Wayne-Holmes Juvenile Offender Reentry Program - Planning

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of incarcerated adults and juveniles who are released from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities and are returning to their communities. Approximately 100,000 youthful offenders are confined in juvenile residential facilities on any given day. The FY 2011 Second Chance Act Juvenile Offender Reentry Program helps ensure that the transition the youth make from secure confinement facilities to the community is successful and promotes public safety. A secure confinement facility may include a juvenile detention center, juvenile correctional facility, or staff-secure facility. Eligible juveniles must have been confined under juvenile court jurisdiction. This program is authorized by the Second Chance Act, Pub. L. 110-199, (42 U.S.C. § 3797w). The Second Chance Act authorizes grants to states, territories, units of local government and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments for demonstration projects to promote the safe and successful reintegration into the community of individuals who have been incarcerated or detained.

Through the Comprehensive Wayne-Holmes Reentry Coalition, the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Wayne and Holmes Counties assisted in the development of a community reentry strategic plan. This proposal brings components of this plan into concrete operation and continues other planning efforts to fruition of implementation of the reentry process. To align with the strategic plan, the Board and Coalition will develop structures to support the provision of a reentry process that offers a mentoring program to juvenile offenders in Wayne and Holmes Counties, Ohio. On average, this includes 260 secure placements each year. The reach of the Task Force/Coalition will be extended as the Board plans for 40 juvenile offenders to receive reentry services with a focus on transitional services through linkage to community services, community and curriculum-based (13-week Operation New Hope curriculum) mentoring, case management and aftercare each year. This reentry process will develop structures to successfully transition offenders into the community and recidivism rates will be reduced by 50%. Performance measure data will be gathered and reported to OJJDP through participant survey, clinical review and Coalition meeting reports assessing both short-term and intermediate outcomes.

CA/NCF