Several states recently established councils that will study, promote, and help carry out effective reentry policies. Drawing their membership from various government entities, as well as community-based organizations, these councils evaluate reentry practices, make recommendations for improvements to policies, and guide the implementation of responses to people released from prisons and jails. The goal of these councils is to address the factors that contribute to high rates of recidivism, thereby increasing public safety and reducing corrections spending.

In May 2007, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski issued an executive order establishing the Governor’s Reentry Council, a 19-member group composed of leaders from corrections, law enforcement, and social services agencies, as well as community-based organizations. The council is charged with reviewing Oregon’s existing reentry policies, making specific recommendations for improvements to these policies, and coordinating new initiatives across the state. According to a recent press release from the governor’s office, one-third of the people released from prison in Oregon are convicted of a new felony within three years of their release. The new Reentry Council is committed to lowering this rate and increasing public safety through collaborative, statewide efforts to promote individuals’ safe and successful transitions from prisons or jails to the community.

Several other states passed legislation to the same effect during their most recent session:

• Oklahoma passed House Bill 2101 to establish an 11-member Reentry Policy Council to oversee the Department of Corrections’ policies and programs relating to prisoners’ return to their communities. The bill also calls for the creation of an interagency task force to propose new strategies to lower the state’s recidivism rate, identify promising practices in reentry, and develop programs to provide vocational, educational, and family services.
• Hawaii adopted Senate Bill 932 to create a statewide reentry plan to provide employment, family support, and other services for people who are in prison or have been released. The bill also establishes a committee, whose members represent a diverse range of disciplines and perspectives, that will identify and facilitate collaboration among reentry service providers.
• In Colorado, House Bill 07-1358 has created a Criminal and Juvenile Justice Commission that has 26 members representing multiple agencies. The commission will analyze sentencing policies and practices and investigate effective alternatives to incarceration, with the overarching goal of reducing recidivism in the state.

These new councils and advisory groups follow examples set by other states, such as Kansas. Last year, as part of its Offender Risk Reduction and Reentry plan, Kansas established a Reentry Policy Council that includes key cabinet secretaries and legislative officials. The council promotes collaboration among state agencies to provide wide-ranging services including employment training, housing assistance, and substance abuse treatment; advocates for effective reentry policy; and develops neighborhood-based strategies to reduce recidivism. Recently, the council created a steering committee of deputy managers which holds biweekly meetings to discuss various reentry issues in depth, identify key issues to address, and establish specific task forces when needed. To read more about Kansas’s reentry initiatives and recent legislation, see the May 24, 2007 and July 27, 2007 issues of this newsletter.

For more information about developing effective reentry policies and promoting interagency collaboration to address the needs of people who are released from prisons and jails, see Part I of the Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council.