Re-Entry Policy Council

Project Status: Active
Project Contact: Jamie Yoon (jyoon@csg.org)

Project Web site: www.reentrypolicy.org

Project Documents:

• Re-Entry Policy Council Report Preview (pdf);
• Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council (Click here to order the report)
• Homelessness and Prisoner Re-Entry (pdf)
• Public Housing Authorities and Prisoner Re-Entry (pdf)
• How and Why Medicaid Matters for People with Serious Mental Illness Released From Jail (pdf)
• Ensuring Timely Access to Medicaid and SSI/SSDI for People with Mental Illness Released from Prison: Four Case Studies (pdf)

Project Overview

The Council of State Governments established the Re-Entry Policy Council (RPC) in 2001, to assist state government officials grappling with the increasing number of people leaving prisons and jails and returning to the communities they left behind. The purpose of this group is to bring together legislators, law enforcement officials, judges, corrections officials, community corrections administrators, probation and parole officials, public housing administrators, state health officials, workforce investment board members, service providers, researchers, people with criminal records, crime victims, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and other stakeholders and experts to accomplish two goals:

• Develop bipartisan policies and principles that elected officials and other policymakers may consider in their jurisdictions as they evaluate re-entry issues and craft possible responses; and

• Facilitate coordination and information-sharing among organizations implementing re-entry initiatives, researching re-entry trends, communicating about re-entry related issues, or funding re-entry projects.

The Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council, released in January 2005, offers 35 comprehensive, consensus-based policy statements, complete with detailed recommendations and examples of innovative programs. The encyclopedic 650-page report will serve as an essential reference for policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders in the re-entry process. In addition to making the report available in print and online, RPC will establish a centralized information clearinghouse, and educate policymakers, the media, and the public about re-entry issues. The involvement of leading Republican and Democrat state legislators, state agency directors, and other key government officials from across the country ensures the conversion of the RPC’s recommendations into policies and legislation at the local, state, and federal levels. To view the Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council online, visit www.reentrypolicy.org. To order a copy of the report, visit the CSG online store or call 800-800-1910.

As part of an ongoing, comprehensive implementation process, CSG is currently focused on a series of targeted projects. To view the Re-Entry Policy Council Projects Overview, click here.

Project Support

Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice
National Institute of Corrections, US Department of Justice
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, US Department of Health and Human Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services

Employment and Training Administration, US Department of Labor

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Open Society Institute, The After Prison Initiative
The JEHT Foundation