Spotlight Announcement

12/18/2008: New Guide Helps States Collaborate with Faith-Based and Community Organizations to Improve Prisoner Reentry

The Council of State Governments Justice Center announced today the release of Reentry Partnerships: A Guide for States & Faith-Based and Community Organizations, which was supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, and the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, U.S. Department of Labor. It offers practical recommendations for how state government officials and community-based service providers can better use limited resources to help the more than 700,000 individuals released from U.S. prisons and the nearly 9 million who leave jails each year to successfully and safely rejoin neighborhoods and families.

This first-of-its-kind guide helps facilitate state–local connections by breaking down barriers that have impeded collaboration. The guide provides recommendations for how state governments and faith-based and community organizations can construct and sustain networks, improve state reentry grant programs, reconcile divergent priorities among state agencies and service organizations, tailor responses to local conditions, and ensure accountability for use of state funds. Also included are examples of implementation strategies from across the country.

For the full press release and information on how to obtain free copies, click here.