From Cell to StreetFacility Re-Entry Services

Objectives

• Transition From Prison to Community (TPC)– Overview of Pre-Release Programming

offered at all facilities

– Identification Acquisition

– Optional Programming Opportunities

– Special Populations

Transitions and Reentry Services

• Staffing– Prisons with significant release numbers have

an assigned transition program coordinator to facilitate reentry resources

– Each of the nine adult prisons in Minnesota are staffed with a Transition Coordinator

– Intake facility staffed with Child Support Liaison Worker

– Central Office management team of four managers

MN Correctional Facilities

• Faribault– Jolene Peterson– Jeff Petersen

• Shakopee– Sandy Hand

• Stillwater– Harriette Manis– Bridget Letnes

• Oak Park Heights

• Lino Lakes– Joe McCoy

• Rush City– Jason Skwira

• Moose Lake– Heather Walczynski

• Willow River– Craig Olsen

• St. Cloud– Rebecca Fratzke

Professional Collaboration

• Closing the Gap–Casework

Involvement

–Supervising Agent

–Community Partnerships

Intake• Orientation, continuum of service

– Mandatory programming– Provides information on programming available at the

facility and how to get into such programming– Allows time for a plan to develop– Focus

– “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Continuum of services

• St. Cloud recommendations– What did they recommend– What does it mean if I complete these

recommendations?– What does it mean if I do not?

• Case management expectations– What do they need and when?

• Supervising Agents– What to expect?

Transitions and Reentry Services

• Pre-Release Class• Mandatory

– Challenges of a broad audience– Niche programming (SO, CD, RV, LSI-R)– Continuum of Service – Intake through Expiration– Schedules and programming vary from facility to

facility based off of security/programming schedules

Chapters Covered

• Identification

• Life Skills

• Housing

• Education

• Transportation

• Living Under Supervision

• Family

• Restorative Justice

• Health

• Money Management

• Employment

Sample Schedule• Day 1

– Introduction/Attitude– Identification

• Birth Certificate• Social Security• DL Record Review• Driver’s License/ID

• Day 2– Housing– Credit (NovaDebt)– Health Care Overview

• Day 3– Tax Credit– Federal Bonding– Family Reunification– Child Support

• Day 4– Release Planning– Casework Overview– Living Under

Supervision– Agent Presentation– Optional Seminars

Day 5: Creative Job Search

• Job Search Preparation• Career Assessment• Skills Identification• Resume & Cover Letters• Applications• Networking• Internet Job Search• The Job Interview• Finishing Touches

Caseworkers

• Accept referrals/questions

• Resource acquisition

• Release Plan questions

• Pre-Release involvement

• Q&A

Supervising Agents

• Living Under Supervision

• Myth Busters

• Collaboration with Stearns County and DOC Agents

• Monthly sessions

• Q&A

Optional Seminar Opportunities

• Mandatory Pre-Release Class• Interest-Drive• Targeted Topics:

– Housing, Financial Literacy, Family Reunification, Relapse Prevention, Child Support, College Preparation, Mock Interviews and Career Exploration

• Offenders are HIGHLY encouraged to enroll in the seminars that apply to their individual needs

Housing Seminars

• Housing Link

• Salvation Army

Financial Literacy

• The Village Financial Consulting

• Novadebt (Roseville, MN)

• Family Means• Wells Fargo

Family Reunification

• Bridge Builders for Kids

• Amicus

• Minding the Gap

Relapse Prevention

• Facility CD Treatment Staff

• Mark Groves

• Transition Program Coordinators

Child Support—Lori Lofrano

– Crucial liaison between DHS/DOC

– EDUCATE– Assist in modifying

child support orders for incarcerated men at intake facility

– Contact information for county child support workers

– Quash warrants for non appearance

– Try to lift driver’s license suspensions prior to release

College Preparation

• St. Cloud State University

• St. Cloud Technical College

Financial Aid Services

Admissions

Mock Interviews

• Interview Preparation– Felony Question

• Correction Teaching Assistants

• Volunteers• Mock Interview

Fairs

Career Exploration

• Career Scope• Career Exploration

Class• Follow-through

– Vocational Short-term Programs

– College

Identification

Identification Barriers

• Need:– Birth Certificate– Social Security– State ID/Driver’s License

• Why don’t offenders have these items?

• Impact?

Identification

• Social Security Cards– Memo of

Understanding• Facilities partner

with local office• Difficulties with

varying offices• Varying Aliases• Social Security

Numbers

• Birth Certificate

– Various states/various processes

– Funding– Name issues– Road to identification

(DL/ID)

Driver and Vehicle Services

• Driver and Vehicle Services Record Reviews– Fines, Reinstatement Dates, Requirements

• Driver and Vehicle Services MN State ID/Driver’s License MOU– Contract DVS to come into the facilities and

complete applications for MN State Id’s and Driver’s Licenses

• Class D Written Test

DL/ID Issues

• Driver’s licenses suspended and revoked– Child support non-payment– Driving After Revocation, No Insurance, etc.

• Hard to prove identity in some cases (lost documents, aliases, name changes)

• Costs in both time and money to achieve ID docs– MN DL Renewal $24.00– State ID $18.00

Transitions and Reentry ServicesSPECIAL POPULATIONS

• Short-Term Offenders• Female offenders• Release Violators• Segregation

Special Populations

• Short-Term Offenders (STO’S)– July 1, 2009– <180 Days – Unique Population

• Mandate• Triage• Demographics• Concerns

Where are they?

• MCF-St. Cloud retains all offenders who have less than 120 days to their schedule release date (SRD)

• If an offender has more than 120 days, he may be transferred to another facility

• MCF-Shakopee retains all female STO’s

Services Received

• Under 14 Days to SRD– Triage

• Identification• Health Care• Resources• Job Info• Resume• Optional Seminars

STO Services Received

• Typical Short-Term Offender Transitional Services– Adapted Pre-Release Class

• Targeted needs

– Seminars– Self-Paced Opportunities– Resources– Key to success: Collaboration

Female Offenders

o Because men and women are different. To treat men and women equally, we must treat them differently, while always following DOC policies and procedures!

oMN State Statute 241.70

Why Gender Matters…

o Average age 36-45 years oldo Typically female offenders

complete higher levels of education

o Higher rates of mental health issues & dual diagnosis

o Parenting prior to & while they are incarcerated

o Greater medical needs

Profiling the Female Offenderbased on July, 2009 statistics

• Common issues that female offenders face

• Trauma and Addiction

• Relational Issues

Relevant Gender Issues

• Abuse

• Poverty

• Addiction

• Dysfunctional Relationships

Common Issues

Release Violators

• Release Violators– “Hints on Transitions – Attitude, Issues

and Resources” (HOT AIR)• The program motto is – “It’s all Hot Air.

What YOU do with it determines if your balloon flies”

• Primarily based off of repeat offender issues—more individualized services

Release Violators

• Menu of services offered based off of needs…– Attitude– Issues– Resources

• Collaboration: Parole Officers, Ex-Offenders, Community Resources

Segregation Services

• Large population getting released directly from segregation living units– MCF-St. Cloud Youthful Offenders

• Individualized triage services

Transition Resource Rooms

• All facilities have a Transitions Resource Room

• Wide collection of resources

• Computer Access

• Tutor Assistance

MCF-St. Cloud Transition Resource Room

Transitions Resource Center MCF-Shakopee

Computer Programs Available:

– Reentry resources home page

– www.minnesotaworks.net

– United Way 211– O-NET Work

Importance and Interest Profiler

– Career Scope – Financial/Credit

Assistance

• Microsoft Excel and Word

• Offender Workforce Development Division

• Win Way Resume Deluxe

• Legal Aid Information• Child Support

Information

Mock Interview Fairs

• IMPORTANT Community Collaboration

• Volunteer Interviewers

• Optional• Class-Interview-

Debrief• Facility-wide initiative

Transition Fairs

• One of the BEST services we offer offenders nearing release

• Community Organizations

• Offenders one year from their Supervised Release Date are invited to attend

• Collaboration/Education

• April 26th, 2011: MCF-Shakopee– Contact: Sandy Hand

• May 11th, 2011: MCF-St. Cloud– Contact: Rebecca Fratzke

• June 9th, 2011: MCF-Faribault– Contact: Jolene Peterson

• July 19th, 2011: MCF-Lino Lakes– Contact: Joe McCoy

• November 2nd, 2011: MCF-Stillwater– Contact: Harriette Manis

Finally…

Collaboration is the ultimate key to successful offender

reentry

QUESTIONS