Inmate Assistance Programs

During this reporting period, the coaches and the site intended to meet once per month, but twice it was determined that there were no major updates and the site provided an email update. The newly hired mental health staff are keeping quite busy doing assessments and follow-ups with people who express prior sexual victimization. This is exactly what they wanted these positions to do, so they are seeing the fruits of their labor.

During this reporting period JDI coaches met with the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (PRDCR). The agency lost their federal grant consultant who was one of the coaches main contacts for this project. Nonetheless, the PREA Coordinator has made some progress on the project goals, including the purchasing of cameras, grievance boxes and educational materials. They are also working with a training company to finalize a contract for staff training modules on various subjects including sexual victimization, communication and boundaries, culture and conflict.

During this reporting period the New Hampshire Department of Corrections (NHDOC) continued work on PREA implementation at their facilities. NHDOC PREA staff were focused on a PREA audit of several of their facilities that occurred in early June for which they were given a corrective action plan. During this reporting period NHDOC implemented their PREA staff training as well as their staff refresher training.

Cases responded to and closed during the reporting period July - December 2023 were 374

Collaboration between prisons, jails, and community providers is essential at every stage of the incarceration process, from initial custody to preparing for reentry and post-release. Establishing partnerships helps ensure a safe and supportive environment, avoids service duplication, facilitates access to essential resources, and ultimately plays a crucial role in preventing recidivism, benefiting both individuals and the broader community.

Join us for a webinar on Medicaid Reentry Section 1115, a demonstration opportunity that expands Medicaid benefits coverage for individuals during the 90-day period before their release from incarceration. This discussion brings together experts to shed light on the implications for jails and prisons when waivers are being planned and once approved in their state.

For persons who are currently incarcerated, the bridge to a successful societal reintegration is built upon solid workforce development planning and preparation long before their release. RSAT programs are instrumental in this foundational work. This webinar will offer strategies, resources, and insights for the supports and services needed for those returning to the community from incarceration.

The Promising Practices Guidelines (PPGs) were first published in November 2017 based upon research in the field of substance use disorder treatment and correctional programming. In 2019, the Bureau of Justice Assistance launched a national program to assess Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program adherence to these guidelines. These Fidelity Assessments are currently underway to determine the strengths as well as the training and technical assistance needs of RSAT programs and grantees.

The Fidelity Assessment Instrument was developed in order to operationalize the standards set forth in the Promising Practices Guidelines (PPGs). The instrument is divided into the same section sections and components as contained in the PPGs. The instrument scores how programs meet each component as set forth in the PPGs. The outcome of the FAI process is a report that scores how programs align with the PPGs and provides individualized recommendations for further training and technical assistance where gaps or shortcomings are identified.

The Fidelity Assessment Instrument was developed in order to operationalize the standards set forth in the Promising Practices Guidelines (PPGs). The instrument is divided into the same section sections and components as contained in the PPGs. The instrument scores how programs meet each component as set forth in the PPGs. The outcome of the FAI process is a report that scores how programs align with the PPGs and provides individualized recommendations for further training and technical assistance where gaps or shortcomings are identified.