The Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council includes numerous examples of programs from around the country that are translating policy into practice.
Program Example
Being Empowered and Safe Together
Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc.
Being Empowered and Safe Together (BEST), administered by Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. in collaboration with the State of Hawaii Department of Public Safety (DPS), is designed to serve individuals who are preparing to return to the community from Maui Community Correctional Center (MCCC).
Spotlight Announcements
12/22/09 —
On December 22, 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) released the solicitation for Second Chance Act grant applications to state and local governments for adult and juvenile reentry demonstration projects (Section 101). Funding under this section is available to help state and local agencies implement programs and strategies to reduce recidivism and ensure the safe and successful reentry of adults and juveniles released from prisons and jails back to the community.
12/16/09 —
On Sunday, December 13, 2009, the Senate approved an appropriations bill for the Department of Justice for fiscal year 2010 that provides $114 million for prisoner reentry, including $100 million for Second Chance Act grant programs and $14 million for reentry initiatives in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Reentry News Clips
10/27/09 — The St. Louis County Reporting Center was established by the County Family Court in June to better respond to the needs of its nonviolent juvenile offenders. The court wanted to make sure teens got immediate after-school supervision and programs — even before the disposition of their cases. About 90 percent of the juveniles who now report to the center would have otherwise ended up in juvenile detention.
10/25/09 — Workforce Inc. hires ex-offenders and helps them transition back to society while helping to improve the environment. The Indianapolis company strips electronic equipment, mostly computers, and sells the electronic waste to recyclers. The company's plan -- the only one of its kind in Indianapolis -- addresses two of the nation's most pressing concerns: what to do with felons newly back on the streets (about 5,000 a year in Marion County alone) and what to do with the toxic innards of discarded computers.