INSIDE: Expanding reentry housing; Inside the CSG Justice Center; Reducing the prison population in Iowa; and more | |
November 20, 2024 | Edited by Peter Tomao | |
STRENGTHENING REENTRY HOUSING | | |
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Since 2020, unsheltered homelessness has increased across the nation by 12 percent, affecting people leaving incarceration disproportionately and creating a harmful cycle that can be difficult to break. Through the Zero Returns to Homelessness initiative, however, we are starting to work with communities to support their efforts in expanding reentry housing options and ensuring safe, stable housing for people returning to their communities. Read the latest from Director Megan Quattlebaum as she details her visit to one of the country’s only programs in which a state department of corrections connects people to long-term supportive housing. The article highlights how this program can be a model for other states looking to support second chances and create a future where everyone has a safe place to call home. | | |
TRANSFORMING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM | | |
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A cornerstone of our Criminal Justice-Mental Health Learning Sites Program network, Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC) celebrates its 25th anniversary as a pioneering force in community-based justice. DACC has transformed local justice through person-centered solutions, connecting more than 600 people to housing since 2015. Their innovative programs, from beautification projects to intensive case management, showcase how compassionate justice can transform both individual lives and communities. | | |
INSIDE THE CSG JUSTICE CENTER | | |
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Our Advisory Board is composed of a cross-section of leaders who shape justice policy across the country. We sat down with a member of our board, Vermont Department of Corrections Commissioner Nicholas Deml, to find out what led him into the criminal justice sector, what he sees as the biggest challenges facing the justice system today, his efforts to connect the corrections system with the wider community, and more. | | |
ALIGNING PUBLIC SAFETY AND SUPERVISION POLICY | | |
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Facing a looming prison capacity crisis and an increase in the community-based corrections population, a bipartisan group of Iowa leaders requested support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance in 2021 to evaluate the impact of corrections policies on the state’s public safety and public health outcomes. Through the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, we worked with an interbranch committee of state leaders to determine the key challenges facing the state and developed a set of proposed administrative and legislative priorities to improve public health and public safety in Iowa. | | |
EXPANDING COMMUNITY RESPONSE | | |
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Launched in 2021, the Albuquerque Community Safety Department (ACS) is an independent, cabinet-level department and now the third branch of the city’s public safety system. ACS responders provide crisis intervention, welfare checks, service referral, and transportation to support people in crisis at all hours of the day. Boasting full integration within the local 311 and 911 systems, ACS is a model for other municipalities looking to enact a sustainable community responder program that has the support of both the community and local government. Read more about the program’s development and ongoing work in our Expanding First Response toolkit. | | | |
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In this webinar, leaders in the community responder field will discuss the development of workforce development programs hosted in partnership with local community colleges to increase the availability of trained professionals to respond to behavioral health crisis calls. Staff from the Crisis Alternative Response Evanston (IL) team and Oakton College will speak about their ongoing partnership on a workforce development program, and Dr. Amy Watson, professor of social work at Wayne State University, will discuss the potential for expanding the community responder workforce nationwide.
December 12, 2024
2:00–3:30 p.m. ET
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Children of incarcerated parents often face unique challenges in school, including academic struggles and social-emotional difficulties. The trauma of being separated from a parent can deeply affect their well-being, causing stress and stigma not only for the children but also for their families and caregivers, including the caregivers in schools.
This webinar will explore how schools and correctional facilities can better support children of incarcerated parents. We’ll discuss how educators can recognize and address their own implicit biases; create affirming spaces for children of incarcerated parents; and provide educational support for children, caregivers, and families of incarcerated parents.
January 8, 2025
3:00–4:00 p.m. ET
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