VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA-DELAWARE VALLEY – NJ CORRECTIONS PROGRAM (NJ)

Program Description
Volunteers of America (VOA) was founded in 1896 and provides services to individuals in need, including at-risk youth, the elderly, abused and neglected children, people with disabilities, homeless individuals, and prisoners. Last year alone, the VOA's Correctional Services programs assisted more than 52,000 former offenders nationwide. The Volunteers of America-Delaware Valley (VOA-DV), an affiliate of the national organization, offers housing assistance and substance abuse treatment services to prisoners reentering their communities in New Jersey. The VOA-DV New Jersey Corrections Program, operating in Camden for over 25 years, operates two community-based halfway houses for former prisoners— Fletcher House and Hope Hall.

Fletcher House and Hope Hall are residential housing programs that target male offenders who are preparing for parole. The New Jersey Department of Corrections refers clients to the programs. Fletcher House serves about 84 residents; Hope Hall houses 164 individuals. Fletcher House residents are required to find employment within the first 30 days. Hope Hall residents are referred to treatment services for the first 90 days before participating in the work-release program.

Participants are assessed with the Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) tool and with a number of substance abuse tools (including the Alcohol Dependence Scale and the Drug Abuse Screening Test). Based on their levels of risk and need, participants are referred for treatment and are recommended for services. Some of the types of programming offered include GED preparation, anger management, life skills, and job preparation classes. Work-release is emphasized in all three programs, and participants are expected to find employment and demonstrate pro-social behavior.

Program Goals
In order to promote public safety and to reduce the recidivism rate of former offenders, the VOA-DV New Jersey Corrections Programs provide evidence-based treatment interventions and give participants the skills they need to transition successfully back to the community.

Networking, Partnering & Collaboration
The NJ Corrections Program of VOA has an advisory council with representatives from New Jersey Employment Service, Camden Police, Camden Board of Education, New Jersey State Parole Board, Camden Neighborhood Renaissance, and Mt. Zion Baptist Church. All programs network with local service providers and community resources.

Outcomes
VOA-DV uses validated tools for assessments and provides intervention methods based on empirical research in order to show how intervention programming affects the behavior of former offenders. VOA- 17 DV uses the Level of Service Inventory-Revised LSI-R as a pre-and post-assessment tool to gauge the success of an individual's treatment plan and to examine the behavioral changes of the client. VOA-DV is able to document that a considerable portion of its clients who were in a high-risk category before the intervention moved to a lower risk category after program participation. VOA-DV is currently completing an evaluation of the program.

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