Damascus house community development corporation (dhcdc) will implement the ristore second chance program (rscp) to deliver transitional services for reentering citizens who are: aged 18 years or…

The Damascus House Community Development Corporation (DHCDC) will provide reentry services to 250 formerly incarcerated individuals over three years through a $745,739 Project Grant from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance. The grant was awarded on October 3, 2022 under the Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative (CFDA 16.812).

Specifically, DHCDC will implement the Ristore Second Chance Program to deliver cognitive behavioral therapies, trauma-informed treatment, substance abuse treatment, psychiatric rehabilitation services, case management, transitional housing, job training, healthcare access, legal aid and other supportive services to 200 males and 50 females of Black and Latinx descent reentering Prince George's County, Maryland from state or federal correctional facilities. Services will begin pre-release to facilitate reentry planning and continue for at least six months post-release. The goal is to reduce recidivism rates by 10% annually and ensure at least 80% of participants maintain sobriety, stable housing, transportation and healthy lifestyle habits after disenrolling from the program.

Damascus house community development corporation (dhcdc) will implement the ristore second chance program (rscp) to deliver transitional services for reentering citizens who are: aged 18 years or older; residents of prince george's county; reentering the community after incarceration in the prince george's county maryland (DOC) jail, a maryland state (dpscs) correctional facility, or a federal correctional facility. Rscp will target candidates assessed as moderate or high criminogenic risk; who are able to provide written consent to participate in the program; not a registered SEX offender and/or an arsonist; and not having any detainers, warrants, or holds that would jeopardize participation in the program. The rscp will serve a total of 250 persons over the three-year performance period-200 males; 50 females; 90% black and 10% latinx. The state of maryland's department of public safety and correctional services; the prince george's county department of corrections; and the bridge center, a local interagency collaborative, will refer eligible inmates to the dhcdc. Dhcdc will partner with the referring agencies to conduct criminogenic and behavioral risk assessments, transition planning and reentry service three to six months prior to an inmate's release. Post-release, rscp participants will receive evidence-based, culturally and linguistically competent cognitive behavioral, trauma-informed and gender-responsive therapies; psychiatric rehab services; substance use disorder treatment; intensive, post-release case-management services; transitional and supportive housing; transportation services; job training and placement; linkage to primary care; legal aid; and other wraparound supportive services through dhcdc and its community-based nonprofit partners. Priority areas [proposal page] 1(a) by serving only black and latinx persons, the rscp will contribute to greater access to reentry services these historically underserved and marginalized groups. [16) 1(b) the dhcdc is an african-american owned and led organization with a multidisciplinary staff comprised entirely of racial/ethnic minorities, most of whom are reentered citizens [18] 2(a) the rscp will implement only evidence-based interventions demonstrated effective in facilitating the successful reentry. [6-9] 2(b) the rscp will conduct an independent evaluation using a randomized treatment control design. [9,18,19] the rscp's desired outcomes are: a reduction in the participant recidivism rate by 10% annually; and a minimum of 80% of participants reporting for six (6) months or longer post disenrollment from the rscp: sobriety; stable housing; a safe and reliable means of transportation; and healthy life style practices, defined as consuming the daily recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables and engaging 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise daily.