Post-prison reentry can be a long road for people being released from custody. Oftentimes the biggest barriers to reentering the community are lack of housing, unemployment, stigma, negative peer influence, and insufficient access to mental health and substance use treatment. Significant progress has gone into post-prison reentry programs, such as connecting people to employment, mental health treatment, and mental health medications prior to their release from custody. These programs help people transition from a more controlled environment (i.e., prison) to a less controlled environment (i.e., residential reentry center) to work on a slow and thoughtful transition back into the community. However, on-going collaboration is needed in order for people with mental disorders to reenter the community successfully. The U.S. criminal justice system continues to lack case management services, community coordination, and recognition of mental disorders that affect how someone transitions back into the community.

Upon release from jail or prison, many people with mental or substance use disorders continue to lack access to services and, too often, become enmeshed in a cycle of costly justice system involvement (Pew Center on the States, 2011). Indeed, the least developed jail-based service is transition planning (Steadman & Veysey, 1997). The days and weeks following community reentry are a time of heightened vulnerability (Binswanger et al., 2007). Justice system personnel, behavioral health treatment and service practitioners, researchers, and policymakers all agree that people navigate this transition better and are less likely to reoffend if there is a continuity of services from institution to community settings (Griffin, Heilbrun, Mulvey, DeMatteo, & Schubert, 2015).

Risk factors are important considerations when someone is reentering the community post incarceration. A risk factor is either static or dynamic as shown in the table in figure 8.X. A static risk factor is something that does not change, for instance, someone’s history of perpetrating violence against others or their criminal history. A dynamic risk factor is something that does change, for instance, someone’s substance use, marital status, employment status, education, and age. All these factors have been studied to evaluate someone’s likelihood of reoffending in the community. Post-incarceration programs such as probation aim to address the risk factors and connect people released from prison to programs that have been shown to decrease their likelihood of committing new crimes. Recidivism is defined as the likelihood of someone committing a new crime.

8.2.1 Employment Programs

Employment programs prioritize connecting people to meaningful employment after release from custody. Community supervision entities such as pre-trial and probation prioritize funding employment programs because gainful employment can reduce recidivism. There are various programs across Oregon that offer support to people reentering the community to find sustainable employment. SE Works is a reputable program in the Portland metro area that connects many people to employment opportunities. This program prides itself with being a ‘one stop’ career center to find employment, obtain a GED, and break the cycle of poverty.

Supported employment programs in community behavioral health programs are designed to help people living with a mental and/or substance use disorder obtain and maintain employment.  Supported employment programs follow a fidelity model and build relationships within local communities to offer employment opportunities to their clients.  When someone is accessing mental health or substance use treatment, often they are not in a place to obtain full-time employment.  It can be an integral addition in recovery to have meaningful employment while someone works to manage symptoms of their mental disorder.

Commercial Driving License

People interested in obtaining their CDL can obtain a livable wage and consistent employment. Commercial driving schools are located across the country and provide training and support with testing for students to obtain their commercial driver license (CDL). For example, Chemeketa Community College, located in Salem, Oregon, offers a four-week truck driving certification to prepare students for their CDL. Driving is in high demand due to the supply chain issue across the United States.

Paying for someone to obtain their CDL may greatly reduce their risk of recidivism. For example, the U.S. Probation Office in the District of Oregon funds courses required for someone to obtain their commercial driving license (CDL). Gainful employment may keep someone from turning back to the negative peer groups or substance use, which can ultimately lead to reoffending.

8.2.1.1 Welding

Welding programs are offered through Portland Community College on Swan Island. These classes provide students with valuable skills that they can use with them and become employed in other areas on Swan Island in Portland, OR. PCC recognizes that welding is a skill that is teachable as a trade and provides a high income for people who may not have a consistent job history. Welding also offers opportunities for people who have a criminal history.

Figure 8.1. Welding Technology at PCC [YouTube Video]. This video describes the benefits and offerings of the welding program offered through Portland Community College.

8.2.1.2 Flagging

Flagging programs are offered all throughout the state of Oregon. Flagging is best described as providing signage and traffic direction on construction sites. Flagging programs for people reentering the community will often provide financial support for uniforms and equipment needed to be a flagger. Programs will also properly train people to be a flagger. Flagging is often a realistic option for people who are released from prison and lack employment history. Flagging can offer the opportunity for someone to gain work experience post-incarceration.

8.2.2 Transition to Community Supports

Jail and prison staff work to transition incarcerated people to community support to increase their chances of being successful in the community. Transition planning from a controlled environment typically involves a correctional counselor or a case manager to work closely with an incarcerated person as they near their release date from custody. Probation officers continue with the transition planning and building community support once a person has completed their custodial sentence.

Probation officers work closely with the person under supervision to connect them to pro-social supports that increase their chance of being successful in the community. Maladaptive supporters are people who work against someone’s likelihood of success in the community. For instance, a pro-social support person may be a friend who does not have criminal history or abuse substances who encourages someone to be employed and make healthy decisions. Someone who is a maladaptive support may be someone who is actively using substances and encourages criminal behaviors. Developing pro-social support in the community is challenging if someone has been incarcerated for a long period of time, which is why a strong focus has been placed on peer mentorship over the last few decades.

Peer mentoring is commonly used for people who have recently been released from prison. Peer supports are utilized when a person is incarcerated while also upon their release into the community. A peer mentor’s role is to encourage the person recently released from prison, relate to them, and connect them to necessary resources in the community. A peer mentor has the lived experience of being diagnosed with a mental disorder. The peer mentor brings relatable experience to the professional mentoring relationship with the recently incarcerated person. A peer may help someone get established with primary care services, find a mental health medication prescriber, or drive the person to mental health treatment. Mental health courts across the country have embraced the benefits of the peer mentoring relationship and have added a peer to many multidisciplinary teams.

8.2.3 Housing Options

Oftentimes when people are released from prison, they have limited housing options. People who have mental health disorders and developmental disabilities have even fewer housing options. For instance, many housing for people post-incarceration are specific for people in recovery from a substance use disorder. Not all people with mental disorders and developmental disabilities also struggle with substance use disorders. Lack of housing for people diagnosed with a mental disorder and a developmental disability is a significant and urgent need in many communities. The few housing options that are available often present barriers to access.

8.2.3.1 Group Living

Group living is the most common form of housing for people recently released from prison. Group living may be through sober housing, where someone must be able to demonstrate sobriety to live in this type of housing. Group living options for someone in recovery from a substance use disorder are fairly accessible. Group living for people with substance use disorders are often not equipped to manage mental disorders and developmental disabilities. Sober living housing has very little support available for someone with a mental disorder and tends to not be the best placement. Sober living houses may have one employee on-site or may simply have a senior resident who manages the home. Medication administration is not available nor are there trained staff to help manage symptoms related to someone’s mental disorder.

Residential care homes are available for people with mental disorders. Comparatively to sober living homes, there are much fewer residential care homes across Oregon. In addition, residential care homes are typically only accessible by a third party referral source, meaning a person cannot directly refer into these homes. This requires that a person with a mental disorder or developmental disability have someone like a mental health clinician or a case manager advocating and navigating the system for them to obtain supportive housing.

8.2.4 Court-Ordered Reentry Programs

Treatment courts are alternative to the typical court process. There are various types of treatment courts offered throughout various court systems including drug courts, re-entry courts, mental health courts, veterans courts, etc. The goal of treatment courts is to break the cycle of recidivism, substance use, and court involvement for those who struggle with mental disorders. In turn, the hope is that less crime is committed and the community is safer with high risk people engaged in court programs as they reenter the community. Treatment court teams generally consist of a Judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, probation officer, and treatment provider.

The person enrolled in the treatment court is required to participate in treatment as well as intensive supervision by their probation officer to enhance their likelihood of success in the community. Treatment courts will often court-order that a person takes their mental health medications as prescribed. The multi-disciplinary, team-based approach often provides a wealth of support to the person engaged in the treatment court program. People released from prison are often incentivized to participate in treatment courts by granting them a shorter probation term, if they successfully graduate from the treatment court program. Treatment courts strive to be supportive, encouraging and non-punitive, which is generally not how people have perceived the court system.

The video in igure 8.2 discusses Clackamas County Transition Center, which has received national recognition for the support it provides for people who have recently been released from custody.

Figure 8.2. Inside the Transition Center [YouTube Video]. 3-minute overview of the Clackamas County Transition program.