Nonprofit leaders and business partners got a closer look at the NH Corrections Department’s efforts to reduce recidivism through an innovative initiative of the Community Corrections Division, a new arm of the Department, at this month’s Nonprofit-Capitol Exchange sponsored by the Center in partnership with the Sulloway and Hollis law firm.

At the forum, Department of Corrections Commissioner William Wrenn and Community Corrections Division Director, Joseph Diament, described the project as a unique opportunity for the State.  New Hampshire is one of a handful of states to be funded by the Justice Reinvestment Program and the Second Chance Act to improve outcomes for people returning to the community from prisons and jails through community-based services and to stem the tide of recidivism by working with those at highest risk for re-incarceration. Read more….

The goals of the Division of Community Corrections are to oversee transitional and community-based services to reduce recidivism, eventually reverse prison population growth trends, contain corrections costs, and promote public safety.

Through the Justice Reinvestment Program, the Justice Center of the Council for State Governments will analyze data and make policy recommendations to drive down the increase in prison population.   Even a 15% reduction would pay for Community Corrections reforms to provide services to support successful transitions from prison to community life, said Director Diament.

Through the Second Chance Act as well as funding from the NH Department of Justice and the NH Charitable Foundation, the Community Corrections Division will pilot an intensive demonstration project, focusing on Merrimack County, to reduce recidivism.  Nonprofit partners for the project include Goodwill Industries, Child and Family Services and Riverbend Community Mental Health.  Exeter, Nashua and Keene will also benefit from this project, though with less staffing due to funding constraints.

The data Commissioner Wrenn and Director Diament provided includes the following.  By law, the DOC is required to provide for the care, custody, correctional treatment and rehabilitation of incarcerated persons, a population of about 2,600 (200 are women).  The average prison stay is three years and 6,000-7,000 people are on probation and parole at any given time.  Currently 65% of the prison population in the system has a mental illness and 80-85% of the population has substance abuse issues (many with co-occurring mental health problems). In NH 50% of those released return during the first eight months.  Although there is a falling crime rate, the NH prison population is increasing.

Commissioner Wrenn and Director Diament emphasized that it will be critical for nonprofits and government departments to partner with DOC to ensure the programs’ success. 

The Nonprofit-Capitol Exchange is The NH Center for Nonprofits’ forum to bring together policy-makers, business partners and nonprofit leaders to discuss current issues, share ideas, and to develop ways to work together to create a pathway to New Hampshire’s future.   In January Cultural Affairs Commissioner Van McLeod will be the guest and in February the guests will be Senate President Sylvia Larsen and Speaker of the House Terie Norelli.