NCJ Number
230204
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 71 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2009 Pages: 50-53,57
Date Published
December 2009
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the features of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' (BOP's) shift of its primary prison release preparation efforts from a program or process-centered model to a skills- or competency-based model.
Abstract
Although the work the BOP's treatment staff currently conducts is proficient and meets the essential needs of the releasing population, the agency has decided to change the focus of reentry from an emphasis on clinical assessment and program participation to a competency-based model. This model has five components. First, it identifies the core skills needed for successful offender reentry. An agency work group researched what community correctional centers, State departments of correction, private agencies, and other entities have found to be the core skills needed for successful offender reentry. The 16 core skills identified have been divided into three broad categories: daily living skills, mental health skills, and wellness skills. The second component of the model involves an objective assessment of these skills and continual measurement of the skills acquisition, rather than simple program completion. The third component of the model consists of linking programs to specific reentry skills needed by an individual. This has required the BOP to identify gaps in current programs where reentry skills have been inadequately addressed and existing programs that can be eliminated because they fail to address such skills. A fourth feature of the model involves the allocation of resources to those inmates with the greatest skill deficiencies and therefore the greatest risk for recidivism. The fifth feature of the model consists of information sharing and the building of community collaborations for a holistic approach to transitioning offenders. This involves the linking of corrections agencies with community agencies that have the resources and objectives that relate to the development and channeling of the identified reentry skills. 2 figures