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| Reductions are possible. A Capital Strategy, Part II |
| By Leonard A. Sipes, Jr. |
| Published: 08/20/2007 |
Editor’s Note: Earlier this summer, guest columnist and Senior Public Affairs Specialist for Washington, DC’s Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, Leonard A. Sipes, Jr., discussed his agency’s program workers and the offenders they treat (See A Capital strategy, 6/11/07). This week, he reviews more of CSOSA’s programs along with the agency’s Reentry and Sanctions Center.The Program Every offender brings an array of issues. Housing, health care, jobs and substance abuse are just the tip of the iceberg. Significant numbers of offenders, according to Department of Justice research, claim histories of child abuse and neglect or mental health problems.While most of us can be compared to a glass that is 70 or 80 percent full, many criminal offenders are people whose glass is perpetually 30 percent full. Addressing the needs of housing and providing job opportunities or drug counseling increases the fullness of the glass. The question that continues to confound criminologists is defining the point at which a combination of supervision and services tips the scales and the offender begins to overcome his or her difficulties. “To overcome those problems, you have to screen, assess, and plan to restructure the person,” explains DeAndro Baker, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency’s branch chief for substance abuse, mental health and traffic-alcohol teams. The process begins with comprehensive evaluation of the offender’s background. Within CSOSA, there are teams of specialists who perform evaluations of substance abuse, mental, educational or criminal histories. Offenders in need are placed in specialized programs as appropriate. According to Baker, the foundation for effective supervision of these offenders is identifying the crisis points in their lives. The unit does not simply focus on substance abuse but also on the many issues that offenders face. Relapse and problems are expected. A variety of sanctions and interventions are in place to deal with anticipated problems. “We teach them how to deal with the endless triggers of negative behavior in their lives,” says Cassandra Brown, one of COSA’s community supervision veterans. “Through individual and group counseling, we role- play these triggers for violence and drugs and teach them that there are better ways to conduct their lives. They need to understand the triggers and how to govern themselves.” Baker along with supervisors and a psychologist and licensed counselor run the counseling sessions and provide individual assistance. They help with the “heavy duty co-occurring” cases. Community supervision officers can also run groups to constantly reinforce the lessons of role-play and “trigger” management. Modalities used in groups can include cognitive therapy under a variety of guises, including psycho educational classes with names like “Thinking for a Change” or “Reality Therapy.” Strategies are chosen that fit the lifestyle and background of the offender. Baker insists there is nothing “cookie-cutter” in their approach. “The assessments tell us what the person needs, and we build a case management strategy that evokes change,” he states. “Basically, it all comes down to understanding stages of change, criminological identifiers, anti-social thinking, environmental triggers, pro-social modeling, interventions, structure, and what the offender can do about them.” Strict supervision is crucial. The units constantly interact with the offender within the office and out in the community. The drug units, drug testing professionals and sanctions teams within CSOSA can come into contact with the offender as many as six times each week. The Drug Court side of the program (for probationers) insures that offenders are before the judge as needed. It’s the combination of strict supervision and treatment that works to reduce recidivism, according to staff members. They need the structure, and require the contacts and drug testing. Staff believe anything less sets them up for failure. Staff will not hesitate to start the process that may return or place a person in prison. But they are equally adamant about the idea that offenders can be taught to successfully deal with the addictions and other challenges their lives. Reentry and Sanctions Center Reductions in re-arrests are possibleAccording to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 67 percent of all those released from prison commit felonies and serious misdemeanors within three years of release. Many commit multiple serious crimes. The lesson of this and other research is that future criminality is probable. CSOSA has a new and important tool to help interrupt the cycle of substance abuse and crime. The agency’s Reentry and Sanctions Center (RSC), which opened in the spring of 2006, is a 100-bed residential facility that provides 28 days of intensive assessment, pre-treatment programming, and case planning for offenders with long histories of drug abuse and crime. The RSC expands the strategies available to CSOSA, and increases the probability that at least some of these offenders will escape the revolving door for good. The latter provides specifics as to components for the Substance Abuse and Intervention Team (SAINT) program, which provides supervision for high-risk parole offenders. The SAINT parole team also supervises RSC graduates. Prior to RSC’s opening, CSOSA operated a smaller program, the Assessment and Orientation Center, which was partially funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Washington-Baltimore office. Studies by the University of Maryland’s Institute for Behavior and Health found that offenders who completed the program at the Assessment and Orientation Center were significantly less likely to be arrested after the program. A 2001 study indicated that all HIDTA program participants (from programs in other locations) experienced a 47 percent decrease in arrest rate. The RSC graduates supervised by the drug units experienced a 35 percent decrease. Considering their drug, criminal and social histories, this success seems nothing short of remarkable. “If we can achieve these results with a very difficult population, it’s clear that, given the resources, parole and probation agencies throughout the country can do a better job of supervision,” states Thomas Williams, Associate Director of Community Supervision Services. “We can protect the public and reduce future criminality. Our experience can help.” Related Resources: Find out more about CSOSA’s Reentry and Sanctions Center More about the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency Other articles by Len Sipes: Managing a media frenzy? Stick to the script. 5/20/07 A Capital Strategy, 6/11/07 So you want to podcast? 5/22/07 Media relations and community corrections, 1/22/07 |
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