Stemming the Tide:

The federal prison population has risen dramatically over the past few decades, as more people are sentenced to prison and for longer terms. The result? Dangerously overcrowded facilities and an increasing expense to taxpayers. In a new Urban Institute report, the authors project the population and cost savings impact of a variety of strategies designed to reduce the inmate population without compromising public safety. They find that the most effective approach is a combination of strategies, including early release for current prisoners and reducing the length of stay for future offenders, particularly those convicted of drug trafficking.

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This is from the Urban Institute.  Tom

Delinquent Youth Committed to the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services 2004-2011

This report explores recent trends in the commitment of delinquent youth to the custody of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). Commitments to DYRS increased considerably from 2006-07 to 2009-10, due to more youth being committed following adjudication on misdemeanors. In 2011, commitments to DYRS declined, due to fewer youth being committed on felonies. By 2011, most youth committed to DYRS were misdemeanants. Understanding these shifts in the youth committed to DYRS will require a broad exploration of juvenile justice case processing involving all delinquent youth, using integrated data across juvenile justice agencies. 

 

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Impact of Family-Inclusive Case Management on Reentry Outcomes: Interim Report on the Safer Return Demonstration Evaluation

Abstract

This interim report details the first two years of the Urban Institute’s evaluation of the family-inclusive case management component of the Safer Return Demonstration—a reentry program based in Chicago’s Garfield Park neighborhood. The report presents the logic of the case management model and summarizes family members and formerly incarcerated persons experiences and perceptions, based on interviews and focus groups. In general, family members were highly supportive of returning prisoners and, despite a typically disadvantaged socioeconomic status, provided substantial material support to their returning family members, particularly housing. The implications of these findings for the Demonstration and reentry planning are discussed.

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Y2 Final Report: Evaluation of the Los Angeles Gang Reduction and Youth Development

Abstract

In April 2009 the Urban Institute (Washington, D.C), in partnership with Harder+Company (Los Angeles, CA), was contracted by the Office of the Mayor of Los Angeles to conduct a multi-year evaluation of the Mayor’s Gang Reduction and Youth Development Program (GRYD). This is the second report of the evaluation. It builds upon the process and preliminary outcome findings reported in 2010, and extends them through April, 2011. The main report contains detailed analyses of the self-reported changes in the attitudes and delinquent/criminal behaviors of a sample of 902at risk youth enrolled in programs focused on preventing gang-joining, compared to a sample of 248 youth who were referred to the program but were not enrolled.

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Violence Prevention in Schools: A Case Study of the Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School

Jocelyn Fontaine, Sara Debus-Sherrill, P. Mitchell Downey, Samantha S. Lowry

This report is based on research conducted by the Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center on the violence prevention activities taking place at the Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School during the 2008-2009 school year. Based on an assessment of the school's violence prevention approach using qualitative and quantitative data from stakeholder interviews, field observations, programmatic records, and surveys with students and faculty, this report includes: a logic model of the school's violence prevention approach; detailed information on each of the violence prevention activities within the violence prevention approach and how they compare to national best practices; student and faculty perceptions of the school climate and the violence prevention approach; and recommendations to the school administrators on how to strengthen their violence prevention approach based on the assessment findings. The report concludes with brief remarks on next steps in school violence prevention research.

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The full document is available at this link. Tom

Returning Home: Understanding the Challenges for Prisoners

SUMMARY

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people are released from prison, many with health, substance abuse, economic and family problems that need to be addressed in order for them to become productive, law-abiding members of society.

From 2001 to 2008, staff at the Urban Institute analyzed the characteristics and experiences of prisoners returning from prison to homes in Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland and Houston. The study, Returning Home: Understanding the Challenges of Prisoner Reentry, aimed to enhance understanding of former prisoners and improve policies promoting their successful reentry into society.

Key Findings

• Two-thirds of prisoners reported more than weekly drug use or alcohol intoxication prior to incarceration.
• Some 80 percent of men and 90 percent of women had chronic health conditions requiring treatment or management.
• Many prisoners did not receive needed health services while incarcerated, and treatment rates were lower after release than before.
• Most recently released prisoners (68 percent of men, 58 percent of women) lacked health insurance eight to 10 months after release.
• Those with health problems of any kind were less likely to have made housing arrangements before release and reported more problems finding employment than those without such problems.
• Family members provided much economic and emotional support, and were the primary source of post-release housing.
• Eight to 10 months out, about one-third of former prisoners reported recent substance use, and by one year, one in five had been returned to prison.

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