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History
On September 21, 2005, Governor Matt Blunt signed Executive Order 05-33 establishing a permanent inter-agency Missouri Reentry Program (MRP) Steering Team comprised of senior leaders from the Departments of Corrections, Mental Health, Social Services, Health and Senior Services, Economic Development, Elementary and Secondary Education, Revenue and the Office of the State Courts Administrator. Membership also includes community organizations representing crime victims, law enforcement, treatment providers and the faith-based community. This Executive Order defines the MRP Steering Team’s mission as the successful integration of offender reentry principles and practices in state agencies and communities resulting in partnerships that enhance offender self-sufficiency, reduce re-incarceration, and improve public safety.
Missouri has adopted an innovative transition model developed by the Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections, as a philosophical framework for improving offender transition processes. This collaborative approach proposes that states can increase public safety, close the revolving door of incarceration, diminish new victimization, break the cycle of offenders' children becoming the next generation of offenders, stabilize neighborhoods, improve transition practices and maximize resources. These goals can be accomplished by forming strategic and tactical partnerships to integrate and coordinate basic policies, and to sustain and nurture those partnerships and policies over time.
Missouri Partnerships for Reentry
In early 2005, Pettis County Community Partnership applied to the Corporations for National and Community Service for 20 VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) members to assist Missouri’s Community Partnerships in developing a local framework for ex-offender reentry. The grant was approved for three years of implementation as of April 2006.
Cape Girardeau’s Community Caring Council was one of the 12 Community Partnerships to join this effort in order to address the needs of ex-offenders returning to our community upon release from the Missouri Department of Corrections.
In June 2006, Community Coordinator, Kay Azuma attended VISTA Site Supervisor training in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Two VISTA members were then recruited: Salena Hamilton and Lorrann Hatchett. They attended the VISTA Pre-Service Orientation also in Albuquerque in August and November 2006.
Goals of the grant to be implemented during the three-year grant period are:
Goal 1
Build, or maintain, and expand an ex-offender MRP Local Steering Committee associated with each of the 13 participating Community Partnerships sites.
Goal 2
Research and experience indicate that most prisoners return to communities without access to or knowledge of the existing resources available. To increase awareness and assist with the overall transition period, AmeriCorps*VISTA members will assume a major role in seeing that all pertinent resources identified by the Local Steering Committee are easily available to all returning ex-offenders and the community in general.
Goal 3
Mentoring and related programming is proven to help reduce the recidivism rate of returning ex-offenders. AmeriCorps*VISTA members will coordinate the building of a network of community support for children and family members of those incarcerated, as well as for returning ex-offenders.
Goal 4
Since finding employment is critical to successful reentry, AmeriCorps*VISATA members will provide leadership and coordination in efforts to reduce employment barriers that confront returning ex-offenders by securing and promoting employment opportunities.
Goal 5
With mental health issues, including substance abuse, being a factor in the life of a vast majority of ex-offenders and also critical to successful reentry, AmeriCorps*VISTA members will provide leadership and coordination in efforts to address reduce and/or overcome mental health barriers that confront returning ex-offenders.
Goal 6
Since increasing their educational level is critical to successful reentry, AmeriCorps*VISTA members will provide leadership and coordination in efforts to address education/training issues that confront returning ex-offenders by seeking out educational opportunities.
Goal 7
Since having a stable home plan is critical to successful reeentry, AmeriCorps*VISTA members will provide leadership and coordination in efforts to address housing/home plan issues that confront returning ex-offenders by seeking out potential housing sites and also resources for assisting those returning to live in family homes.
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