About the Report of the Re-Entry Council

27: Maintaining Continuity of Care

Connect inmates to employment, including supportive employment and employment services, before their release to the community. Facilitate releasees' sustained engagement in treatment, mental health and supportive health services, and stable housing.

Overview

This policy statement offers ways in which community supervision officers, working with community-based service providers, can integrate treatment and supports into their supervision practices. 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.

Research Highlights

Recommendations

  1. Train community corrections officers to understand-and respond effectively to-the special needs of individuals with mental illness on probation or parole.
  2. 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.
  3. Coordinate physical health services for individuals with special health needs.
  4. Implement policies and programs that prevent people leaving prison or jail from entering emergency shelters or otherwise becoming homeless.
  5. Foster stability in housing for individuals released to the community.

Related Policy Statements

 Our Publications

Public Housing Authorities and Prisoner Re-Entry

A growing number of people are released each year from state prison and local jails; this phenomenon, prisoner reentry, has a significant impact on housing programs administered by PHAs, including public housing, the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8), and other programs.