Federal grant to support state's efforts to reduce recidivism
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$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.
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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."
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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.
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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]
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