OHIO COMMUNITY-ORIENTED REENTRY (CORE) PROJECT (OH)

Featured Program RealVideo            56k | 100k | 300k Windows Media   56k | 100k | 300k

Program Description
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) has received a federal grant (under the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative) of about $2 million to develop and implement the Ohio Community-Oriented Reentry (CORE) Project. The target population will be 200 offenders, ages 18 to 35, who are high-risk, high-need adult offenders, have served a minimum sentence of one year, and are returning to Ohio's largest urban areas (Cuyahoga and Franklin counties) and to the rural area of Allen County. These areas were chosen because more than one-third of Ohio's prison population is from these three counties.

To determine an offender's level of risk, a validated static risk instrument is administered. Offenders who score as high risk (Reentry Intensive cases) will have a dynamic needs assessment conducted by a member of the Reentry Management Team (RMT). Depending upon the needs of the case, the RMTs will consist of unit management staff, treatment personnel, the parole officer, Offender Service Network staff, and community service providers. Additional team members such as family members, the faith community, and former offenders may be added to the team at any stage of this process. The needs assessment will allow the RMT members and the individual to identify and determine the needs and barriers he or she faces. Many of the former offenders will have substance abuse histories, mental health problems, and/ or limited work experience. Once the formal risk and needs assessments have been completed, the RMT will work with the offender to develop his or her Reentry Accountability Plan (RAP). The RAP will be comprised of programs and/ or areas that target the highest needs of the offender. The RAP will follow the individual throughout his/ her incarceration and community supervision period, providing linkages that will facilitate service delivery. The RMTs will meet a minimum of once a month to review and update the offender's progress until his or her release from community supervision.

The CORE initiative will provide a coordinated and comprehensive case management approach beginning during incarceration and continuing into the community once the individual is released to supervision. The grant represents a unique collaboration between several state agencies and local communities. This collaborative effort among the partners will assist offenders in making the transition from prison to the community a successful one. The information gained through this grant will contribute to the achievement of the goals specified in the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's Ohio Plan For Productive Offender Reentry and Recidivism Reduction. The Ohio CORE project builds on the "What Works" literature, incorporating risk/ needs assessments and targeting the criminogenic needs of high-risk offenders.

Each of the three regions involved in the CORE grant have or are in the process of integrating Citizens' Circles. The Columbus region has a Citizens' Circle that is comprised of volunteers, faith-based organizations, community organizations, parole, victim advocates, and social service agencies. Cleveland also has a Citizens' Circle that is up and running with the same type of membership. Citizens' Circles are a forum that builds better relationships among the community, the criminal justice system, and individuals who were formerly incarcerated. Citizens' Circle meetings involve those listed above, the former offender, and his/ her family members. At the meeting, a Circle Plan is developed to aid the reentry process. Circle Plans are carefully constructed in order to follow parole supervision guidelines and usually include job seeking assistance, designation of a community sponsor, community service, assistance in locating housing, and resources for spiritual needs. Citizens' Circles aim to involve the whole community in the rehabilitative and reentry processes while holding former offenders accountable for their actions. If a Citizens' Circle is in the same community of a CORE project, then the CORE participant may access the Circle. Many learn about the Citizens' Circles from their Reentry Management Team or prior to release. Citizens' Circles are open to non-CORE participants, as well.

Program Goals
The CORE program has five main goals:

• To prevent former offenders from committing new crimes.

• To increase public safety in the communities where former prisoners are returning.
• To promote access to services in the communities.
• To assist former offenders with their personal and home life to promote pro-social behavior.
• To maintain the program beyond the timeline defined in the original grant.

Networking, Partnering & Collaboration
The State of Ohio's CORE program offers a comprehensive, collaborative, and holistic approach to enabling serious, violent, high-risk, and high-need adult offenders in state correctional facilities to return successfully to their communities and families. The CORE model operates through linkages established with the State's Departments of Rehabilitation and Correction, Jobs and Family Services, Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, Education, and the Office of Criminal Justice Services. Corresponding governmental and service provider partners, including the Cuyahoga County Department of Justice Affairs and Community Connection in Franklin and Allen counties, have been created at the local level to help returning prisoners avoid recidivism, find stable housing, receive substance abuse and mental health treatment, sustain long-term employment, reunite with their families, and become productive members of the community.

Outcomes
The CORE federal reentry grant has only been in operation since January 2003 and has, therefore, not yet been evaluated. At the same time, the ODRC will use the performance measures provided by the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative federal partners and other measures to evaluate the success of the program.

Additional Reading
The Ohio Plan for Productive Offender Reentry and Recidivism Reduction (http:// www.ojp. usdoj.gov/ reentry/ sar/ pdf/ wp1_ oh. pdf)

Click here for a PDF of all Public Safety Sample Programs(220k)