Program Example

The Safer Foundation administers two minimum security male residential transition centers totaling over 500 beds, on behalf of the Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC). One is the 350-bed Crossroads ATC and the other is the 200-bed North Lawndale ATC, both located in the Lawndale community on the near west side of Chicago. (Another eleven ATCs in Illinois are administered directly by the DOC.) During their stay at a Safer ATC, program participants remain Illinois inmates but are required to participate for a minimum of 35 hours per week in outside employment, education, life skills, and/or community service, while also assuming responsibility for daily in-house assignments.

To ensure that participants are prepared for and find jobs, the Safer Foundation devotes case managers and job developers to each ATC, along with Basic Skills program and other staff. The Foundation’s overall emphasis is on employment placement, and over 30 years they have developed relationships with a large cross-section of employers willing to hire Safer program participants. Safer ATC staff works with individuals to identify their experience and strengths through skills assessment and when applicable provides job training on-site.

In addition, residents are provided with a range of supportive services, including casemanagement services, cognitive therapies, mental health services, substance abuse treatment and family support services. The Crossroads ATC now devotes an entire floor to substance abuse treatment, and Safer hopes to expand those services to the North Lawndale facility with state funding.

Participants are transferred to Safer ATCs with a maximum of 2 years remaining in their sentences. They stay for an average of 10–11 months, and seldom for less than 5 months. After release, they are encouraged to continue participating in Safer programs on a voluntary basis; the Foundation is currently advocating to make participation a mandatory condition of parole.

Outcomes