receiving services from the provider identified prior to release [applies to all services, health, housing, employment, education] Connect 75% of reentry population to service provider prior to release 80% receiving services from identified provider % of reentry population successfully maintain service provision and/or outcomes for 12 months (e.g. employed for twelve months, steady medication for 12 months, housed for 12 months % of reentry population receiving prerelease assessment % of Reentry Network recommendations/priorities successfully completed Number of service providers evaluated by county wide standards Number of service providers with updating their own service data in reentry resource database Number of service providers who received professional development trainings % change in number of service slots dedicated to the reentry population 60% successfully maintain service provision and/or outcomes for 12 months 80% receiving pre-release assessment 90% of recommendations/priorities successfully completed Increase of 200% from year 1 to year 5 70% of providers in database Increase of 200% from year 1 to year 5 Increase of 200% from year 1 to year 5 GOAL #2: Connect incarcerated people to positive social support systems prior to release Annual Performance Outcomes Five Year performance Goals Number of persons at Santa Rita county jail and San Quentin State prison who are receiving services through a Reentry Network provider that maintain regular Increase of 200% from year 1 to year 5
contact Number of formerly incarcerated persons participating in community service programs after release Number of formerly incarcerated persons employed as case managers to work with people upon release Number of formerly incarcerated persons serving as mentors Number of persons using Reentry Network pre-release plan model Number of Reentry Network pre-release plans that have sign-off from prisoner, case manager, service providers and parole/probation officers Increase of 500% from year 1 to year 5 Increase of 300% from year 1 to year 5 Increase of 300% from year 1 to year 5 Increase of 80% from year 1 to year 5 Increase of 50% from year 1 to year 5 GOAL #3: Increase personal and professional opportunities for formerly incarcerated people Annual Performance Outcomes Five Year performance Goals Number of new policies and legislation that result from Reentry Network advocacy Amount of legislation the Reentry Network partners with other reentry bodies to conduct advocacy Number of county/city departments and agency administrative barriers identified and removed Number of prisoners receiving values driven programming during incarceration Increase of 50% from year 1 to year 5 Increase of 200% from year 1 to year 5 Increase of 100% from year 1 to year 5 Increase of 300% from year 1 to year 5 Resource Development Ensuring the long term sustainability of the Reentry Network will require an ongoing resource development effort. During the initial planning phase and start-up periods the Reentry Network has benefited from the generous support of the California Endowment which provided Urban Strategies Council with funding to staff and supports the Coordinating Council and the Decision 32
Makers Committee during 2008-09 and 2009-10. Moving forward the Reentry Network will employ a multi-faceted approach to resource development which focuses on obtaining new resources and utilizing, coordinating and connecting existing resources. By drawing from a diverse range of sources the Reentry Network can ensure a stable and viable reentry infrastructure for years to come. The Reentry Network s resource development plan includes the following: Align and connect work to current public funding and programming The Reentry Network will work The Reentry Network was created to promote closely with the California coordination and collaboration of reentry services Department of Corrections and and programming, the benefit of which would be Rehabilitation and the Alameda a more efficient use of current funding. Rather County Sheriff s office to than needing to seek new money for reentry identify existing resources that services and programming, the Reentry Network could be used to provide both incustody services and post-release work of county and city agencies and departments, hopes to incorporate reentry into the ongoing services service providers and legislators. For example, the Alameda County Health Care Services agency has been interested in creating a clinic for hard to reach populations and through the work of the Reentry Health Task Force they have decided to include the formerly incarcerated as one of the target populations for this new clinic. Similar opportunities exist around recent legislation and federal court rulings regarding the overcrowding in California State Prisons. The Reentry Network will work closely with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Alameda County Sheriff s office to identify existing resources that could be used to provide both in-custody services and post-release services. The Reentry Network will seek to identify existing resources in order to achieve its goals and objectives associated with service provision and programming. Where needed, the Reentry Network will work through the Decision Makers Committee to pass legislation that could provide greater fiscal support to particular programs. The level of communication fostered by the Reentry Network will enable us to identify and leverage existing resources, both fiscal and human, and therefore reduce the Reentry Network s dependence on new, outside funding. Furthermore, by actively seeking out ways to utilize and engage programming that is already embedded within state, county and city infrastructures the Reentry Network will increase and promote coordination of reentry services and programming across Alameda County. 33
Conducting joint fundraising efforts As the primary collaborative body addressing reentry in Alameda County the Reentry Network will serve as a vehicle for conducting joint fundraising efforts. This will be especially relevant for pursuing state and federal funding (e.g. Second Chance Act) which often requires such collaboration. An ad hoc Resource Development Committee will be brought together to complete such proposals and provide a mechanism for responding to RFPs quickly and efficiently. The membership of the Resource Development Committee will change depending on the particulars of the proposal but will always include members from county agencies and state and local correctional agencies. By involving the corrections and service providing agencies in the planning, design and proposal process these joint fund raising efforts will increase the level of buy and support for the overall vision of reentry by the two primary bodies that service the reentry population. The primary focus of joint fund raising efforts will be to obtain new funding for innovative reentry programming. This will span both the provision of new services but also address legislative and administrative barriers within the context of pilot and/or demonstration projects. Through the development and implementation of new reentry programs the Reentry Network will continue to build and establish its own infrastructure, securing funding for staffing, materials and other administrative and operational costs. Utilizing the philanthropic community The Reentry Network will work with the philanthropic community in two primary ways: 1) pursuing direct funding for planning, infrastructure building, expanding capacity of direct service providers and the implementation of new reentry programs; and 2) by working with local foundations to ensure that new and potential award recipients are connected to and involved in the Reentry Network. During both the planning and start-up phases of the Reentry Network the California Endowment played a critical role in supporting Urban Strategies Council to facilitate a planning process and staff the critical committees. This support continues through 2010. Furthermore, the East Bay Community Foundation, San Francisco Foundation and Rosenberg Foundation have all expressed an interest in funding the Reentry Network broadly and also in supporting particular activities of the Reentry Network (e.g. Reentry Task Forces, professional development trainings, etc.). This support will allow the Reentry Network to develop and implement new reentry programs that support the goals and objectives stated in this Strategic Plan. These foundations have all expressed an interest in seeing the Reentry Network succeed and in providing the level of support necessary to ensure sustainability. In coordination with local public agencies the Reentry Network will identify the best mechanism for ensuring that the staffing and administration of the Reentry Network can be maintain indefinitely. This may mean establishing specific positions within county and city agencies/departments to provide staffing and administration or establishing a joint public/private system for supporting these roles. As of 34