Chapter D: Managing the Key Transition Period
In many jurisdictions, planning for re-entry, if it occurs at all, does not commence until the last few weeks or months of a person’s incarceration. This process is often referred to as release planning or transition planning, and its parameters may be largely limited to helping a person identify a place to stay upon release and, possibly, a source of income. In contrast, this Report has asserted that planning and preparation for re-entry should be an ongoing process beginning on the first day of incarceration. There are, however, some activities and policies which make the final phase of incarceration distinct from other aspects of a person’s journey through the criminal justice system. For instance, the practical reality of securing a home (as described in Policy Statement 19, Housing) can only really begin in earnest once a person’s release date is known. Similarly, an individual who has been ineligible for public benefits during his or her time in prison may only be able to apply for their reinstatement shortly before he or she returns to the community (Policy Statement 24, Identification and Benefits). And people who have been receiving treatment for health, mental health, or substance abuse issues in the facility must make preparations to continue to receive that care after they return home (Policy Statement 20, Planning Continuity of Care). If, as recommended in this Report, a person has been building connections to community-based organizations and support systems throughout his or her incarceration, accomplishing these goals should be just the next step in a natural progression from intake to re-entry, rather than merely a last-ditch effort just before a person walks out the door. The policy statements in this chapter also emphasize the importance of planning for long-term reintegration. Housing should not be just a way station that lasts for a few days or weeks, but should be planned with an eye towards permanency (Policy Statement 19, Housing). The work of educating and training a person during incarceration must be matched by efforts to place the person in complementary transitional or full employment in the community (Policy Statement 22, Workforce Development and the Transition Plan). And victims and families must be considered, consulted, and (when appropriate) meaningfully incorporated into the development of a transition plan (Policy Statement 23, Victims, Families, and Communities). The creation of a strategy for community supervision should anchor the transition period. Such a plan for structuring, monitoring, and enforcing all of the conditions of release and services that will minimize the risk a released individual poses to the community (Policy Statement 25, Design of Supervision Strategy). An individual’s successful completion of this critical phase, like so much of the re-entry process, depends on the collaboration between community members (including victims, families, and law enforcement) and corrections. Weaving these key threads together thoughtfully and thoroughly is fundamental to each aspect of the transition process that precedes the moment of release.
Policy Statements
20: Planning Continuity of Care
21: Creation of Employment Opportunities
22: Workforce Development and the Transition Plan
23: Victims, Families, and Communities