[Slide 1]{.underline}

**Reentry and Its Realities for Prisoners, Families, and Communities: A
Family Support Model for Enhanced Prevention and Intervention**

Policy Academy Workshop

November 1^st^, 2005

Family Justice

New York, New York

www.familyjustice.org

[Slide 2]{.underline}

**Family Justice**

Tapping Strengths of Government, Families, and Neighborhoods to Break
Cycles of Criminal Justice Involvement, Substance Abuse, and Other
Chronic Health Challenges

[Slide 3]{.underline}

**Core Principles of a Family Support Approach**

Context: Consider people in context

Interactions: Build on family interactions

Strengths: Focus on the strengths of individuals, families, and
communities

[Slide 4]{.underline}

**Benefits of a Family Support Model**

Families have natural connections to the neighborhood in which they live

Natural support system in early crisis intervention, preventing
substance abuse relapse

Families and government work as partners, not in isolation

Families regain responsibility for their lives

Long-term investment

Enhanced public safety and public health

[Slide 5]{.underline}

**Families Are a Resource**

Families offer government agencies with budget shortfalls a
cost-effective and often untapped resource to address critical family
issues:

> Housing
>
> Justice supervision mandates
>
> Substance abuse
>
> Health and mental health

[Slide 6]{.underline}

**Increased Focus on Justice-involved Families**

Emerging research on relationship among justice involvement, health
factors, housing stability, and employment

Research shows high incidence of intergenerational justice involvement,
substance abuse, and other chronic health issues

Local, State, and Federal interest in tackling issues more efficiently,
acknowledging shared goals, minimizing duplication of services, and
promoting agency coordination

[Slide 7]{.underline}

**Intergenerational Challenges of Jail Detainees**

The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports:

> 31 percent of jail inmates grew up with a parent or guardian who had
> abused alcohol or drugs
>
> 46 percent had a family member who had been incarcerated
>
> About 12 percent had had lived in a foster home or institution

See Criminal Offenders Statistics, Summary of Findings, Characteristics
of jail inmates, Bureau of Justice Statistics,
[www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/crimoff.htm](http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/crimoff.htm)

[Slide 8]{.underline}

**Mental Illness in Local Jails**

Studies on urban jails indicate:

> 12.2 percent of females and 6.4 percent of males had a severe mental
> disorder at entry
>
> Only one-third of male and one quarter of female detainees who need
> services for serious mental illness reported
>
> 72 percent of both male and female detainees with a severe mental
> illness have a co-occurring substance disorder

See the Prevalence of Co-Occurring Mental Illness and Substance Abuse
Disorders in Jails, spring 2002. Publication of The National GAINS
Center for People with Co-Occurring Disorders in the Justice System and
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,
[www.gainsctr.com](http://www.gainsctr.com/)

[Slide 9]{.underline}

**HIV in US Prisons**

2.1 to 2.3 percent of the Nation's prison population have HIV, about 8
to 14 times higher than general US population

Northeast and southern region prison populations are most affected, with
approximately 5.2 percent and 2.3 percent of prisoners HIV positive,
respectively

See Maruschak, Laura M. HIV in Prisons and Jails, 1999, Bureau of
Justice Statistics; and Trends Among Correctional Facility Inmates,
Center for Disease Control, 2002.

[Slide 10]{.underline}

**Families Matter**

A recent Urban Institute study in Maryland confirms that people
returning from prison look to families, including partners, for:

> Emotional support
>
> Financial support
>
> Housing
>
> Overall stability

Visher, Kachowski, La Vigne, and Travis, March 2004. Baltimore
Prisoners' Experiences Returning Home. Washington, DC: The Urban
Institute. Available at: <http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=310946>

See also La Vigne, Visher, and Castro, December 2004. Chicago Prisoners'
Experiences Returning Home. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute.
Available at: <http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=311115>

[Slide 11]{.underline}

**La Bodega de la Familia**

Hypothesis Tested: Can engaging family members in supporting people
under community supervision improve outcomes?

[Slide 12]{.underline}

**The Bodega Model: A process of partnering people under justice
supervision and their families with government and community providers\
**Integrates four disciplines:

> Family systems
>
> Strengths-based
>
> Case management
>
> Community partnerships

Principles:

> Focus on family, broadly defined
>
> Work from strengths and supports
>
> Progress depends on creative partnerships
>
> Prevent duplication of services

[Slide 13]{.underline}

**La Bodega: Goals, Partnerships, Services**

Goals:

> Increase success of substance abuse treatment for individuals under
> community supervision
>
> Reduce recidivism and use of incarceration for relapse
>
> Reduce harm addiction causes within families
>
> Improve use of community resources
>
> Enhance family well-being

Partnerships:

> New York State Division of Parole
>
> New York City Department of Probation
>
> New York City Housing Authority
>
> New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
>
> Local police precincts
>
> Community service providers

Key Services:

> 24-hour support for families in crises
>
> Family Case Management
>
> Home visits pre slash post release
>
> Walk-in prevention services
>
> Facilitate *process* for families to work in partnership with
> government and community organizations

[Slide 14]{.underline}

**Evidence-based Outcomes**

After 6 months of participation in La Bodega de la Familia's family case
management program:

> Illegal drug use in the Bodega group declined from 80 to 42 percent,
> not as result of increased treatment, but rather family inclusion

Figure 4 dash 3: Reduction in Substance Abuse, All Substances

> On a bar graph, the x-axis represents first and second interviews and
> the y-axis shows percent reductions. N equals 106. The bars marked
> Bodega show a drop from about 86 to 50 percent, while the bars marked
> Comparison show a drop from about 81 to 66 percent.

Figure 4 dash 4: Reduction in Substance Abuse, Illegal Substances

> On a bar graph, the x-axis represents first and second interviews and
> the y-axis shows percent reductions. N equals 106. The bars marked
> Bodega show a drop from 80 to 42 percent, while the bars marked
> Comparison show a drop from about 61 to 48 percent.

Vera Institute of Justice, 2002. Families as a Resource for Recovering
from Drug Abuse: An Evaluation of La Bodega de la Familia

[Slide 15]{.underline}

**Tools of Family Engagement: A Strengths-based Genogram**

The genogram legend has symbols identified as Male, Female, Employed,
High School Graduate, Higher Education, In Recovery, Deceased, Married,
Divorced, Separated, Church slash Religious, Justice Supervision, and
Recreation. The genogram itself indicates first names, last initials in
most cases, and ages, noting age of death where appropriate.

[Slide 16]{.underline}

**Seeing Prevalence of Justice Involvement, Substance Abuse, and HIV
slash Aids in One New York City Neighborhood**

On a bar graph, the x-axis indicates minimum numbers of family members
and the y-axis shows percentages. There are bars for Criminal Justice
Involvement, Substance Abuse, and HIV slash Aids. For Criminal Justice
Involvement, 100 percent of families have one member or more, 72 percent
have two or more, about 45 percent have three or more, and about 25
percent have four or more. For Substance Abuse, 100 percent of families
have one member or more, about 81 percent have two or more, about 61
percent have three or more, and 40 percent have four or more. For HIV
slash Aids, 49 percent of families have one member or more, about 17
percent have two or more, 10 percent have three or more, and 0 percent
have four or more. Highlights are given at the right as follows:

72 percent of the families had two or more family members with a history
of criminal justice involvement

82 percent of the families had two or more family members with a history
of substance abuse

49 percent of the families had at least one family member with HIV slash
Aids

R Barreras, E Drucker, and D Rosenthal. The Concentration of Substance
Use, Criminal Justice Involvement, and HIV slash Aids in the Families of
Drug Offenders. Data presented at the New York Academy of Medicine
Second International Conference on Urban Health, New York, New York,
2003. See Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of
Medicine, February 2005, Volume 82, Number 1.

[Slide 17]{.underline}

**Ecomap**

The map's legend identifies certain lines as Developing, Strong, and
Conflict. At the center of the map is a circle containing a genogram.
This circle has established connections to circles marked Parole slash
Transitional Services, Drug slash Alcohol or MH Providers, Vocational
slash Training, Health Centers, Youth Worker, Place of Worship,
Recreational Centers, and Housing Public or Private. The genogram circle
also has a strong connection to a circle marked Employment, a developing
connection to a circle marked Schools, and a conflict with a circle
marked Social Services. The Housing Public or Private circle has a
strong connection to the Recreational Centers circle and a conflict with
the Parole slash Transitional Services circle.

[Slide 18]{.underline}

**Seeing Potential for Interagency Coordination: An Interagency Ecomap**

The map's legend identifies certain lines as Developing, Strong, and
Conflict. At the center of the map is an oval labeled Local Housing
Authority: Enhanced Well-being for Justice-involved Families. It has
developing connections with ovals marked Health Centers; The Courts: DA,
Prosecutors; Parole Board; Probation; Correctional Agencies; Juvenile
Justice Agency; Protective slash Foster Care Services; and Parole. The
central oval also has strong connections with ovals labeled Educational
slash Vocational Programs; Substance Abuse Treatment; Transitional
Housing; Community slash Faith-based Organizations; and Recreational:
YMCA, Afterschool Programs. Then there are conflicts between the central
oval and ovals marked Mental Health Services, Employment Services, and
Community Policing. Outside of Local Housing Authority, there is a
developing connection between Protective slash Foster Care Services and
Correctional Agencies, a strong connection between Employment Services
and Transitional Housing, and a conflict between Substance Abuse
Treatment and Employment Services.

[Slide 19]{.underline}

**Helping Meet Family Needs**

After 6 months of participation in La Bodega de la Familia's family case
management program:

> A higher proportion of the Bodega group reported they had obtained the
> medical and social services they needed

Figure 4 dash 1: Meeting Service Needs of Family Members

> On a bar graph, the x-axis lists Bodega and Comparison and the y-axis
> is labeled Percent Reporting Need. N equals 75. The first interview
> shows about 67 percent for the Bodega bar and about 72 percent for the
> Comparison bar. The second interview shows about 9 percent for the
> Bodega bar and about 28 percent for the Comparison bar.

Figure 4 dash 2: Resolving Needs of Family Members, by Type of Need

> On a bar graph, the x-axis lists types of needs and the y-axis is
> labeled Percent Reporting Need Resolved. N equals 52. The Bodega bars
> indicate about 87 percent for All Needs, 90 percent for Medical, 60
> percent for Mental Health, and 80 percent for Social Service. The
> Comparison bars indicate about 62 percent for All Needs, 80 percent
> for Medical, 75 percent for Mental Health, and 68 percent for Social
> Service.

Vera Institute of Justice, 2002. Families as a Resource for Recovering
from Drug Abuse: An Evaluation of La Bodega de la Familia.

[Slide 20]{.underline}

**How Can a Family Support Model Enhance Practice?**

Draws upon perspectives of people under justice supervision and their
families in establishing priorities and tailoring interventions to
reflect family interests and resources

Analyzes resources and needs from a family rather than an individual
perspective to tap existing family and community support systems as
long-term support and resources

Acknowledges government, family, and community shared interests in and
responsibility for positive outcomes

[Slide 21]{.underline}

**Supporting Families Where They Live**

Work with Chicago Housing Authority to enhance:

> Outreach and engagement of residents experiencing transition and other
> challenges
>
> Staff support to families in decisionmaking and use of programs and
> processes to support family goals

Work with New York City Housing Authority to bring Bodega services to
public housing:

> Jacob Riis Houses Satellite Office in Manhattan's LES
>
> Unity Plaza Project in Brownsville

[Slide 22]{.underline}

**A Paradox Within Federally Assisted Housing**

Despite Federal regulations that restrict individuals with certain
criminal histories from living in most federally subsidized housing,
several studies note that many people live off lease upon return from
prison.

For example, a study of Chicago public housing found that in certain
buildings as many as 41 percent of households expected a returning
prisoner to live with them in the near future.

Herbert, Tony. The Invisible Tenant: Living in Federally Assisted
Housing After Prison. March 2005.

[Slide 23]{.underline}

**Perspectives on Housing slash Family**

A 2003 study interviewed Bodega participants released on parole to live
with families in federally subsidized housing revealed:

> Many lived there before last incarceration for years; few had ever
> leased their own apartment
>
> Concern about causing a lease violation for their families, staying
> undetected by housing management
>
> While developing reentry plans, interested in finding their own
> apartment, but options few; plans developed based on prior experience
> and things they heard from other prisoners; concern that shelter
> option may delay release; few were closer to achieving goals set while
> incarcerated
>
> Lack of information on available programs, resources, and experience
> in securing an apartment
>
> Felt good about living with their families both because they want and
> need their help and because they want to help and support their
> families
>
> Struggle with desire to have greater independence like other adults

Herbert, Tony. The Invisible Tenant: Living in Federally Assisted
Housing After Prison.

[Slide 24]{.underline}

**Housing Partnership Goals**

Involve all stakeholders, such as law enforcement, housing authorities,
property managers, community development corporations, and the families
who live in housing

Engage multiple agencies to work in a culturally competent way with
populations that have special needs, such as juveniles under
supervision, women, and elderly people

Provide agency social service workers, community development
corporations, and other housing organizations with family-focused
technical assistance

[Slide 25]{.underline}

**Family Justice Partners**

A growing number of government and other organizations are embracing
family-focused concepts. Investors include:

> American Probation and Parole Association
>
> The Chicago Housing Authority
>
> The New York City Housing Authority
>
> New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission
>
> Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety
>
> U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
>
> Local Initiatives Support Corporation
>
> Council of State Governments
>
> The National Governors' Association