1. Ex-Offenders and Housing
Donna Harrison
Community Placement Coordinator
Virginia Department of Corrections
2010 South Hampton Roads Regional Conference on Ending Homelessness
March 16, 2010

2. Community Release Unit
*Types of Releases
*More than 14,000 offenders were released last year (2009).
*Growing number of GTRD/no parole law cases being released
*Increase in number of homeless offenders being released
*Increased need for specialized caseloads

3. Who are the homeless ex-offenders?
Females/males
Young adults/elderly
Healthy/physically disabled
Substance Abusers
Mentally ill
Developmentally Disabled
Non-violent/violent
Sex offenders

4. Why are ex-offenders homeless?
No family support
Financial burden for family
Lack of housing for ex-offenders directly from incarceration
Lack of alternative housing for violent/sex offenders

5. Why are ex-offenders homeless?
Limited financial resources to help pay for cost of housing
Offenders do not qualify for many housing assistance programs or low income housing
Limited housing resources for medically and/or mentally disabled offenders

6. Additional Barriers for medically and/or mentally disabled offenders
Decrease in assisted living facilities
Shrinking number of Medicaid/AG beds in assisted living facilities
Nursing homes moving towards rehab care from hospital to home; lack of long term beds or long waiting lists
Criminal history

7. Community Placement Coordinators
Our goal:
To assist institutional and community corrections staff with transition planning for homeless medically and/or mentally disabled offenders. Our primary focus is addressing the unmet needs of disabled offenders who qualify for ALF or nursing home placement.

8. Community Placement Coordinators
Ensure identification documents have been requested
Ensure durable medical equipment is available at release and special transportation is arranged
Monitor and provide technical assistance for pre-release benefit application process (SSI & Medicaid)
Make arrangements for screenings (UAI) to be conducted to determine the level of care needed for ALF or NH placement
Work with medical and mental health staff, and counselors at the DOC facility to ensure medical/mental health information is relayed, follow-up appointments are made, and release medications provided
Secure placement of disabled offenders into ALF or nursing homes

9. What is DOC doing? DOC Reentry Planning policy
Institutional Counselor-primary coordinator for reentry planning; other transitional staff assist with planning
Release planning begins at reception
Pre-release benefit application process
Identity and employment documents process
Medical and mental health release preparation

10. What is DOC doing? Education/vocational training Treatment programs
Special transition housing units
Transition planning programs
Developing programs that focus on reintegrating families

11. What is DOC doing?
Separated units in DOC facilities based on special needs populations
Agreements with other state agencies to apply for identity documents and state and federal benefits pre-release
Jail re-entry programs
Specialized caseloads in CRU
Developing relationships with ALF’s & NH’s for future referrals and collaboration

12. Community Collaboration
*Shelter Plus program
*Partnering with DSS, CSB, shelters, and private mental health providers
*Private housing providers partnerships with Probation & Parole Districts

13. With supportive housing in place…..
Communities are safer
Decrease in recidivism
Better coordination of medical and/or mental health care
Decrease in use of emergency services-hospital/ER visits

14. Successes/Positives
Serve as mentors or leaders in re-entry and transitional housing programs, and substance abuse treatment programs
Network with employers
Utilize job skills
Apply education
Give back to the community by being successful, active citizens and maintaining a healthy lifestyle