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Transition from Jail to Community (TJC)

Toolkit

Other Reentry/Transition Resources

There are 2,876 local jails in the U.S. that process approximately 12 million releases per year. Focusing on offender reentry from jails presents opportunities to have a significant impact on public safety. But offender reentry to the community from jails is a complicated issue. The individuals committed to jails have diverse risks and needs, and their length of stay in jails is generally relatively brief when compared to prison stays. Yet, for many inmates being released, no organization or individual is responsible for their supervision or treatment in the community.

NIC, with project partner the Urban Institute, launched the "Transition from Jail to the Community (TJC)" initiative in 2007. A jail transition model has been developed and tested in six local jurisdictions to improve long-term reintegration outcomes for individuals returning to communities from local jails. TJC Phase 1 learning sites include: Davidson County, Tennessee; Denver, Colorado; Douglas County, Kansas; Kent County, Michigan; La Crosse County, Wisconsin; and Orange County, California.

Project partners have developed TJC technical assistance tools to disseminate to the field. The first of those products is the 'TJC Implementation Toolkit.' Learn more about it through the link on the upper right of this page.

TJC Phase 1 Findings


In 2007, the National Institute of Corrections launched the Transition from Jail to Community Initiative in collaboration with the Urban Institute to help improve reintegration outcomes for the men and women transitioning through our local and county jails. Specifically, assistance was provided to six jurisdictions to explore correctional practices such as screening/risk assessments, implementation of evidence-based programming, and strategic collaboration among criminal justice agencies, local organizations, and nongovernmental community groups.

On Thursday, December 13, 2012, Jesse Janetta and Janeen Buck, Senior Research Associates with the Urban Institute facilitated a 90-minute presentation to discuss the implementation of the TJC model, examine the role of screening and assessment in jail reentry and discuss case management strategies for successful jail reentry.

For more information, please view the following:
  • Process and Systems Change Evaluation Findings from the Transition from Jail to Community Initiative
  • The Role of Screening and Assessment in Jail Reentry
  • Case Management Strategies for Successful Jail Reentry


TJC AB 109 Site Selected


In collaboration with the Urban Institute, San Diego and Santa Barbara were selected as the two California jurisdictions for implementation of the TJC model in an AB 109 environment. During the next 30-months, targeted technical assistance will be provided to support the development of a systems change process involving collaborative strategic planning, continuity of care, evidence-based practices, data-driven decision-making, and self-evaluation.

Phase II TJC Learning Sites Selected


In August 2012, the Urban Institute and National Institute of Corrections released a solicitation and selected an additional six TJC Phase 2 sites: Ada County, Idaho; Franklin County, Massachusetts; Fresno County, California; Hennepin County, Minnesota; Howard County, Maryland; and Jacksonville, Florida. These sites will receive technical assistance in implementing the TJC model for a two and a half year period.

For more information on TJC, visit the Urban Institute's website (see sidebar).

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Transition from Prison to Community

Recommended Reading

Date Title Type
2012
Document preview
Process and Systems Change Evaluation Findings from the Transition to Jail Community Initiative
By Willison, Janeen Buck; Jannetta, Jesse; Dodd, Hannah; Neusteter, S. Rebecca; Warwick, Kevin; Greer, Kaitlin; Matthews, Andrea. Urban Institute. Justice Policy Center (Washington, DC); National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC).
“In the past decade, attention to the challenges associated with people exiting state and federal prisons has increased tremendously. This increased attention is for good reason, as the impact of prisoner reentry on the well-being of individuals, families, and communities is well documented. Yet for every person released from prison annually, approximately 12 people exit local jails … NIC [National Institute of Corrections] launched the Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) initiative in 2007 ... Read More

149 pages
2012
Document preview
Case Management Strategies for Successful Jail Reentry
By Warwick, Kevin; Dodd, Hannah; Neusteter, S. Rebecca. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC); NIC-11TO02GKH6. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC); Urban Institute. Justice Policy Center (Washington, DC).
This brief explains why “it is imperative that jurisdictions use an effective case management process that includes a strong community handoff component, particularly at the moment of release, and that ensures continuity of care between in-jail and community-based programs and services … [and] presents the Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) initiative’s approach to case planning and community handoff” (p. 1). Sections of this publication cover: the TJC initiative and model--a triage approac... Read More

10 pages
2012
Document preview
The Role of Screening and Assessment in Jail Reentry
By Christensen, Gary; Jannetta, Jesse; Willison, Janeen Buck. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC); NIC-11TO02GKH6. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC); Urban Institute. Justice Policy Center (Washington, DC).
“Consistent with effective correctional practice, jails and their community partners should identify risk levels and criminogenic needs of returning [offender] populations and should focus their resources on individuals with the highest levels of both … This brief presents the two-stage screening and assessment process to determine risk and needs levels that is a core element of the Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) model” (p. 1). Sections of this publication include: the TJC initiative; r... Read More

11 pages
2008
Document preview
The Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) Initiative
Urban Institute (Washington, DC); National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC).
The Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) initiative is described. “The TJC initiative is designed to advance coordinated and collaborative relations between jails and local communities to address reentry, leading to enhanced public safety, reduced recidivism, and improved individual reintegration processes” (p.1). Sections of this document are: introduction; jail transition—challenges and opportunities; the TJC model; system-level elements—leadership, vision, and organizational culture, colla... Read More
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