Second Chances: Housing and Services for Re-entering Prisoners National Alliance to End Homelessness Annual Conference Nikki Delgado Program Manager Corporation for Supportive Housing July 10,

Our Mission CSH helps communities create permanent housing with services to prevent and end homelessness.

What Is Supportive Housing? A cost-effective combination of permanent, affordable housing with services that helps people live more stable, productive lives.

Ohio Prison Statistics As of June 2007 –49,199 people incarcerated 2006 Releases –28,448 –13,904 released without supervision requirements 2006 Returns –2,153 for parole/post release control violations 2006 Admissions –28,714

Housing Alternatives for Offenders Halfway House (early 1970’s) –provide supervision and treatment services released from state prisons, referred by Courts of Common Pleas, or sanctioned because of a violation of conditions of supervision provide services such as drug and alcohol treatment, electronic monitoring, job placement, educational programs, and specialized programs for sex offenders and mentally ill offenders Independent Housing (2004) –provide housing, some limited monitoring of residents, case management and community referrals for services –offenders with no viable home placement options –stabilized and have moderate to low programming needs –voluntary

Halfway House Three classifications –Level I – Transitional Includes assessment, case planning and management, and referral and monitoring of program compliance. Offender transferred to nonresidential supervision as soon as possible. –Level II – Intensive Includes education advancement, life skills, employment readiness and placement and substance abuse treatment –Level III - Intensive Residential Treatment receives intensive residential treatment within a long-term therapeutic environment provides clinical services for treatment of serious mental illness

Independent Housing University of Cincinnati study –Offenders with low risk to re-offend don’t benefit from residential treatment –Tend to higher rates Housing option for low risk/low need offenders on supervision 90-day program Expected outcomes –Place to live –Steady income

Why Supportive Housing In 2002, ODRC produced its Ohio Plan for Productive Offender and Reentry and Recidivism Reduction. –Developing a seamless and successful transition of offenders from prison to the community –Enhancing public safety –Equipping offenders with marketable skills thereby enabling them to be productively employed and contributing members of their community –Provide offenders with effective life coping skills for successfully transitioning to the community –Reduce victimization –Reduce recidivism Create supportive housing for ex-offenders as part of an overall re-entry strategy to assist the ODRC in its stated goals:

175 offenders with mental illness were released into homelessness over a 9-month period in Approximately 520 additional offenders under post release control have been identified through ODRC’s Residential Placement program as being released without a placement plan. Pilot with ODRC and Ohio Department of Mental Health for seriously mentally ill –Short term Why Supportive Housing – cont’d

Permanent Supportive Housing Returning Home – Ohio Supportive Housing Pilot –Collaboration between the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and Corporation for Supportive Housing Office of Parole and Community Services –Bureau of Community Sanctions Office of Policy and Offender Reentry –serve offenders being released from Ohio’s correctional institutions. –aims to prevent homelessness and reduce recidivism

Target Population Identified as chronically homeless or likely to become homeless Priority to offenders identified as being most likely to require supportive services –severely mentally ill –developmentally disabled –severely addicted –aged –have custody of minor children

Current Status The program became operational in March Nine providers have agreed to participate (3 in Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, 2 in Toledo, 2 in Cleveland) 21 individuals have been identified by ODRC and are in the process being assessed by the providers. Five people have been housed since mid-March 1 person abandoned housing within a week

Challenges Department of Rehabilitation and Correction is large and fragmented Identifying single person within institution for referrals Educating institution staff Identifying providers in community Identifying viable housing options Public education process