Repeat offenders in Norfolk County, Mass., are now kept under closer watch both inside the correctional facility and back in the community after they are released.  Officials there hope a new program targeting this group will give inmates the information and support they need to make better decisions when they return to the streets and steer clear of crime.

"We've found that there's a large number of inmates who are basically being committed [to our correctional facility] multiple times and going back to the neighborhoods and reoffending again," said John Kivlan, Special Sheriff in Norfolk County. "There's a greater focus on these inmates because they are the people who seem to keep coming back and who represent a public safety risk in the community."

Because there are so many offenders caught in the revolving door, Kivlan said Norfolk County Sheriff Michael G. Bellotti implemented this repeat offender program in the fall of 2004.  It is modeled after a similar program in neighboring Suffolk County, which Kivlan said has been successful in dealing with gang members who are returning to the Boston community.

Rather than focusing on just gang members, however, in Norfolk County, the Repeat Offender Program is designed to address the needs of a much broader group: inmates who have had at least one prior offense.

"We have tried to apply it across the board to all repeat offenders," said Kivlan.

He explained that, immediately, when people with a history of prior incarcerations enter the Norfolk County House of Corrections, they are flagged as being repeat offenders.

"We try to identify these people as soon as they come in," said Kivlan.

After folks are screened, repeat offenders attend a presentation at the facility, explaining to them the impact of additional arrests and what supports are available to them in the community to help them break free from their criminal lifestyles.

During this presentation, program managers from the sheriff's office cover topics, such as housing, health insurance, employment, counseling, parenting and child support.  Additionally, representatives from the U.S. Attorney's Office, county district attorneys offices, probation, parole, the Registry of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Revenue are on hand to discuss legal issues with the offenders, like the consequences of additional arrests, who their probation or parole officers are, licensing issues and child support.

"We are explaining to them that, if they do get arrested again, there are consequences," said Kivlan.  "If they are arrested again, the DAs receive immediate notification.  If they've been arrested again, that is taken into consideration by prosecutors, in terms of what they charge them with [and] what they receive as sentences," he said.  "We don't want to see repeat offenders keep coming back and forth and back and forth without consequences."

Inmates also learn during the presentation that information about their prior offenses, their release date and their conditions of probation or parole will be communicated to local police departments so they can keep a closer eye on these people when they return to the community. 

Information sharing is an important piece of the program, said Kivlan.

"The police department in the community that they are returning to is going to know that they are returning," Kivlan said.  "That never occurred in the past and the police appreciate this because, for obvious reasons, it's important for them to know when repeat offenders are returning to the community and where they are going to and so forth."

According to Kivlan, each police department in the county has designated a re-entry officer, who receives information about inmates being released from the Norfolk County House of Correction and disseminates it through the department.

"Basically, the purpose of the program is to identify the repeat offenders and make sure everyone in the law enforcement community is aware of who they are and is aware that they are being released," Kivlan said. 

Additionally, Kivlan said, transportation officers from the sheriff's office are charged with delivering offenders, on the day of their release, to their probation or parole office or one of Massachusetts' new regional re-entry centers, where they are connected with resources that they will need in the community.

"On [their] release date, the repeat offenders are not allowed to just walk out of here," Kivlan said.  "No one who is a repeat offender is leaving here, other than by way of being transported by our staff to one of those places."

While making sure law enforcement agencies are notified when repeat offenders are being released into county communities is a main goal of the program, so, too, is linking offenders with organizations that can help them get back on their feet after they have been incarcerated for a period of time.

According to Kivlan, offenders already have a transition plan when they are released from custody.  For those who are not on probation or parole, the re-entry centers can help them get connected with employment and substance abuse treatment in the community.  But, while offenders are dropped off there, those who are not on probation or parole are not required to stay.

"[The re-entry centers have] helped because there are some inmates who actually want help and, if they do, these re-entry centers can connect them," said Kivlan.

While the Repeat Offender Program is still young and the county has not collected any official statistics on its success rate, Kivlan said that, anecdotally, the program seems to be working.

"Some [inmates] have actually expressed gratitude that somebody is actually paying attention to them and making the extra effort, instead of just warehousing them here," said Kivlan. 

And all of the key players in this initiative hope to see the program have an effect on recidivism rates in Norfolk County.

"Everyone, including law enforcement, emphasize to [the inmates] that they do want to see them succeed when they leave here," said Kivlan.  "We can't force them to do it, but if they are motivated, it is an opportunity for them to turn things around."

Resources:

Norfolk County Sheriff's Office (781) 751-3305