By Jocelyn Bogen
June 29, 2009

The first green reentry center and programs to assist ex-offenders with housing and employment dominated the discussion at the June 13 meeting of the Ex-Offender Reentry Task Force. Task Force Co-Chairs Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon and Irvington (NJ) Mayor Wayne Smith released the 2009 Survey and Best Practices publication on Helping Ex-Offenders Reenter Our Communities, which includes a survey on the successful initiatives and challenges facing the nation's cities and their prisoner reentry efforts.

The current economic recession is forcing local governments and public and private organizations and agencies to reduce spending on programs and services, and is limiting the employment and other opportunities essential to ex-offenders' successful reentry to their communities. "The reentry challenges most frequently cited as the most serious involve finding jobs and suitable housing for prisoners returning to their communities, and a general lack of funding for reentry services," said Dixon. "A job and a place to live are the most essential elements of a stable life for any person returning from prison. Unfortunately, they are the elements most seriously compromised by the current economic crisis."

"In addition to survey results, our report includes descriptions of prisoner reentry initiatives in many of the survey cities," said Smith, "This is a time when we need to identify reentry models that work, and we need to share them with mayors across the nation who are struggling through this recession to find the jobs, housing, and support services that keep people from returning to prison."

The report containing both the survey results and the Best Practices is available on the Conference of Mayors website at: http://usmayors.org/pressreleases/uploads/REENTRYREPORT09.pdf.

The meeting began with an overview on the first green reentry facility from Bishop David G. Evans, Chairman, Generations Inc. based in Lindenwald (NJ) who outlined how they have created the nation's first green reentry vocational, educational and residential facility for people who were recently released from jail. Generations Inc. has partnered with Atlantic Electric and is training people on smart meter technology as well as winter and roof weatherization.

Housing was the second most frequently listed challenge by mayors who responded to the reentry survey, Providence Mayor David Cicilline gave a presentation on Providence's efforts to increasing housing opportunities for people returning from prison. "It is important that we develop coordinated comprehensive initiatives, as we tend to welcome back ex-offenders to the same concentrated areas, if we keep sustaining them with the same methods, we will keep being ineffective. Helping people returning to our communities is important to the person returning, but more importantly it is a public safety issue. Almost everyone who goes in also comes out, and by creating successful, safe assistance we are enhancing the safety of our neighborhoods."

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper described Denver's Crime Prevention and Control Commission (CPCC), which are coordinating the city's comprehensive "Jail to Community" effort for persons reentering the community, including those with mental health concerns. The program includes assessment, case management, and comprehensive program services covering areas such as life skills, job skills and placement, computer training, GED preparation, cognitive skills, substance abuse, transitional housing, and mentoring.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter gave a presentation on The Mayor's Office for the Reentry of Ex-Offenders (M.O.R.E) that has entered into a unique partnership with Goodwill Industries of Southern NJ and Philadelphia to establish a transitional sheltered workshop for ex-offenders. Goodwill Industries will hire the ex-offenders for hands-on light industrial training, allowing them to earn a paycheck and build a resume. The sheltered workshop will employ approximately 400 individuals released from the Philadelphia Prison System annually, and will provide an opportunity for individual transformational change among the ex-offender population. When considered job ready, sheltered workshop participants will be placed into competitive jobs in the community.