Reentry Partnerships
State and local governments alone cannot provide the full range of services and supports that people released from prisons and jails need to succeed in the community. State and local governments will need to draw on the resources and expertise of the individuals and the community and faith based organizations based in the neighborhoods where people released from prison and jail return. But, in most states, challenges, which stem not from church/state issues, but rather from practical matters -- ranging from government officials’ insufficient familiarity with small neighborhood based organizations and those organizations inexperience navigating government bureaucracies -- have prevented governments and community and faith based organizations from working together effectively.
Announcements
5/26/10 — Democrat and Republican congressional leaders, reentry experts, and representatives of programs receiving federal funding through the Second Chance Act come together to share strategies that increase success rates for people released from prisons, jails, and juvenile correctional facilities.
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Justice Center Work
With funding support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, and the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, U.S. Department of Labor, the Justice Center is developing tools to increase collaboration between state governments and community and faith-based organizations. |
In the Report
The Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council is a comprehensive guide for policymakers and practitioners interested in addressing the challenges people face when they are released from prisons and jails. Related Policy Statements: 3: Incorporating Reentry into Organizations' Missions and Work Plans4: Funding a Reentry Initiative 6: Measuring Outcomes and Evaluating Impact |
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Reentry in Action
A number of state agencies and community and faith-based groups have implemented strategies to improve collaboration around reentry service delivery. Coming Soon: reentry program descriptions |
Additional Resources
Check out relevant news clips and publications about community partnerships. Most recent additions: |
The Justice Center provides technical assistance to state and local policymakers on behalf of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, on initiatives designed to improve the likelihood that people released from prisons and jails will successfully reintegrate into the community. Through these efforts, the Justice Center helps jurisdictions build consensus and enhance the design and implementation of collaborative reentry systems, facilitates peer-to-peer learning, and develops a range of print and web-based publications, tools, and policy guides.
The Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Labor seeks to enable community and faith-based organizations that provide services to help people succeed in the workforce partner with government programs. To accomplish this mission, the Center works to remove administrative and regulatory barriers and develop innovative programs to foster these partnerships. It educates community and faith-based organizations about local opportunities to collaborate with government, and it also works with local government officials and administrators to integrate faith-based and community organizations into the strategic planning and service delivery processes of local Workforce Investment Boards.