Federal grant to support state's efforts to reduce recidivism         

$450,000 from U.S. Department of Justice supports efforts to help keep released offenders from returning to life of crime

[OCT. 16, 2006]  SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich announced Thursday that the Illinois Department of Corrections will receive $450,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice to help prepare inmates for life after prison. Illinois is one of 20 states to receive awards to provide programs to help keep released inmates from returning to prison.

The grant will fund a two-year program that will allow the Department of Corrections to provide more pre-release programming and case management to inmates participating in the Safer Foundation's Ready4Work program. The Safer Foundation helps inmates find and keep jobs after their release and also provides inmates with additional programs and services such as housing, substance-abuse treatment, education and life skills.

"We need to do everything we can to help men and women who are in prison develop the skills they need to stay away from drugs, find jobs, rebuild their lives and become productive members of society when they are released," Blagojevich said. "Our programs are among the most aggressive in state history aimed at reducing recidivism. This grant for the Safer Foundation supports our ongoing efforts to help inmates find a place in their communities and avoid the very same mistakes that sent them to prison."

"Addressing the issue of recidivism is about improving public safety and the quality of life in Illinois communities," said Department of Corrections Director Roger E. Walker Jr. "While these are long-term challenges, the Illinois Department of Corrections is proud to be a part of Governor Blagojevich's historic efforts to seek solutions and make meaningful and effective reforms that will make Illinois families safer. Because of the governor's re-entry initiatives, inmates and parolees now have more opportunities to make a successful crime- and drug-free re-entry into society than ever before."

Safer's first three years of Ready4Work yielded outstanding results. Of the 430 participants who were part of Ready4Work, the recidivism rate was less than 10 percent, and 69 percent achieved employment, with 67 percent achieving 30-day employment retention. Safer's recidivism study shows that when participants achieve 30-day retention, they see a 67 percent decline in the three-year recidivism rate against the statewide recidivism rate.

Safer's Ready4Work partners include Trinity United Church of Christ, St. Sabina Community of Faith, People's Church of the Harvest COGIC, Ambassadors for Christ, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Chicago Project for Violence Prevention (all of Chicago), Vision of Restoration (Maywood) and Valley Kingdom Ministries (south suburbs).

"This issue does not only affect those in prison and their families. It does not only affect the communities to which they return. Decreasing recidivism and increasing job placement for people with criminal records provides all of us with a safer and more productive society. A major part of the strategy to support people returning from prison must be to ensure that those communities most impacted by re-entry get the resources and opportunities to support re-entry," said Diane Willliams, president and chief executive officer of Safer Foundation.

In another effort to reduce recidivism, the governor's fiscal 2007 budget funds the creation of a specialized 200-bed treatment unit for inmates with meth addictions. This new unit at the 667-bed Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center will receive $1.9 million from the state and $4.78 million from the federal government. The unit will be modeled after the Sheridan National Model Drug Prison and Reentry Program, which has shown tremendous success, with a reincarceration rate that is nearly 50 percent lower than other groups. The fiscal 2007 budget also includes $5.7 million enabling the Department of Corrections to increase programming in support of parolee re-entry, including interview skills and transitional employment.

[News release from the governor's office]