Important Re-Entry Policy Document
A Portrait of Prisoner Reentry in Illinois
This report, published by the Urban Institute, describes the process of prisoner reentry by examining the policy context surrounding reentry in Illinois, the characteristics of Illinois’ returning inmates, the geographic distribution of returning prisoners, and the social and economic climates of the communities that are home to the highest concentrations of returning prisoners
The Criminal Justice Consensus Report
This was released in June 2002 and was authored by the Council of State Governments Justice Center and representatives of leading criminal justice and mental health organizations. The Report reflects the results of a series of meetings among 100 of the most respected criminal justice and mental health practitioners in the country.
Mayoral Policy Caucus on Prisoner Reentry in Chicago
The Caucus, chaired by Roxanne Ward, Vice President of Ariel Capital Management, and Paula Wolff, Senior Executive of Chicago Metropolis 2020, is composed of leaders from government, business, community and faith-based organizations and foundations, as well as ex-offenders, themselves. It spent a year and a half studying issues of prisoner re-entry.
Inside Out: A Plan to Reduce Recidivism and Improve Public Safety
This is the final report of the Community Safety and Reentry Commission of the State of Illinois
$880,000 a Day to Incarcerate Persons with Mental Illness in Illinois?
In an article in Homeless Headlines in February 2011, John Fallon and Corinne Rearer show that there are at least 7,143 a day persons with mental illness who are in a prison, jail, or a forensic hospital in Illinois on any given day. A tremendous number of these arrests could be prevented by better assertive treatment in the community and affordable housing. This costs the State of Illinois over $880,000 a day. Supportive housing for that entire group could potentially save over $487,000 a day. Treatment and housing for some of this group could be a way to save money, increase public safety, and do the right thing. Here is a link to the article as it was published.
Created by the Consensus Project, this is a graphical representation of what happens to a person from incarceration to re-entry
Ill Equipped by Human Rights Watch
This 215-page report examines how prisons are dangerous and damaging places for mentally ill people. Mentally ill prisoners are more likely than others to end up housed in especially harsh conditions, such as isolation, that can push them over the edge into acute psychosis. Across the country, prisoners cannot get appropriate care because of a shortage of qualified staff, lack of facilities, and prison rules that interfere with treatment. The report is based on more than two years of research and hundreds of interviews with prisoners, corrections officials, mental health experts and attorneys and makes recommendations on services and regulations that would assist and protect mentally ill prisoners.
No-Entry: Improving Public Safety Through Cost-Effective to Incarceration in Illinois
This paper published by the Center for Health and Justice proposes providing treatment, community supervision and sanctions for drug-involved individuals to help increase the likelihood of long-term improvements, stability, public safety, and fiscal accountability. It also discusses in detail the effects of current incarceration policies on individual communities.
Life After Lock-Up: Improving Reentry from Jail to the Community
In an effort to build knowledge on the topic, in 2005, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance invested in the Jail Reentry Roundtable Initiative, a joint project of the Urban Institute, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and the Montgomery County ( Maryland ) Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. They have commissioned seven papers, convened a Jail Reentry Roundtable and two national advisory meetings, conducted a “scan of practice,” and interviewed dozens of practitioners around the country. This report aims synthesizes what they have learned through these efforts.
Documenting Disability: Simple Strategies for Medical Providers
Developed by Health Care for the Homeless Clinician's Network, this manual is a guide to documenting medical impairments in support of applications for the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) disability benefits programs, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). It is primarily intended for health care providers in the United States serving individuals with disabilities who are homeless or marginally housed.
Intersecting Voices: Impacts of Illinois’ Drug Policies
The Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy, housed at Roosevelt University, crafted this project to educate policymakers, the media, and the general public about the impact of Illinois drug policies on diverse populations across different spheres of life. This is the report on this project and the definitive statement on the impact of drug policy in Illinois.
Discharge Planning From Publicly Funded Institutions
This document, created by Corporation for Supportive Housing in partnership with Policy Research Associates and The Technical Assistance Collaborative, provides a comprehensive list of documents that address the links between discharge planning and homelessness.