Reentry Initiative - Giving People a Second Chance

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

Reentry – Giving People a Second Chance is the story of lives changed through the efforts of many people working together. What makes this initiative Oregon’s, if not the nation’s, leader in cutting-edge prisoner reentry reform? Three important distinctions: (1) a commitment to evidence-based practices; (2) strong collaboration among diverse partners – Chemeketa Community College, county health department, children’s relief nursery, Willamette University law school, faith-based organizations; and (3) key champions: county commissioners, the Sheriff and District Attorney, state legislators, our Congressional delegation, and business leaders from Mountain West Investment Corporation, Strategic Economic Development Corporation, and Withnell Motors. Launched in 2010, this initiative generated impressive results: a significant drop in recidivism – the revolving door where clients release from prison only to return within three years – from 23% in 2010 to 14% in 2014, with rates as high as 37% in 2002; a client “no show” rate dropping from 30% to 3%; one of seven sites nationally selected for a U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance control-group evaluation study; and more than 100 local employers giving people a second chance. Bottom line, after release, people are gaining employment, maintaining sobriety, reuniting with their children, obtaining stable housing, and becoming productive citizens who give back.