Illinois Vocational Progams for Corrections Performance Improvement
Improving employment outcomes for individuals exiting incarceration by reforming in-facility vocational programming
Improving employment outcomes for individuals exiting incarceration by reforming in-facility vocational programming
In Illinois, approximately 700 youth per year become simultaneously involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. These dually-involved youth experience very poor outcomes; on average 1,300 arrests per year and 230,000 days spent in congregate care. With pro-bono technical assistance from the GPL, the state tested a new model for supporting families involved with multiple agencies and has re-engineered data systems to improve performance management and referral processes. It now takes the state child welfare agency less than three days to identify a dually-involved youth, down from over 90 days on average. Once flagged as dually-involved, youth are matched to a wraparound facilitator who serves as their primary contact for support and refers them to appropriate services in a coordinated manner. As part of the project, Illinois is also expanding the clinical and social services available to dually-involved youth (including family therapy and community-based placement), with the goals of reducing days spent incarcerated and in congregate care and improving child well-being.
Expanding life coaching and mentoring services for young adults with a prior criminal conviction to reduce recidivism and increase employment
Setting up new prisoner re-entry and residential programming to reduce recidivism
Market research and active contract management for public safety records management systems
In 2014, California passed a bill authorizing the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) to grant $5 million dollars to up to three counties to launch outcomes-driven recidivism reduction projects. With pro-bono technical assistance from the GPL, BSCC designed and implemented a competitive process to select county projects that would reduce recidivism while shaping a new model for how local governments deliver programming - focusing on tracking and using data effectively, reducing traditional siloes within government, and incentivizing performance. Alameda County, Los Angeles County, and Ventura County each launched a Pay for Success project that have collectively produced approximately $30 million dollars of preventative and outcomes-driven services to reduce recidivism across the state.
Developed Pay for Success strategies to improve outcomes of youth dually-involved in child welfare and juvenile justice systems
Rebalancing the mix of services and programs provided to 40,000 individuals to reduce recidivism, improve sentence credit access, and reduce the overall prison population
Developing a results and performance management system to drive improvements across juvenile justice system
Connecting individuals released from local corrections custody with comprehensive substance abuse treatment to reduce recidivism and improve well-being
Reducing recidivism through a combination of high-intensity engagement and employment services for high-risk young men involved with the criminal justice system
Expanding re-entry services for high-risk, ex-offenders exiting prison with the goal of reducing recidivism
Exploring recidivism reduction through job and life skills training for high-risk adults and youth
Strengthening discharge planning service provision and addressing operational and cultural challenges