MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

PARTICIPANTS

Abeo Anderson, Marlene Beckman, Jane Browning, Shavodka Bynum, John Clark, Cabell Cropper, Kathy Grinley, Steve Husk, Mike Israel, June Kress, Stefan LoBuglio, Linda Mansour, Hancey Monesino, Geoff Moran, Don Murray, Awet Sellers, Mary Shilton, Leonard Sipes, Robert Tartt

GUESTS

Dr. Timothy Condon, Deputy Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

HIGHLIGHTS

Mary Shilton called the meeting to order and thanked Don Murray and the National Association of Counties who hosted this meeting.  Donald Santarelli was called away on business and sent his best regards to Dr. Condon and the participants.  After brief introductions around the table, Mary introduced Dr. Timothy Condon who was following up on his earlier NCCC presentation.  A separate part of the meeting was devoted to developing a national agenda in support of community corrections during the next year.  Notes from that meeting are attached as discussion points.

Dr. Condon has been Deputy Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for the past four years.  Under the umbrella of the National Institute of Health, NIDA is responsible for supporting the largest research effort in the world devoted to health, drug abuse and addiction.  Dr. Condon has long been committed to developing a better understanding in the public of the nature of addiction and science as a method for understanding and preventing addiction.  The NIDA work in this area has included the Clinical Trials Network which includes 17 research sites in the United States and the CJDATS program.  These programs have yielded significant findings of interest to criminal justice professionals.

Most recent statistics reveal that 8.3% or more than 20.4 million Americans over age 12 abused drugs in 2006.  Despite this figure, there has been a 24% decline since 2001 in students from grades 5-12 who recently used drugs.  Student use of methamphetamine, one of the most deadly drugs, has declined, but use of illegal prescription drugs is on the rise.  There were several questions about the vulnerability of youth and elderly to prescription drug abuse.  Prescription practices of dentists and other medical groups have changed with response to these concerns, particularly with respect to non-medical use of the painkillers Vicodin and Oxycontin.

New findings from the CJDATS project:  The overall finding underscores that while there are a wide variety of treatment approaches in the criminal justices, few of them are getting to those in need of treatment.  Although prisons and probation report a wide range of evidence-based assessment and treatment in their facilities, most administrators report that access is generally limited to less than 10% of their population.  Treatment available from a professional is very limited in both federal and state prisons compared to the 50% of the population that needs the treatment.

The discussion then turned to the fundamental subject of why people take drugs.  They may start to use drugs to improve feelings, sensations, social situations, and to feel better, but then the brain responds to the drug and this affects behavior, relationships and the individual in distinct ways.  Although there are a number of reasons, the fundamental result is that people like what drugs do to their brains.

Drug use changes the brain in fundamental ways that can last months or years.  The circuits involved in reward memory/learning and cognition/ inhibitory control are affected.  An example is documented by brain scans of cocaine users whose D2 Dopamine Receptors are lower in persons with addiction.  This has the effect of the addicted brain experiencing increased cravings and loss of inhibitory control.  The circuitry of the brain is wired to have drug craving usurp other brain circuits and motivational priorities.  This creates a kind of “motivational toxicity” and compulsive drug seeking addiction.  Criminal justice personnel encounter these brain changes in offenders with prolonged histories of drug use.  The changes may impair cognitive functioning.  What is the potential for an individual’s recovery?  What can the criminal justice system do to contribute to this goal?

Even in the most devastating of drugs, research shows that recovery is possible although the brain may remain somewhat changed after long term abuse.  The brain scans of persons who have recovered from methamphetamine, for example, show that after 24 months without the drug the brain has started to repair itself.  But scientific evidence shows that a bio-behavioral disorder must go beyond just fixing the chemistry to include strategies that address the biology, behavior and social context of the individual’s addiction.  The whole person must be treated with the understanding that addiction presents a chronic and relapsing illness, and the relapse rates are similar to those of other chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and asthma.

Another important consideration is that addictive disorders also co-exist with mental disorders.  In fact, 30% to 60% of drug users have such disorders known as “co-occurring.”  There are many common background factors for both disorders such as early physical or sexual abuse, stress, family history, and drug abuse.  Whatever the connection, this presents a challenge and opportunity for the criminal justice system to have a “reachable moment.”  This means that public safety and public health should be integrated.  The opportunities for community-based treatment, to avoid incarceration, close supervision and immediate consequences for non-compliance can be leveraged to change the individual’s behavior.

NIDA has published an important publication, “ Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations” that is available on the NIDA website.  A chronic care approach in drug treatment for offenders must overcome problems when criminal justice sanctions and incentives are not integrated with drug treatment, even in drug courts.  Sharing information across systems and data collection are critical to assuring quality performance.  The monitoring of drug treatment and using sanctions and rewards encourages pro-social behavior.  Brief motivational interventions are also helpful to increase abstinence.  Treatment should target factors associated with criminal conduct.  Medications are an important tool to build success, and the justice system should consider what medications have been demonstrated to reduce addiction.

After a round of questions by several participants, Mary thanked Dr. Condon for his informative presentation and taking time to answer participants’ questions.  The Committee then engaged in a round table discussion concerning developing an agenda to offer for consideration by political candidates concerning reentry and community corrections.  Cabell Cropper provided handouts summarizing criminal justice positions of the candidates.  After a review of the papers, the group engaged in a nominal group process, offering suggestions for main points that should be made in support of strengthened reentry and community corrections.  The points below and others will be distilled into a brief position paper that will be circulated for discussion.

Roundtable Discussion Points:

Engage communities in assisting with crime prevention and reentry

·                 Reentry and community correction are often overlooked as prevention measures.

·                 Criminal justice research and practice reveal hopeful trends in some situations – when individuals are given training and assistance in overcoming addiction and getting employment, they are more likely not to return to prison.

·                 Communities in many states have successfully cut their returns to prison, saving dollars and lives by applying principles of effective management of correctional populations in the community.

·                 Efforts toward community corrections and reentry juvenile and adult crime are geared to improve the overall quality of life.

·                 Community corrections and reentry in the justice field provide an important opportunity to rebuild our communities.

·                 Community corrections programs work with other programs to meet unmet needs of victims, prevent gang violence, and improve public health issues.  Assist state and local justice agencies to develop reentry support and services.

Prevent the costly overuse of incarceration by rational sentencing practices that include a range of community punishment options

·                 Realign federal roles and responsibilities to promote fair and equitable justice.

·                 Preventing crime and violence requires integrating community policing with community courts, prosecution and prevention.

·                 Criminal justice systems should produce fair and equal justice for all.

·                 Work with victims and their communities to acknowledge victimization and moving beyond anger to constructive engagement of ways to address the harm related to crimes.

·                 Use empirical tools to measure success.

·                 Develop professional practices and ethical standards that respect victims’ rights.

·                 Roll back the over-federalization of crimes and give local prosecutors the tools they need to prosecute crimes at the local level.  Attend to the money spent on corrections — document what types of correctional funding produce cost savings.

·                 Evaluate every intervention and program.

·                 Develop a continuum of justice services from the prison to the community to prevent recidivism.

·                 Address the collateral consequences of conviction.

·                 Based on research, develop a comprehensive sense of what works with preventing crime and why such programs work.

·                 Educate local employers about the availability of skilled ex-offenders.

·                 Review specific licensing issues.

·                 Strategic use of prison beds should be a cost-saving measure.

·                 Prison may be seen as a punishment by the public, but criminologists point out that prison has little deterrence benefit.

·                 Strategic use of jails is important.

·                 Persons who are mentally ill often do not belong in jail.

·                 Rely on a public health approach to address the problem of substance abuse.

·                 Build interventions on the successes of drug courts, problem solving courts, community policing and community prosecution to the extent of evaluated practices and principles.

·                 Juvenile justice prevention should be a priority along with youth education and leadership to strengthen values.

·                 Do problem solving in schools, with faith groups and mentors.

·                 Strengthen probation and community-based correctional programs by releasing offenders to supervised living, services and work training programs.

A working committee will review a draft short statement incorporating these points in the near future.

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be held in the fall, and a notice about the meeting will be posted on the Center for Community Corrections website in August.

Meeting on Friday, April 25, 2008

National Association of Counties

25 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

Washington,  DC 20001

MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

PARTICIPANTS

Dennis Barrick, Marlene Beckman, Donalee Breazzano, Jane Browning, Carol Hertz, Mike Israel, Debra Kafami, Debbie Lyons-Prince, Don Murray, Don Santarelli, Mary Shilton, Leonard Sipes.

GUESTS

John Hattery, Director for Workforce Training and Employment, Home Builders Institute

Bill Paul, Chairman of the Board for 2007, Home Builders Institute

Dennis Torbett, Vice President, Workforce Training and Employment, Home Builders Institute

Patricia Taylor, Correctional Program Specialist, National Institute of Corrections

HIGHLIGHTS

Don Santarelli welcomed everyone and commenced the program.  This meeting provided a forum concerning workforce development training in the construction trades and applications of evidence-based practices for female offenders.  Two presentations provided updates.  Patricia Taylor provided an overview of female offender programs related to education, employment and reintegration.  The Home Builders Institute provided an overview of the nationwide projects and a look at a non-traditional job preparation program for females jailed in Pinellas County.

Following the usual custom, participants and guests updated the group concerning new developments.  The funding problems and potential cutbacks in grants from the Office of Justice Programs were a subject of discussion and many organizations are helping to restore cuts in Byrne/JAG funds.  The potential cut of the National Institute of Corrections in the Bureau of Prisons budget also reveals a growing philosophical divide concerning the role of the federal government in funding state and local technical assistance and innovations.  The technical assistance provisions of the federal government have consistently been a way to improve federal collaboration and cooperation with the states and localities, but this is not always understood by federal decision makers.

Don Santarelli then introduced Patricia Taylor, Correctional Program Specialist for the National Institute of Corrections (NIC).  Ms. Taylor has been actively engaged in correctional work for many years.  NIC has led the way in workforce development areas.  She provided an overview of the women offender initiative as well as its application to workforce development for women.

Ms. Taylor described a long-term effort on behalf of the NIC to examine the impact of gender responsive and evidence-based practices on women under correctional supervision.  This work has been influenced by the leadership of Maureen Buell and Phyllis Modley at NIC and the work of researchers such as Dr. Barbara Bloom and Dr. Marilyn Van Dieten.  NIC has been studying gender responsive research and the unique theories and applications for women.  Several publications are now available on the topic through the NIC website.

Recently, NIC has funded pilot sites to further delve into best practices.  On
September 23-24, 2008 there will be a Satellite Internet Broadcast that will focus on research and practices.  There will be emphasis on job preparation – how to get a job and keep it.  There will be emphasis on case management for women once they are released as well.

A community resource database web site has been developed recently as a tool.  Pilots in Utah and Connecticut will address issues such as trauma that can affect employment.  Pilots will look at indicators of long-term impact on the lives of women offenders and their families three to five years after receiving wrap-around services.  There was also discussion of BOP efforts to build public private partnerships to encourage residential mental health treatment.

The presentation on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders, Project Trade featured comments by Bill Paul, Immediate Past Chair and Trustee; Dennis Torbett Vice President, Workforce Training and Employment; and John Hattery, Director of Workforce Training and Employment.  The National Association of Home Builders represents more that 200,000 members, and the Home Builders Institute is the development arm.  The Institute offers construction trades training and job placement services to more than 2,500 persons a year.  In addition, it works through 69 Job Corps sites.  There are 18 Workforce Training and Employment sites that operate in conjunction with jails, prisons and other correctional programs.  The Institute is able to train and place ex-offenders in the building trades to cover overall shortages in the industry.  For example, there is an estimated 10% demand increase for construction employees over the next eight years, and this despite fluctuations in the demand for new housing.

Project CRAFT has been created to provide youth with training and placement in the construction trades.  It has been honored with an award as a “best practice” in youth development.  In addition, Project Trade has operated in Pinellas County, FL; Colorado Springs, CO; Sheridan , IL; and other sites (TN, WA, NC, and OR).  Most entry-level jobs in the building trades do not bar entry-level ex-offender workers.

In Pinellas County, Sheriff Coates wanted to work with women offenders to develop an innovative program.  His goal was to prepare them while jailed and place them as trainees in community service construction work such as that done by Habitat for Humanity.  The resulting program connects industry-driven training, comprehensive services, and follow-up to build skills.  The women are introduced to a variety of building trades, and their progress in acquiring skills is tracked.  They are trained at “training stations with hands-on” sites and tools.  For example, they do community service while being trained in electrical repair, plumbing, and construction skills such as doors and windows.

Preliminary results from Project Trade report that out of 38 graduates in Pinellas County, 29 have been placed in related work (76%).  Over the past two years the recidivism rate has been 16%.  Graduates are able to get a certification that is an industry-wide credential qualifying for entry-level work in the trades.

There was considerable interest in the potential for replication of this program.  Participants at the meeting discussed sources of funding for the training, pay for work in the field, and the opening of federal and local programs to construction trade training projects.  An important point throughout the discussion was that female offenders have done well in Pinellas County and other places where they have accessed this training.  A second point was that there has been significant community involvement through supportive businesses and community nonprofits.

After a stimulating discussion about the need for more research and evaluation of such approaches, Don Santarelli urged those in attendance to share more information about this meeting’s topics at their annual conferences.