Every year an estimated 100,000 adolescents
and young adults return to their homes
following incarceration.
What’s the best way to help
them stay out of trouble? SAMHSA’s
Young Offender Reentry Program (YORP)
has three basic principles:
Start
early. Don’t
wait until people are older or have
served multiple or lengthy prison terms,
recommends Ken Robertson, Team Leader
of the Criminal Justice Grant Programs
at SAMHSA’s
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.
Intervening while clients are still
young means a better chance of breaking
the cycle of recidivism.
Create a seamless continuum
of care. Treating substance
abuse and other problems while young
people are incarcerated isn't enough,
said Mr. Robertson.
And waiting until
they're out doesn't work either. What's
needed instead, he explained, are programs
that “reach
into the institution,” focus
on transition planning, and continue
on the outside until the young people
are back on their feet again.
Use a holistic approach.
Young Offender Reentry Program grantees
(see Grantees
List for all participating YORP
programs) don’t
just focus on substance abuse treatment.
They also help young people find
a place to live, learn basic skills
like using a checkbook, get an education
or a job, and anything else they need
to succeed in daily life.
