Areas to address for Successful Reentry

Offenders go through a difficult time when integrating back into the community after serving a jail term. A significant percentage of these people, due to these challenges, go back and engage in criminal activities. Therefore, there is a need for an effective reentry program to be developed to assist a former offender in becoming a law-abiding citizen (Miller, & Therrien, 2018). However, the reentry programs alone do not effectively help ex-offenders reintegrate, hence, the need to help offenders adjust their beliefs and perspective about crime. A successful reentry program will ensure that offenders concerns in health, housing, mentorship, employment, skills development and housing are addressed (Stewart, & George-Paschal, 2017). One key issue an offender should address is finding moral support from a family member or volunteer mentors who can help them reform. Mentorship support provides for the establishment of friendship, support, advice and other significant aid needed.

Fortunately, community-based organizations have been developed to provide essential reentry services to offenders while still in prison. For instance, Crummey’s transition into the community can be made easier by connecting with faith-based organizations that provide the word of hope. At the same time, these organizations should prioritize providing educational and skills training programs as an effective way of ensuring that ex-offender successful reenter society. Skills development and education before releases provides the offender with an increased chance of employment in the community. In such a way, they will be able to financially support their needs thus, reducing their need to go back to crime. In the same way, these organizations should address health care concerns such as mental health and substance abuse for successful reentry (Barnert, Abrams, & Chung, 2020). Crummey, in this case, needs help from specialized mentors who can help overcome their mental disorders and addictions.

Community Resources and Programs

Today, the criminal justice system seeks to provide inherent correctional services to offenders rather than just punishing them for the crime committed. For instance, case management models have been developed to help link inmates with treatment programs such as drug treatment programs, social services or mental health services in their reentry to the community plan (Barnert, Abrams, & Chung, 2020). Primarily, these correctional programs are meant to ensure that ex-offenders are comfortable in society while they transition from prison to society. In such a way, extensive community resources are needed to aid how they reunite with others while they access all the necessary services such as healthcare and housing. In this case, Crummey is required to identify a community support group capable of providing essential services before he is in a position to foot his bills. For instance, temporary shelters provided by churches and other voluntary providers are vital to satisfy a homelessness need for an ex-offender.

Community resources can also provide training services to offenders who lack the opportunity to train or develop their skills. The community resources are provided to local business owners, who then educate the offenders. In most cases, the Presentence Investigation process will involve an interview with the offenders and the review of their criminal records (Miller, & Therrien, 2018). Based on Crummey’s presentence investigation, I believe and would recommend the offender learns and gains carpentry skills from a local workshop. The skills learning program will help keep him busy and away from crime.

Home Plan for Successful Reentry

Crummey’s home plan is an example of an efficient, successful reentry in his community. Due to increased incarceration rates in the United States, community programs such as probation and parole were introduced to ensure that offenders who commit minor crimes are still rehabilitated for their actions. The fact that he was held in a minimum-security is an indication that the offense he committed was minor (Miller, & Therrien, 2018). In this case, the offender was granted a home plan parole, where he was released from minimum security he was held. As the parole officer in charge of Crummey, I will meet with him to construct an individualized parole plan. Importantly, the home plan will focus on his reentry needs such as social networking, health care and employment. It is essential to place the offender in a conducive environment to adjust to a lifestyle.

Offenders who qualify for parole are required to identify a suitable home plan program successful for their reentry. Hence, there is the responsibility of informing their families or community members of their home plan decision to help them transition after the release. However, the home plan should be referred to the parole department six months prior to the offender’s release. Parole officers are then delegated to conduct physical visits to approve that the environment is conducive for the offender’s rehabilitation. At the same time, the parolee home provider should be well informed of the expectations of the home plan program. After an offender is released and the reentry process begins, discussing their check-ins with the parole officer becomes necessary (Stewart, & George-Paschal, 2017).  In such a way, it will be possible to monitor recovery progress and give advice whenever needed. In this case, I will hold a meeting with Crummey to discuss instructions that should be followed so that he does not go back to prison. Besides, Crummey will be required to contact me, provide his chosen home address and makeup time for a meeting that extensively discusses parole dynamics. Over time, I will be able to tell how often he should report depending on his progress.

Determining Offender’s Goals and Objectives Progress

Monitoring the offender's progress is easy when all the ground rules are made known to him, and observances of these rules are measured constantly. First, after implementing the home plan program, it will be necessary for Crummey to acquire a job or receive skill training to become independent financially (Miller, & Therrien, 2018). At a time when I am sure of the offender's employability, there is enough evidence that Crummey will be able to conduct a desirable lifestyle after reintegrating into the community. Besides, his relationship with others in the community will be used to show the possibility of engaging in crime again. For instance, when he creates a strong relationship with people, it will be clear that as an ex-offender, he can live according to society's recommendations of socialization. However, it will be important to investigate if the offender is associating with crime gangs. If the offender is involved with any crime groups, it will be necessary to assist him out of it and ensure that he does not go back into crime (Gutierrez, 2020). Lastly, his health progress can be used as a determining factor showing the reentry progress. In most cases, ex-offender involved in substance abuse suffer bad health, thus enough evidence to show whether they are recovering or retreating to the old ways.