Policy Statements 10 (Physical Health Care), 11 (Mental Health Care), and 12 (Substance Abuse Treatment) offered guidance on incorporating effective, efficient treatment of prisoners' health needs into their respective individualized programming plans (Policy Statement 9, Development of Programming Plan) during their incarceration. Policy Statements 19 (Housing) and 20 (Planning Continuity of Care) outlined a number of preparatory steps necessary to prevent homelessness, mental health decompensation, drug relapse, or medical crisis. Stable housing and continuity of care are essential to enabling a person to comply with his or her conditions of release, and to reaping the benefits of the significant financial investment made to treat the person while he or she was incarcerated. This policy statement offers ways in which community supervision officers, working with community-based providers, can integrate treatment and supports into their supervision practices. Although the recommendations are divided by subject matter (substance abuse, mental health, physical health, and housing), these areas are integrally linked. Service providers, understanding the interconnectedness of these areas, often address some or all of these re-entry issues together. Further, community corrections officers may take a similar approach to implementing supervision strategies for mental health, substance abuse, and physical health issues. The recommendations in this section urge community corrections officers to understand and monitor these conditions, as well as to implement positive and negative reinforcements to encourage compliance with treatment programs. These steps are critical if jurisdictions want to maximize their investment on the in-prison side and ensure that the work of transition planners and others continues where it counts most-in the community.

Recommendations:

A.

Train community corrections officers to understand-and respond effectively to-the special needs of individuals with mental illness on probation or parole.

1.

Effective treatment of most serious health problems depends on an individual's sustained, long-term engagement in health services.

2.

Community supervision officers can play a role in keeping parolees and probationers in treatment.

B.

Ensure that all community supervision officers know how to monitor people with substance abuse issues and how to engage probationers and parolees in treatment, where appropriate.

C.

Coordinate physical health services for individuals with special health needs.

3.

Large caseloads for parole and probation officers may reduce the likelihood of enhanced attention to the health and housing needs of releasees.

4.

There is often a dearth of available, accessible services for returning prisoners, particularly in their home communities.

D.

Implement policies and programs that prevent people leaving prison or jail from entering emergency shelters or otherwise becoming homeless.

E.

Foster stability in housing for individuals released to the community.

5.

Integration of services and housing can aid in transition after release.