CSG JUSTICE CENTER UNVEILS NEW REENTRY POLICY COUNCIL WEBSITE
New York—The Council of State
Governments Justice Center has launched its new Reentry Policy Council (RPC) website
at www.reentrypolicy.org. The
redesigned site provides more resources and is easier to navigate, giving
website visitors quick access to media coverage, announcements from the field,
publications, and upgraded tools and materials on a range of reentry issues.
The website also continues to showcase the
Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council, a comprehensive guide published
in 2005 that contains hundreds of policy recommendations for legislators,
service providers, researchers, criminal justice professionals, and others
involved in creating and implementing effective reentry initiatives. Users will
be able to access the full report, or can easily find relevant sections through
links on the website that are dedicated to particular topics or project work.
“At a time when states are fighting high recidivism
rates that compromise public safety and contribute to the unsustainable growth
of prison populations, it’s vital to ensure that state agencies and community
organizations can easily access and put to use the practical, nonpartisan
information that the Justice Center’s Reentry Policy Council offers,” said
Florida State Senator Stephen Wise, Justice Center board member and Senate
Criminal Justice Committee member. “The updated and redesigned RPC website does
just that.”
In addition, the revamped website will feature a
suite of hands-on tools designed to help users apply policy recommendations and
other information contained in the report to their own reentry programs and
initiatives. For example, site visitors can use the Reentry Housing Options
Comparison Chart to compare housing options available to people returning to the
community from prison or jail. This chart presents extensive information on
myriad topics including availability, duration, and funding sources for several
housing types in an easy-to-read format.
The RPC plans to release several additional
web-based tools later this fall that will address the following issues:
assessing the risks and needs of people who are incarcerated or released from
prison or jail, accessing federal benefits and cash assistance programs that can
aid this population, and improving collaborations between community supervision
agencies and children and family services.
“The Reentry Policy Council website is an
invaluable resource for anyone involved in prisoner reentry issues, from
policymakers to staff working to carry out those policies every day in their
communities,” said New York State Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry, Justice Center
board member and chair of the Assembly Committee on Correction. “The new website
includes such features as interactive tools, which will allow people working on
reentry issues across the country to evaluate and improve their programs, and
the latest reentry news, funding opportunities, new research, and
publications.”
The launch of the improved RPC website is the first
step in the Justice Center’s plan to provide users with a comprehensive online
database of reentry resources, including profiles of local programs, research
studies, media articles, legislation, descriptions of local advocacy efforts,
and examples of coordination by state agencies and community-based organizations
to promote integrated reentry strategies. This database will complement the
Justice Center’s existing Criminal Justice / Mental Health Information
Network, which provides expansive information on mental health issues as
they relate to the criminal justice system.
The Reentry Policy Council is a public/private
partnership funded in part by the U.S. Departments of Justice, Labor, and Health
and Human Services, as well as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. For more
information, visit www.reentrypolicy.org.
The Council of State Governments Justice Center
is a national nonprofit organization that serves policymakers at the local,
state, and federal levels from all branches of government. It provides
practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus-driven strategies—informed by
available evidence—to increase public safety and strengthen communities. The
Justice Center coordinates the Reentry Policy Council. For more information,
visit www.justicecenter.csg.org.