| The Reentry National Media Outreach Campaign offers media tools and resources to support informed discussion, decision making, and action about solution-based reentry programs that foster public safety and support healthy communities. We encourage you to review the diverse materials and consider how you may be able to use them effectively. |
| The Reentry National Media Outreach Campaign acts as a catalyst to encourage solution-based reentry activities. Review this chronicle of public television and community events/actions to gain ideas on what may work in your arena. |
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SAVANNAH IMPACT PROGRAM (GA)
Program
Description The strategy of SIP is to take a population of former offenders under community control (parole, probation, and juvenile probation) who are statistically at high risk of reoffending and provide "intense supervision and build better lives." The former offenders are intensely supervised using the leverage of their parole or probation to prevent them from having the opportunity to re-offend. Second, while they are under intense supervision, each person's needs are evaluated in terms of factors that prevent them from being productive, e.g, education, employment, substance abuse, cognitive skills; those needs are then addressed through appropriate training or treatment. In other words, the Savannah Impact Program is a highly structured supervision and support program. Using a team concept, supervising officers are paired with Savannah police officers to co-manage offenders. The officers have lower caseloads that allow for more frequent contacts with offenders. In addition, officers have incorporated other forms of supervision to include drug screening, home confinement, curfew enforcement, and electronic monitoring. In conjunction with these initiatives, supervising officers are able to coordinate with case managers/ counselors as to the type and level of service needed for offenders based on a risk and needs assessment of the individual. SIP extends beyond control by providing a significant treatment program with the majority of support programs being conducted at the SIP office. These programs include substance abuse counseling, cognitive behavior therapy, electronic monitoring, literacy training, personal finance counseling, driver's training, and job and vocational training. Program Goals Networking, Partnering & Collaboration SIP is a collaborative program consisting of personnel from the Georgia Department of Pardons and Paroles, Georgia Department of Corrections (Probation), Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, police officers from the Savannah Police Department, and a Georgia Department of Labor Specialist. In addition, SIP has GED instructors, substance abuse counselors, and cognitive thinking facilitators who are all co-located at the SIP office. This collaboration of personnel and resources coupled with lower more manageable caseloads allows supervising officers the ability to address offenders who require closersupervision and monitoring. The majority of the funding comes from the City of Savannah for office space, utilities, and vehicles. The state agencies provide the cost of salaries for the state employees and the Georgia Department of Corrections provides funding for the substance abuse counselors. Outcomes Click here for a PDF of all Public Safety Sample Programs(220k) |
