This is an archive of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP's) electronic newsletter OJJDP News @ a Glance. The information in this archived resource may be outdated and links may no longer function. Visit our website at https://www.ojjdp.gov for current information.
January | February 2016

Department of Justice Officials Visit Reentry Demonstration Sites

As part of the Justice Department’s (DOJ’s) extensive efforts to reduce recidivism and improve reentry services, OJJDP awarded Connection Training Services (CTS) two Second Chance Act (SCA) grants in fiscal years 2014 and 2015. The nonprofit organization provides reentry services, including mentoring, job training, and job placement assistance to clients in the Philadelphia and New Jersey areas.

Administrator Listenbee greets inmates at FCI Fort Dix before the roundtable.
Administrator Listenbee greets inmates at FCI Fort Dix before the roundtable. Photo courtesy of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

On December 14, 2015, Administrator Listenbee visited the Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix (FCI Fort Dix) in New Jersey to learn how inmates might benefit from the 2015 grant. These funds support the development and delivery of services that will foster positive relationships among incarcerated parents, their children, and caregivers.


Mr. Listenbee was joined on the visit by Eugene Schneeberg, Director of the Office of Justice Programs’ Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships; other DOJ staff; and CTS personnel.

 

Following a briefing on the institution’s population and a tour of the facility, the delegation participated in a roundtable discussion with approximately 20 inmates. The men spoke candidly about the challenges of maintaining relationships with their children and families while incarcerated. Among their recommendations to the visiting officials was instituting video conferencing to facilitate connections with family members who may not be able to visit them.

 

There are currently more than 4,500 inmates at FCI Fort Dix; the average inmate is serving an 11-year sentence.

A young father talks about the impact of the Mentoring Young Fathers program on his life.
Louis Padilla talks about the impact the OJJDP-funded Mentoring Young Fathers program has had on his life. Photo courtesy of Reggie Bullock, Connection Training Services.

After the FCI Fort Dix visit, the DOJ officials headed to the CTS headquarters in Philadelphia to see OJJDP’s 2014 SCA Strengthening Relationships Between Young Fathers and Their Children: A Reentry Mentoring Project grant funds in action.

 

Via its Mentoring Young Fathers program, CTS provides mentoring and transitional services, with an emphasis on developing parenting skills, to program participants. Mr. Listenbee met with some of the fathers and their families during a holiday party organized by CTS.

 

The young men were full of praise for their mentors and expressed gratitude for being given a second chance. Their partners also offered words of appreciation. “I could raise my daughter alone, but I don’t want to,” said one spouse. “It’s a lot more fun when we can do it together and he is sober and committed to his children and working hard to make our marriage work.”


While at CTS, Mr. Listenbee toured the organization’s Energy Coordinating Agency facility where program participants are taught plumbing, electrical work, HVAC, roofing, insulation, and other skills. “The training and support you provide to these young men is impressive and commendable,” he said.


DOJ’s Second Chance Act grants support state, local, and tribal community organizations in their efforts to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for people returning from confinement. SCA funding covers a range of services, training, mentorship, and technical assistance programs. Since 2009, more than 700 awards have been made to grantees across 49 states.

 

Resources:

 

More information about the Second Chance Act is available online.

 

Visit the National Reentry Resource Center's What Works in Reentry Clearinghouse, a one-stop shop for research on the effectiveness of a variety of reentry programs and practices.