IOWA REENTRY COURT (IA)

Program Description
In February 2000, the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs created the Reentry Court Initiative (RCI) in response to the increase in former offenders returning to communities. The RCI posited that reentry courts – like drug courts – could be an effective method for managing prisoner reentry. Cedar Rapids, Iowa was one of nine jurisdictions designated a RCI site.

The Iowa Reentry Court in Cedar Rapids targets former prisoners who have mental health disorders or who have been dually diagnosed with mental health and substance abuse problems. Participants are identified by a case manager in consultation with in-prison staff; the parole board makes the final decision regarding admission into the program. The program generally lasts for at least six months, but the length depends of the duration of supervision. The court receives funding from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

The structure of the Iowa Reentry Court consists of the Board of Parole, community-based corrections and institutions, a Reentry administrative law judge, a Community Reentry Accountability Board, and a Department of Corrections reentry planner. The targeted offenders, once paroled, are assigned to an administrative law judge and a Reentry Accountability Board in the former prisoner's community (consisting of representatives from service agencies, hospitals, educational institutions, the police department, and victims groups). Iowa's Reentry Court does not have judicial involvement, but rather uses administrative law judges and parole boards to oversee reentry court proceedings. Participants appear once or twice per month before the Community Accountability Board, which assists individuals who were formerly incarcerated in identifying local resources and in recognizing their accountability to the community at large. Services are also provided to program participants, as needed: mental heath treatment, medication management services, housing, and transportation.

Program Goals
The primary goals of the Iowa Reentry Court are:

• To help former offenders with community reintegration through a community board that will both administer rewards and sanctions.
• To provide direct contact to needed services.
• To educate the community on public safety issues.
• To reduce the number of offenders who are rescinded from parole.
• To reduce the number of former offenders who recidivate within three years.

Networking, Partnering & Collaboration
Some of the key agencies involved are the Department of Correctional Services, Citizens Accountability Board (representatives from mental health centers, substance abuse providers, psychiatric hospital unit, neighborhood associations, police department, mental health consumers, family counseling agencies), and Vocational Rehabilitation.

Outcomes
No outcome data was available.

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