National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Grant: Revising the Transition From Jail to Community (TJC) Toolkit

The current administration seeks to “… remove or reduce barriers to successful reentry, so that motivated individuals – who have served their time and paid their debt to society – are able to compete for a job, attain stable housing, support their children and their families, and contribute to their communities.” This intentional and deliberate process is “….the most effective way to reduce recidivism and decrease crime.” https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/reentry-program

With nearly 11 million adults processing through our nation’s jails annually, emphasis on the reentry of justice-involved adults from our nation’s jails provides a significant opportunity for local jurisdictions to enhance public safety through reentry services. However, historically, community reintegration has proven to be complicated – due to the brief length of stay in jails, the various risks and unique needs of justice-involved adults, and the lack of community-based coordination for supervision and/or treatment following release. 

To help address these challenges, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) launched the Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) Initiative to support the local reentry efforts of justice involved adults. Guided by evidence-based practices, effective transition strategies were implemented by local jurisdictions based on the use of actuarial risk-and-need screening instruments, the provision of cognitive-behavioral interventions, the inclusion of case management/case planning practices, and the coordination between community partners and correctional agencies. This model and corresponding toolkit incorporated a list of domains, concepts, and indicators to address reentry and system change.

The current administration seeks to “… remove or reduce barriers to successful reentry, so that motivated individuals – who have served their time and paid their debt to society – are able to compete for a job, attain stable housing, support their children and their families, and contribute to their communities.” This intentional and deliberate process is “….the most effective way to reduce recidivism and decrease crime.” https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/reentry-program

With nearly 11 million adults processing through our nation’s jails annually, emphasis on the reentry of justice-involved adults from our nation’s jails provides a significant opportunity for local jurisdictions to enhance public safety through reentry services. However, historically, community reintegration has proven to be complicated – due to the brief length of stay in jails, the various risks and unique needs of justice-involved adults, and the lack of community-based coordination for supervision and/or treatment following release. 

To help address these challenges, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) launched the Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) Initiative to support the local reentry efforts of justice involved adults. Guided by evidence-based practices, effective transition strategies were implemented by local jurisdictions based on the use of actuarial risk-and-need screening instruments, the provision of cognitive-behavioral interventions, the inclusion of case management/case planning practices, and the coordination between community partners and correctional agencies. This model and corresponding toolkit incorporated a list of domains, concepts, and indicators to address reentry and system change.