Alaska Youth Re-Entry 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 Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Juvenile Justice (ADHSD/DJJ), will use its FY 2002 funds to develop and implement a Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI). The initiative is designed to improve management of approximately 100-120 juveniles ages 14-20 who have committed violent, serious, and habitual crimes. The juveniles are released to the greater Anchorage area following at least six months of incarceration. ADHSD/DJJ in collaboration with community agencies will provide supervision, support, mentoring, job readiness skills, transitional living skills, and Functional Family Therapy.

The SVORI will enable the ADHSD/DJJ to develop and implement the Functional Family Therapy component of the initiative. Funds will also be used to develop standards of practice ensuring quality services for offenders, their victims, and communities across Alaska. ADHS/DJJ plans to work collaboratively with the Alaska Department of Corrections to provide services to adults and youth waived into the adult system returning to their communities.

ca/ncf