REVS team members support the reentry process in different ways. REVS has a modest budget that supports individuals reentering the community and is intended to augment other existing resources and programs. Funding has been put towards purchasing essential personal items (clothing, hygiene items, basic essentials, cell phones), transitional housing, tattoo removal, transportation, and more. Requests are submitted and processed on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, REVS is positioning itself to offer limited walk-in support at their Downtown Anchorage office to those seeking reentry support. REVS works internally to advance DOC initiatives and processes, while also engaging with community-based organizations, reentry coalition partners, industry partners, and other governmental agencies to support successful reentry outcomes, skill development, and public safety. REVS has supported vocational trainings, apprenticeship programs, skill development, and other initiatives that support the reentry process. Notably, REVS team members collaborate closely with the Alaska Job Center Network to assist individuals in defining career paths, accessing meaningful training opportunities, and achieving long-term employment. Additionally, REVS supports DOC institutions in hosting job and reentry fairs, empowering incarcerated people to learn about and connect with prospective employers and associated basic service providers while planning for their return home
REVS staff oversee core programmatic trainings offered at DOC facilities in the areas of Adult Education in computer literacy, parenting, cognitive behavioral intervention, Adult Basic Education (ABE), remedial math and reading literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL), General Education Development (GED) Diploma, career skills (KeyTrain/WorkKeys), and reentry/prerelease preparation. REVS assists in the hiring, onboarding and the continued training of new staff; REVS secures contracts to provide supplemental instruction in areas of need; manages the budgets and procures needed materials, curricula, consumables and equipment; monitors and reports on grant activities and performs quality assurance evaluations. REVS Team members serve as Chief Administrators on programmatic management of the tracking and coordination within monthly reports, databases, and testing systems. DOC Core Education Programs
REVS works closely with institutional vocational instructors and institutional staff to coordinate and deliver vocational training. Vocational training opportunities include carpentry, plumbing, commercial driving, and electrical instruction as well as specialty certification pathways in trades such as asbestos abatement and ServSafe Kitchen Management. Skilled workforce development opportunities are complimented by partnerships with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD), labor unions and institutions of post-secondary education which equip students with other pro-social skills needed to obtain and sustain employment. REVS also engages directly with public and private employers to cultivate employment opportunities for trained students and connect qualified students with jobs preparing for release.
REVS team members are involved in supporting departmental initiatives and special projects that may come about through special directives or specific funding opportunities. Below are notable current and recent initiatives REVS has participated in or supported:
- Prison Education Program with University of Alaska, Fairbanks
- Vera Institute of Justice, Good Jobs Project
- Collaboration with Unlocked Labs
- Medicaid-driven Initiatives to Support Reentry
- Implementation of Remote Learning
- Intro to Automotive with University of Alaska, Anchorage
- Indigenous Awareness Workshops, Alaska Native Heritage Center
- Support and participation in the Annual Reducing Recidivism & Reentry Conference
- Support for the Southcentral Foundation's Nu'iju Healing Place program
Reentry can be defined as services and programs that assist an individual in their transition from incarceration back into the community. Reentry services are aimed at reducing recidivism and promoting public safety by providing a range of evidence-based resources to reentrants. These efforts are dynamic and all-encompassing; they include both the institution and the field side of corrections, as well as other state agencies and community partners. Reentry services include referrals to programs and case management based off their identified risks and needs.
The collateral consequences of incarceration are far-reaching and affect more than just reentrants. Individuals releasing from prison face many barriers including the stigma of having a criminal record, which can adversely affect each facet of the transitional process. It can be challenging to find housing, employment, and access to behavior health services with criminal convictions. Communities are impacted in many ways economically and socially. Ensuring reentrants are supported during their transitional period helps improve community well-being and public safety. To do this, we must look at reentry in a holistic manner by focusing on family structure, workforce development, eligibility programs, transportation and many other areas that affect individuals' daily living and interactions within the community.
ADOC views reentry efforts as a proactive, collaborative approach to supporting individuals transitioning out of corrections to help address their needs upon release and to ultimately lower their risk of recidivating, subsequently increasing public safety. Alaska's current recidivism rate is 67.08 percent; with more than 900 individuals releasing monthly, ADOC is continuing to seek outside guidance, support and innovative ideas surrounding reducing recidivism. Reentry is integrated and at the forefront of all efforts within ADOC. This includes screenings and assessments to understand individual needs and programming such as substance abuse, parenting, education and pre-release classes.
There are many factors that impact a reentrant's successful transition into the community. By focusing on the following key fundamentals, the Department of Corrections, community partners and the reentrant can take tangible steps to addressing these barriers and supporting individuals upon release:
- Stable housing
- Employment
- Access to behavior health services
- Education
- Prosocial networks
Reentry planning starts upon remand for an individual. A risk/needs assessment (called an LSIR) is conducted within 30 days of an offender arriving at their designated institution. The LSIR focuses on eight identified criminogenic risk factors; anti-social attitudes, anti-social peers, anti-social personality, history of anti-social behavior, family/marital factors, lack of achievement in education/employment, lack of pro-social leisure activities and substance abuse. Results from the LSIR are the foundation for the Offender Management Plan (OMP) which is dynamic and utilized as an individual's case plan during the incarceration phase and their reentry plan upon release. The OMP is vital as it identifies the programming needs for individuals and is a roadmap to address risks prior to release and assist the reentrant during their transition out into the community. The OMP is updated at various points and can be streamlined from the institutions to the field and to the service providers working with the reentrant. This enables evidence-based, efficient, coordinated reintegration efforts.
Reentry is a multi-faceted issue, therefore requiring an interdisciplinary support network from a wide range of departments who deal with the different areas of reentry. No agency alone can address all the needs of individuals during the reintegration process. DOC collaborates with many state agencies that are vital in developing effective strategies to reduce the risk of recidivism and promote the opportunity for successful reentry.
Strategies include expanding collaborative efforts to ensure a seamless transition plan is in place prerelease. This includes expansion of in-reach efforts with community partners, individualized case management, apprenticeship programs and certifications for workforce development and continued engagement with statewide reentry coalitions. DOC is also formalizing peer support within the facilities and in the community, expanding work-release and different transitional opportunities, as well as offering Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) options prerelease.
There is a wide range of community nonprofit organizations, state departments and community coalitions who collaborate to provide resources, programming, housing, employment assistance, referrals and case management for this specialized population.