State Reform Spotlight: Missouri

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Last year over 150,000 lbs of produce was donated to the needy in Missouri. These generous donations, along with items such as backpacks, blankets, birdhouses were sent to hospitals, domestic violence shelters, children in foster care and many others. So where did this outpouring of generosity come from? These gifts were the work of over 9,000 inmates participating in Missouri’s Restorative Justice Program, which is one of several core programs under the Missouri Reentry Process.

In 2002 Missouri was selected by the National Institute of Corrections to become the first to pioneer a new approach to prisoner reentry based on comprehensive collaboration. In the state of Missouri 97% of all inmates will be released into their communities at some point, pouring out of prisons at an astounding rate of approximately 20,000 per year. Recognizing the fact that communities and the state as a whole would benefit from the addition of 20,000 law abiding, productive citizens with useful job skills and the desire to give back to their communities, a new model was developed to achieve just that.

What sets the effort of the Missouri Department of Corrections apart from the many other reentry programs across the country, is the collaborative nature of the model. The foundation of the Missouri Reentry Process (MRP) is the formation of a statewide MRP Steering Team and, more recently, 44 MRP Community Steering Teams across the state. MRP Steering Teams include representation of all relevant departments from corrections and mental health to transportation and senior services, community organizations that represent victims, law enforcement and treatment providers, and faith-based organizations. These teams do just what their name implies, steering the development and implementation of reentry programs in ways that consider the needs of the entire community, victims and criminals included, and all available resources.

Through collaboration the MRP has provided a comprehensive set of services for inmates preparing for reentry. These programs and services include: transitional housing for inmates prior to release, access to pre-release Medicaid applications, assistance in obtaining state identification cards and birth certificates that will be key as they apply for jobs and housing in their communities, mental health care, job placement training and assistance, and the personal support and transformative guidance of the InnerChange Freedom Initiative. The MRP has also provided funding for drug courts and community reentry assistance efforts.

Best of all, these programs work! Two years after their release, inmates who had lived in MRP transitional housing units for just five months prior to their release had recidivism rates 10% lower than those released directly into the community. Once in the community, aftercare and transitional programs like the Release to Rent program, which provides rent subsidies that gradually decrease over time, help ex-offenders stay on their feet. Three years after release those who stayed in the Release to Rent program have an unprecedented recidivism rate of just 5 percent.

Of all these programs, perhaps the most valuable are the direct efforts that have been made to ensure the ability of ex-offenders to find employment. Once in the community, self-sufficiency is the strongest deterrent slipping back into old habits that will eventually lead back to prison. According to the Missouri DOC, having a full time job lowers the chance that an ex-offender will recidivate from 54 to 14 percent.

Chief Douglas Burris of the Eastern Missouri Probation Office spearheaded the formation of the Defendant/Offender Workforce Development (DOWD) Initiative after sending a team of probation staff to a federal training program. The DOWD works with employers to create job opportunities while working with ex-offenders to develop job skills.

Leading by example, Burris has hired qualified ex-offenders in his own office such as Clark Porter. Porter worked hard and pursued higher education after being released and was hired as a probation officer after earning degrees in Psychology and a Masters in Social Work. Now Porter works with Burris and others in Missouri probation offices to help ex-offenders identify their own skills and interests as they seek stable employment. The results of their dedication can be seen in the astounding unemployment rate of just 5.6 percent (lower than the regional rate for all citizens) enjoyed by probationers supervised by Burris’ office.

As Missouri moves forward with pride, collaboration and innovation continue to rank high among their goals. Their promising model will be used to guide six new states toward better criminal justice practices under the leadership of the National Institute of Justice. For more information read the full report of the Missouri Reentry Program or visit the Missouri Department of Corrections online.