The Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative Discretionary Grant Program was developed through a federal partnership by the Departments of Justice, Labor, Health and Human Service, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture. The federal partners' goal is to help state and local agencies navigate the complex field of existing state formula and block grants and to assist them in accessing, redeploying and leveraging those resources to support the components of a comprehensive reentry program. In addition to the new funding, the federal partners are identifying funds from their respective agencies that are already available to state and local agencies to provide the necessary services to implement a reentry program. The Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative Grant Program is designed to provide funding to state and local units of government to develop and implement institutional and community corrections-based offender reentry programs through collaborative partnerships with government, social service, faith-based, and community organizations, in order to reduce recidivism, increase public safety, and successfully reintegrate serious and violent offenders back into the community. Reentry programs are required to partner with a state adult or juvenile correctional agency.
The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPS/CS) will use supplemental funding in the amount of $70,000 to support the mental health and substance abuse components of the Reentry program. The DPS/CS will use funds to include the following program areas: (1) Targeting: identify offenders and communities that have the greatest needs; (2) Institutional Treatment: provide remedial services to address educational and employment needs; (3) Pre-Release Planning: motivate the offender to change prior to being released; (4) Post-Release Services: provide crisis intervention services that address various personal needs; and (5) Reintegration: help maintain post-release participation in the community.
The DPS/CS will use the these funds to provide 50% of program participants with access to substance abuse treatment; and 30% of program participants with mental health services.
The funds will be used to supplement the existing Reentry projects funded in FY 2002 to specifically support the mental health component in the amount of $20,000 and substance abuse component in the amount of $50,000 of their Reentry strategies.
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