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| District Attorney’s Office Wins National Award for Prisoner Reentry Program |
| By THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO |
| Published: 08/02/2011 |
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San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis announced today that the DA’s Office has won a prestigious Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for the DA’s Helping Others Pursue Excellence (HOPE) program, a local reentry resource program designed to gather and share information with soon-to-be and newly released inmates in local custody. The awards were presented in mid July in Oregon at the annual NACo conference. “I am proud that the innovative work our office is doing to facilitate a smoother transition into society for inmates is being widely recognized. This program helps reduce recidivism and maintain public safety,” DA Dumanis said. “This award acknowledges our efforts to help offenders become clean, sober and productive citizens.” The HOPE program is run by AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members and staff at the DA’s Office, who visit local jails and encourage low-level offenders to pursue assistance their immediate needs. Resources they can receive include referrals for housing, food, shelter, drug treatment, job training, medical care, obtaining an identification card and more. The HOPE program is made possible through partnerships with the Sheriff’s Department and community-based organizations. When it began, the HOPE program focused solely on literacy basic education needs. As it progressed, it became clear that for individuals to pursue their educational goals, they needed stability in other aspects of their lives – typically with substance abuse and mental health issues. “By addressing inmate needs early on, we can better combat recidivism,” DA Dumanis said. “The uncertainty and stress of being released without a plan can push former inmates to reoffend.” Previously, about 70 percent of parolees in San Diego County committed crimes again after their release from prison. The San Diego County’s Prison Reentry Program, known as SB618, has shown an early reduction in that recidivism to about 20 percent. NACO’s annual Achievement Award Program, which began in 1970, is a non-competitive awards program that recognizes innovative county government programs. Awards are given in a number of program categories including arts and historic preservation; children and youth; community and economic development; jails-corrections; county administration; emergency management; environmental protection; health and human services; libraries; parks and recreation; transportation; and volunteers. |
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