South Dakota Going Home Initiative

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 must be sustained for a 36-month period and are required to partner with a state adult or juvenile correctional agency.

The South Dakota Department of Corrections (SDDOC) will use its FY 2002 funds to assists in the reintegration of high risk offenders between the ages of 14 to 20 years old who are on supervised release. The project will be used to improve and expand the services of the juvenile aftercare program using the Altshuler and Armstrong Intensive Aftercare Program model. The project will be implemented in areas surrounding the three largest communities in South Dakota which include Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Aberdeen.

Approximately 60% of the offenders assigned to the Intensive Aftercare Program will be released from one of five Custer Youth Correctional Centers residential programs (Boot Camp, Living Center A, Living Center B, EXCEL, QUEST) or from West Farm, a transitional living program. Community resources developed will include Intensive Aftercare Specialist; expanded access to mental health, chemical dependency, employment services, transitional housing, aftercare groups, family support groups, independent living preparation services, and incentive programs.

It is projected that 200 offenders will participate in the project through the 30-month implementation phase. Local religious organizations, ministerial associations, ethnic, and cultural organizations have agreed to work with SDDOC and other community organizations to develop a network of support that can be accessed by the offender after his/her discharge and beyond.

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