NCJ Number
201669
Journal
Corrections Today Magazine Volume: 65 Issue: 5 Dated: August 2003 Pages: 74-77,83
Date Published
August 2003
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article presents information about Ohio’s re-entry court program and offers preliminary data about its success rate.
Abstract
The re-entry court program in Richland County, OH has changed the way convicted offenders are processed through the justice system. Upon sentencing, a judge assesses the needs of offenders and recommends treatment options while in prison. A re-entry court treatment coordinator is assigned to monitor the offender’s progress. Once the offender has completed treatment, they might be recommended for the re-entry court program. An inmate community treatment plan is then determined before release and is agreed upon by the judge, treatment coordinator, and the supervision staff. Once released, re-entry clients appear before a judge each month to discuss their progress. An average of 12 contacts per month with supervision staff is a unique aspect of the re-entry court program. A preliminary study of the success of the re-entry court program was conducted. A comparison analysis was made of 34 re-entry court graduates and 22 terminated re-entry court clients. The initial data suggest that extensive supervision benefits a client’s chance of successful completion of the program. Other factors related to success in this study were being female, having a high school diploma, being employed, and being at least 39 years of age. The author cautions that the data are preliminary and future evaluation of the program will provide a more accurate assessment of its merit.