Welcome to DC Public Safety \u2013 radio and television shows on crime, criminal offenders and the criminal justice system.<\/p>\n

See http:\/\/media.csosa.gov<\/a> for our television shows, blog and transcripts.<\/p>\n

Radio Program available at http:\/\/media.csosa.gov\/podcast\/audio\/2011\/05\/iowa-reduces-recidivism-dc-public-safety-radio\/<\/a><\/p>\n

We welcome your comments or suggestions at leonard.sipes@csosa.gov or at Twitter at http:\/\/twitter.com\/lensipes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[Audio Begins]<\/p>\n

Len Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 From the nation’s capital,\u00a0this is DC Public Safety<\/em>,\u00a0I’m your host Leonard Sipes.\u00a0 Today’s program is on recidivism reduction in the State of Iowa.\u00a0 We have a continuing series of programs where we interview states about the fact that they have been able to reduce recidivism.\u00a0 Everybody’s involved in re-entry nowadays,\u00a0but the trick is,\u00a0can you reduce recidivism?\u00a0 Can you reduce the rate of return of people coming back into the prison system thereby saving the states,\u00a0literally tens to hundreds of millions of dollars,\u00a0or saving tax payers from further victimization?\u00a0And we have two guests with us from the State of Iowa, Lettie Prell, she’s the director of research,\u00a0which is at the Iowa Department of Corrections,\u00a0WWW.DOC.STATE.IA.US, for the website,\u00a0and Jerry Bartruff.\u00a0 He’s the deputy director of offender services for the Iowa Department of Corrections, again the same web address,\u00a0WWW.DOC.STATE.IA.US, and to Lettie,\u00a0and Jerry,\u00a0welcome to DC Public Safety<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Thank you, Len.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Hi Len.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Before getting into the program,\u00a0ladies and gentlemen,\u00a0we’re doing, believe it or not,\u00a0some commercials.\u00a0 One, actually not commercials,\u00a0but just announcements, the American Probation and Parole Association which I’m a proud member of,\u00a0what they want us to do is to remind everybody throughout the country of the leadership of the sacrifice of literally thousands of individuals,\u00a0not just in the United States but around the world who are out there in our streets protecting our safety,\u00a0and to acknowledge them doing an upcoming probation and parole officers\u2019 week in July,\u00a0but we’re starting early.\u00a0 We ask everybody,\u00a0to again,\u00a0remember parole and probation agents,\u00a0what we call community supervision officers here in the city of Washington DC.\u00a0 The website for the American Probation and Parole Association is WWW.APPA-NET.ORG.\u00a0 Also what my people here have asked me to focus on the work of the National Re-entry Resource Center.\u00a0 The fact that they’re putting out some really wonderful materials lately in terms of cutting edge state of the art material research on this whole issue of re-entry, they are funded by the office of justice programs of the United States Department of Justice, and their website is WWW.NATIONALREENTRYRESOURCECENTER.ORG, WWW.NATIONALREENTRYRESOURCECENTER.ORG.\u00a0 Back to our program,\u00a0to Lettie Prell and to Jerry,\u00a0welcome again to DC Public Safety<\/em>.\u00a0 Lettie,\u00a0let’s start off a little bit about the reduction of recidivism in the state of Iowa.\u00a0 We’ve had a pretty good reduction in overall recidivism for the last couple of years,\u00a0but it’s larger for some groups.\u00a0 We were talking in the preshow about say for mentally ill offenders and for women,\u00a0there have been some significant reductions,\u00a0so why don’t you just start off with the larger reductions in recidivism,\u00a0and then we’re going to go over to Jerry and get a sense as to why these things are happening.\u00a0 So Lettie,\u00a0why don’t you start us off?<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Um,\u00a0yes.\u00a0 The people return to prison who were released in fiscal year 2004,\u00a0that’s our prior year that we are on comparing our newer data with.\u00a0 For those people who were checked for three years following release,\u00a0their return rate to prison was 34 percent. \u00a0Our more recent group,\u00a0fiscal year 2007 releasees,\u00a0who were followed through 2010,\u00a0their return rate to prison overall was 32 percent.\u00a0 Now that’s a two-percentage point drop which sometimes just indicates statistical noise,\u00a0but when we drill into the subgroups and\u00a0by the way, these are subgroups that we have been specifically targeting some special efforts with,\u00a0we find that their recidivism rates have dropped down more,\u00a0and that has pulled down the overall recidivism rate.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 And you know,\u00a0that’s interesting,\u00a0because there are large drops for the mentally ill category and for women and for some other groups,\u00a0correct?\u00a0 A much larger than the two percent in the overall reductions.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes,\u00a0yes,\u00a0and you’ve mentioned the mentally ill,\u00a0and so let’s just start with them.\u00a0 We were looking at the return rate to prison for chronically mentally ill offenders,\u00a0for men and women separately because their groups are very different.\u00a0 For female offenders who are chronically mentally ill,\u00a0their return rate to prison was reduced from 45 percent to 29 percent.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Now that’s huge.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 That is huge.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 That is a very big reduction.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes,\u00a0and that\u2019s\u00a0not explained by statistical noise like a two percent drop can be.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 For male offenders,\u00a0the same thing.\u00a0 For chronically mentally ill male offenders,\u00a0they’re recidivism rates were reduced from 52 percent to 41 percent.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Again,\u00a0a large drop.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes,\u00a0and now we’ve also reduced the disparity in return rates between the chronically mentally ill and the not chronically mentally ill.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Uh-huh.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 There’s still a difference,\u00a0but the difference isn’t as huge as it was in FY \u201804.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 And Jerry Bartruff,\u00a0this is a result of programs specifically aimed at these particular groups,\u00a0correct?<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well,\u00a0I think so,\u00a0and I think whenever you look at re-entry and its impact on reducing recidivism.\u00a0 I think there needs to be a recognition that those things don’t just happen because you focus some effort.\u00a0 I think that there\u2019s some historical things that have happened in the Department of Corrections that have lead us to this point where we’re able to impact those numbers successfully.\u00a0 So I would suggest that one of our strengths in Iowa is that we have a very strong and vibrant community based corrections system,\u00a0which works very collaboratively,\u00a0and I may say,\u00a0even intimately with the Department of Corrections.\u00a0 We also share one database,\u00a0so as offenders move through the corrections continuum,\u00a0when they’re first placed on correctional supervision,\u00a0we record all offender movement,\u00a0case management,\u00a0interventions,\u00a0risk assessments,\u00a0all on one database, so folks in CBC and the institutions have an opportunity to share information instead of creating a new case file when an offender moves from one jurisdiction to another.\u00a0 So I think that that historical piece has benefited us today.\u00a0 I also think one of the historical decisions that we made was in 2000 when we implemented evidence based practices in community based corrections programs\u00a0and focusing on those elements we know, with interventions that work, with the outcome being reducing risk\u00a0which then reduces recidivism,\u00a0which then makes our community safer.\u00a0 So I think if you look at our community based corrections system,\u00a0our ability to share data together\u00a0and for Lettie to be able to report out on that data to help guide our decision-making,\u00a0and our commitment to evidence based practices.\u00a0 All those things have coalesced into affecting that bottom line which we know is most important to us.\u00a0 How many people enter our system,\u00a0leave and don’t come back again? \u00a0Because we think that equates to fewer victims and safer communities.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well,\u00a0it’s extremely – it’s very well put, Jerry.\u00a0 I couldn’t have done it better myself.\u00a0 The whole concept is to save the state of Iowa money,\u00a0and to save the citizens of Iowa,\u00a0victimization,\u00a0and so it’s a win-win situation for everybody,\u00a0but if you take a look around the country,\u00a0you’re going to find states that are cutting back on these programs,\u00a0so they,\u00a0the states may say to themselves,\u00a0fine.\u00a0 I buy into evidence based practices,\u00a0I buy into the fact that when we did the interview with Kentucky,\u00a0Kentucky is at their lowest rate of recidivism in ten years.\u00a0 I’ll buy I – I’ve listened to the program on Iowa,\u00a0and find the good people of Iowa have convinced me once again that evidence based practices work.\u00a0 We simply don’t have the money.\u00a0 This is other states speaking.\u00a0 We’re in a dire jam in terms of our own budget.\u00a0 We have to cut from some place,\u00a0and so it’s pretty easy to cut programs for prison inmates,\u00a0so I think that’s the dichotomy,\u00a0what are the dynamics in Iowa that have allowed you to put programs into place?<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well,\u00a0I think we’re struggling with those issues that you just very well described, Len,\u00a0but I think one of the things that doing is recognizing that evidence based practices,\u00a0and being able to get the out comes from our data systems tells us what’s working and what’s not working.\u00a0 So one of the things we’ve done after we committed to ensuring that evidence based practices were guiding our work was that we looked at every intervention that we offered in the state of Iowa both in the prisons and the institutions.\u00a0 We developed an EBP steering committee, and we had a group of folks who were experts in evidence based practices and principles\u00a0who went out to every district and every institution and assessed and evaluated all of our interventions.\u00a0 As a result of that,\u00a0we identified those interventions as needing improvement,\u00a0promising,\u00a0or Lettie,\u00a0what was the other one.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Excellent.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Excellent.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Excellent,\u00a0correct.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 And so it’s needs improvement – I’m sorry I lost my train of thought.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well,\u00a0let’s put it this way.\u00a0 When we started this process,\u00a0we found after that process,\u00a031 percent of our programs were rated promising or excellent,\u00a0meaning,\u00a0well,\u00a0two-thirds,\u00a0over two-thirds needed improvement.\u00a0 Well now,\u00a0that became a performance measure by the way,\u00a0and people have been improving programs – actually,\u00a0we’ve also discontinued some programs so that more recently, we find that 41 percent of our programs now are scoring promising or excellent according to these evidence based practices.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 And this is amazing because that’s exactly what the criminological literature,\u00a0that’s exactly what the re-entry experts,\u00a0ask states to do,\u00a0is to take a hard look at what it is they’re doing, to figure out what’s working and what’s not working based upon the best available evidence,\u00a0and then to go back and to intervene and to tweak the programs,\u00a0to improve these programs based upon best practices. \u00a0I mean we throw out this word best practice over and over again,\u00a0and I’m not quite sure it’s – it means all that much to everybody.\u00a0 All you’re trying to do is take what you’re doing and to make it better and discard what doesn’t work,\u00a0right?<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right,\u00a0and engaging stuff in the process.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 And that’s also,\u00a0it’s also a valuable component of utilizing our resources effectively.\u00a0 So when we went through that process,\u00a0there are several programs that we’re investing staff and resources in that we said,\u00a0these aren’t working the way that we want them to,\u00a0so let’s focus our resources on those that do.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Excellent,\u00a0excellent.\u00a0 Now Lettie.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Just making those tough discussions along the way as well.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Lettie,\u00a0let me ask, I mean the stuff that you sent me before the program was very nice and,\u00a0to me pretty crystal clear in terms of the stats that you all have produced.\u00a0 Once again,\u00a0most states won’t do that self-examination.\u00a0 Most states won’t do – I mean,\u00a0there’s a growing, growing, growing number of states that are,\u00a0but it’s still very interesting when a state like Iowa comes up with graphics that you produced that are so easy to understand,\u00a0and so easy to comprehend.\u00a0 I mean,\u00a0that’s a compliment to the state of Iowa.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well,\u00a0it’s also been a challenge to me.\u00a0 They – the do you want has challenged me to not only make information available,\u00a0but to make information available and speak English in the process,\u00a0and communicate clearly,\u00a0as clearly as we can.\u00a0 We put out these one and two page data download issues,\u00a0and I do that in conjunction with the executive assistant to the director, Kurt Smith, to makes sure when everything is said and done,\u00a0it’s in English.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 But,\u00a0do you understand how rare that is?\u00a0 I mean I’ve worked with empiricists my entire career and getting people from the empirical community to make a – give a straightforward answer to a straightforward question\u00a0sometimes is like pulling teeth,\u00a0so you certainly have crossed that bridge.\u00a0 I mean I just wanted to compliment you on the materials that you sent me because they were pretty easy to understand,\u00a0and there were also different newspaper articles in the state of Iowa,\u00a0and we’ll put those on the show notes,\u00a0and we’ll put some of Lettie’s materials in the show notes to give you an idea as to what I’m talking about so it will talk about the reductions in recidivism in the state of Iowa and some of the reports that Lettie puts out.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 And Len,\u00a0if I could just comment a little bit?<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Please.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 And I think that those – that data that Lettie shares with us,\u00a0we push down to the practitioner level.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Uh-huh.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Because I think it’s an important component of this is if you have data,\u00a0and data tells you certain things,\u00a0that you make decisions based on what that data is telling you,\u00a0so I think that the way that Lettie is able to take some kind of complex issues and make them understandable for folks then translates into practitioners following through with what the data tells us is most effective.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yep.\u00a0 I could go on for five years about my issue with the research community,\u00a0but I won’t.\u00a0 We’re going to stop there.\u00a0 Lettie,\u00a0what is the bottom line behind all of your numbers?\u00a0 So you’ve had – it’s a two percent drop in terms of the recent years,\u00a0but larger for some groups, mentally ill,\u00a0for women,\u00a0for some men who are mentally ill.\u00a0 That’s a result of specifically programming to that particular group.\u00a0 Are there any other groups involved in reductions?<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Um,\u00a0yes. African-American offenders.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah,\u00a0right.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 They,\u00a0in fiscal year 2004,\u00a0the prior year,\u00a0they had the highest return rate to prison of any other race of ethnic group.\u00a0 It was 43 percent compared to 32 percent for white non-Hispanic.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Again,\u00a0big drop.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well,\u00a0yes,\u00a0there was a big drop.\u00a0 Overall recidivism for African-Americans went from 43 percent to 40 percent with the largest drop was in the return rate due to new conviction.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Ah.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Where we saw a drop from 29 percent to 22 percent.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Again,\u00a0good drop.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Greatly narrowed the gap in return rates between blacks and whites,\u00a0and created a less disparate – that’s one of our goals to create a less disparate corrections system.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 When you talk about the issue of new convictions,\u00a0set it up,\u00a0either one of you in terms of the reasons people come back to the prison system.\u00a0 We call technical violations which I have a hard time with in some ways because if you refuse to make restitution to your victim,\u00a0that could be a technical violation,\u00a0or if you refuse to go to drug treatment,\u00a0but in any effect I know the controversy with technical violations.\u00a0 People either come back to prison for technical violations,\u00a0or new convictions,\u00a0correct?<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes,\u00a0those are the two reasons.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 And so the new convictions are down,\u00a0which means that crime is down.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 That’s exactly right,\u00a0and not only that,\u00a0but these are the kinds of crimes that lead to imprisonment.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 So they’re the more serious crimes,\u00a0so when we can say that serious crime is down,\u00a0that’s really significant and translates into real public safety.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 I’m going to reintroduce both of you right now because we’re quickly half way through the program.\u00a0 These programs go by so quickly.\u00a0 Lettie Prell,\u00a0director of research,\u00a0Iowa Department of Corrections.\u00a0 WWW.DOC.STATE.IA.US.\u00a0 Jerry Bartruff,\u00a0he is the deputy director of offender services,\u00a0Iowa Department of Corrections at the same website,\u00a0WWW.DOC.STATE.IA.US.\u00a0 Okay,\u00a0for the second half of the program,\u00a0the fact that – Does anybody understand, except for those of us in the re-entry field as to the significance of what you all have been able to do,\u00a0or are you laboring in obscurity?\u00a0 You’ve got a couple newspaper articles about the reductions in Iowa.\u00a0 I’ve seen some coverage from the re-entry community about the reductions in Iowa.\u00a0 Does anybody else understand what’s happening in the state of Iowa?<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 I think so.\u00a0 One of the things we benefited from is since the federal government started to issue grants to promote re-entry activities;\u00a0we first participated in the Edward R. Byrne grant in 2005.\u00a0 We participated in two PRI grants,\u00a0one an urban focus,\u00a0and because Iowa is a mostly rule state,\u00a0another PRI grant that focused on re-entry in rural areas,\u00a0and we’re also involved in a technical assistance program through the National Institute of Corrections which brings folks from the Urban Institute and the Center for Effective Public Policy to Iowa on a fairly routine basis to help us move forward in adopting the transition from prison to the community initiative as our re-entry model in Iowa.\u00a0 So I think our work through the grant process,\u00a0through our involvement with NIC\u00a0and then with the center and the Urban Institute,\u00a0we’ve received feedback from them that what Iowa’s doing are the things that jurisdictions needs to be doing,\u00a0and there’s always some work to do.\u00a0 There’s always a lot of improvement we need to make,\u00a0but we rely on the expertise of those folks to help us move forward.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right,\u00a0but I mean,\u00a0this is in the re-entry community.\u00a0 Somebody said,\u00a0Len,\u00a0you need to do a program about Iowa.\u00a0 They’re doing significant things out there.\u00a0 They’re doing a lot of evidence-based ideas.\u00a0 They really are going through an analysis of how – of what they do it,\u00a0and how they do it.\u00a0 They’re really being bold in terms of that self analysis,\u00a0of – It’s very hard for government agencies to turn that evil eye on themselves and ask critical questions –<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Uh-huh.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 as to whether or not we’re really serving the citizens by reducing recidivism,\u00a0and so the re-entry community understands this.\u00a0 Does the larger citizens,\u00a0do the larger group of citizens in the state of Iowa understand the significance as to what you’re doing?<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 I think that there is this – there’s always room to tell the good stories,\u00a0because as you know,\u00a0often in our business,\u00a0it’s the high profile crime that creates people’s perspective of what the criminal justice system or the corrections systems does.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 That’s exactly right.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 We have several success stories that I think that we need to continue to tell people\u00a0because I do thing it has impacted community safety.\u00a0 One of the things that I can say that we’re fortunate in the state of Iowa is that we’ve gotten a whole lot of support from the executive branch of state government.\u00a0 In July of 2009,\u00a0the Governor issued an executive order, which established the Ex-offender Re-entry Coordinating Council.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Uh-huh.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 The primary goal of that counsel is to integrate successful re-entry principles and practices in state agencies and communities resulting in partnerships that enhance offender safety and successful reintegration.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 That’s right.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 The group was chaired by our director,\u00a0and also the director of IWD,\u00a0and we think employment and opportunities for offenders to receive an education,\u00a0to find a job and maintain a job.\u00a0 That’s a huge re-entry success indicator.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 We just did a radio show on correctional education,\u00a0so that was the show that preceded yours.\u00a0 So what is the lesson in all of this,\u00a0either Jerry or Lettie?\u00a0 In terms of,\u00a0you know,\u00a0what do we tell people around the country?\u00a0 What do we tell people here in Washington DC?\u00a0 In terms of what works because we have – I mean what we’ve done here is focus specifically on the mentally ill,\u00a0and broken it down by male and female.\u00a0 We’ve talked about African-American offenders.\u00a0 We’ve talked about good reductions there.\u00a0 What are we talking about?\u00a0 And so I’m assuming that you have implemented programs specifically for mentally ill offenders.\u00a0 What does that consist of?<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well,\u00a0it started with,\u00a0go ahead.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Go ahead Lettie.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 It started with John Baldwin’s.\u00a0 Director John Baldwin established focus groups in 2007,\u00a0and focus groups got together on exactly around the issue of mental health,\u00a0mentally ill offenders and mental health re-entry,\u00a0and I’ll let Jerry take over because he’s really been spear heading a lot of that.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes,\u00a0and we had previously received a federal grant that provided a mental health re-entry pilot project that involved folks that are going to be supervising offenders in the community,\u00a0and case managers and offenders and mental health professionals in the institution doing this case management process together because I think what often happens with mentally ill offenders is they go through the system,\u00a0return to the community – you’ve got several people with their hands in the offenders pot,\u00a0and we were thinking that if we have a consolidated case management process,\u00a0that we will be able to impact that recidivism rate,\u00a0and that is –<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 To the congressional staffer,\u00a0consolidated case management means what?<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Uh-huh,\u00a0uh-huh.\u00a0 That means that historically,\u00a0and one of the reasons I think the Ex-offender Re-entry Coordinating Council is important is that IWD has a case file for an offender who has left the institution,\u00a0goes back.\u00a0 The Department of Human Services does,\u00a0education may have a focus.\u00a0 There are several different agencies that are kind of helping to – helping the offender navigate what they need to be doing in the community to be successful,\u00a0and we’re saying that instead of having a separate case plan from every agency that is working with the offender,\u00a0if we can consolidate that case management process so that the offender is only accountable to one case plan,\u00a0that people that are working with the offender wrap themselves around the offender.\u00a0 The expectation for the offender and the services that can be provided are clear,\u00a0and we just think it’s a better process for both the offender and the agencies that are working with the offender to provide effective service.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Now that’s understood.\u00a0 For the programs in the state of Iowa in terms of the Division of Correction,\u00a0the Department of Correction,\u00a0are they getting good solid programming,\u00a0individualized programming focusing on their own mental illness in the – while their locked up?<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah,\u00a0and we’re also,\u00a0again going back to some comments I made about community based corrections.\u00a0 We’ve also developed a pilot re-entry mental health courts where we’re looking at people before they come to the prison system and making some determination whether or not their mental illness could be better managed in the community\u00a0because we think one of the evidence based principles is keeping people as close to their natural community as possible\u00a0so not only are we trying to provide those services to people who are incarcerated,\u00a0but we also want to try to provide those services as those people are at the very entrance point into the criminal justice system,\u00a0and some of those people should be diverted back to the mental health system because the further you enter the criminal justice system,\u00a0the more difficult it becomes for people to receive the services they need and then hook up with those resources when they leave the system.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right,\u00a0and there we’re talking about lower level offenders,\u00a0diverting them off into treatment so they don’t go into the prison system to begin with.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right,\u00a0right.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 And then you’re talking about treatment in the prison system.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Correct.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 And that treatment being carried out seamlessly into the community,\u00a0so in everybody’s operating off of one plan and in terms of their own plans.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Exactly.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Uh-huh.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 You’ve got it.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Okay.\u00a0 What about drug treatment?\u00a0 You mentioned before employment and vocational programs, education programs and drug treatment.\u00a0 What about all that?<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 We think that there’s a myriad of interventions that we need to have available for us to use with offenders,\u00a0and so we spent a whole lot of time with front end risk assessments to both identify risk levels but also to identify needs,\u00a0and then making you’re that our interventions – that reduce risk and address those criminogenic needs, are the programs we offer both in the institutions and in community based corrections so –<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Now most states don’t have sufficient slots,\u00a0numbers,\u00a0treatment slots,\u00a0people,\u00a0to do this.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 That’s where I’m coming next.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Okay.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Our need for treatment slots in those various areas of criminogenic needs does not nearly – the capacity does not meet the need.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 So one of the things that we’re forced to do is to focus our resources on that risk population that we have the most likelihood of impacting,\u00a0so we focus a lot of our resources,\u00a0our core programs,\u00a0our cognitive programs, on those offenders that moderate to high risk offenders.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Uh-huh.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 And so,\u00a0there’s a targeting piece that comes in there that is important too,\u00a0and consistent with what the evidence tells us – so we wish we could provide the programming that we need for all offenders,\u00a0but sometimes,\u00a0and especially with low risk offenders,\u00a0you can actually make them worse by forcing them to go through some of those programs.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well,\u00a0number one,\u00a0there’s no state in the United States that has all the resources that it needs.\u00a0 If you take a look at drug treatment,\u00a0if you take a look at other sorts of interventions,\u00a0it’s not unusual to see 10 percent of the population being treated,\u00a015 percent of the population.\u00a0 I’m talking about the population who needs it,\u00a0not the overall population.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right,\u00a0right.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 So if we’re saying – I think it’s safe to say that somewhere between 60 to 80 percent of every offender and every correctional system in this country,\u00a0whether it’s yours or ours has a serious history of substance abuse.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Uh-huh.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 So even we,\u00a0we’re federally funded.\u00a0 We can do 25 percent out of our own funds of that particular population,\u00a0which means we,\u00a0like you have to target,\u00a0so I’m not trying to put the State of Iowa on the spot.\u00a0 I’ll put ourselves on the spot.\u00a0 You can’t do everything for everybody.\u00a0 That’s why they’re saying target the more difficult and serious offenders.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 Uh-huh,\u00a0uh-huh.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right.<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 And we started out at the front end with doing a whole lot of assessment work,\u00a0and parsing that population of substance abusers into the people who need intensive inpatient.\u00a0 People who would better be served by outpatient,\u00a0people who have received treatment before and need relapse,\u00a0and so looking at a continuum of care and using assessments to say,\u00a0where should we put this offender based on his needs and his assessment in those critical beds that we know we don’t have enough of,\u00a0so doing that front end assessment work is huge with our then trying to match the offender to the intervention that meets that offenders needs and reduces the risk.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 And Lettie,\u00a0you’re on the opposite end of the continuum taking a look,\u00a0a hard look at all these different programs and figuring out,\u00a0you know what,\u00a0we don’t have all the money we wish we had,\u00a0so let’s do away with the programs that aren’t performing as well, and let’s put adds intersection al funds and resources into the programs that are doing well.\u00a0 So the research part of it is an extraordinarily big piece of re-entry programming in terms of state of the art practices,\u00a0right Lettie?<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes,\u00a0and our executive from the very top on down is committed to basing these tough decisions on the data,\u00a0and speaking of risk,\u00a0listeners in other states and jurisdictions,\u00a0you know,\u00a0the Iowa data really show.\u00a0 Don’t be afraid to treat that high risk offender because we’ve shown the largest drops in recidivism rates,\u00a0getting the bang for your buck out of treating those high risk offenders.\u00a0 We have a dynamic risk assessment.\u00a0 We use the LSIR,\u00a0the Level of Service Inventory,\u00a0revised that with developed in Canada,\u00a0and when we recess for risk,\u00a0we find that there’s some score drop that is happening,\u00a0and we had a research partner,\u00a0she got her PhD doing this study,\u00a0and we said,\u00a0well,\u00a0we’re seeing these score drops.\u00a0 Does that translate to lower recidivism?\u00a0 And her research says that,\u00a0yes.\u00a0 That for that highest risk group,\u00a0a 10 percent drop in their assessment score means a 6 percent reduction in recidivism.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Uh-huh.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 And that’s the largest recidivism reduction of any of the risk groups,\u00a0is at the highest level,\u00a0and that’s really important because at that highest level of risk,\u00a0you see a disproportionate number mentally ill,\u00a0a disproportionate number of African-Americans,\u00a0so this exactly translates to the targeted treatment we’ve been doing for these subgroups.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 All right, final minute of the program.\u00a0 So you guys going to have to be concise.\u00a0 What are the lessons for everybody else?\u00a0 Again,\u00a0for the congressional staffers and the other people in other states listening to this program,\u00a0it’s to do what?<\/p>\n

\nJerry Bartruff:<\/strong>\u00a0 I’ll go first.\u00a0 I think the first thing to recognize is that incarceration and re-entry is not just a criminal justice issue.\u00a0 It’s a community safety issue,\u00a0and that other agencies and the community needs to be involved with this if we are going to be able to make your community safer.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 Lettie.<\/p>\n

\nLettie Prell:<\/strong>\u00a0 Improve programs that you have.\u00a0 Get rid of programs that aren’t working,\u00a0and treat the high risk offender.<\/p>\n

\nLen Sipes:<\/strong>\u00a0 I really appreciate the summation.\u00a0 Both of you,\u00a0I think,\u00a0did an extraordinary good job of explaining something that is very complex, and hopefully other states and jurisdictions will benefit from what you’ve said today.\u00a0 Lettie Prell,\u00a0director of research for the Iowa Department of Corrections, again,\u00a0WWW.DOC.STATE.IA.US.\u00a0 I wouldn’t that repeat that again for Jerry Bartruff.\u00a0 He is the deputy director of offender services,\u00a0again for Iowa Department of Corrections.\u00a0 Big drops in recidivism, and again,\u00a0congratulations to you both.\u00a0 Again a reminder as we said at the beginning of the program, the American Probation and Parole association.\u00a0 WWW.APPA-NET.ORG<\/a> is talking about honoring parole and probation agents,\u00a0community supervision officers throughout the country,\u00a0and for that matter,\u00a0throughout the world.\u00a0 Check out their website in terms of activities coming up,\u00a0and also,\u00a0once again the National Re-entry Resource Center funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance for the US Department of Justice,\u00a0WWW.NATIONALREENTRYRESOURCECENTER.ORG<\/a>, ladies and gentlemen,\u00a0this is DC Public Safety<\/em>,\u00a0I am your host Leonard Sipes.\u00a0 Listen for us next time as we explore another very important topic in our criminal justice system.\u00a0 Please have yourselves a very,\u00a0very,\u00a0pleasant day.<\/p>\n

[Audio Ends]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to DC Public Safety \u2013 radio and television shows on crime, criminal offenders and the criminal justice system. See http:\/\/media.csosa.gov for our television shows, blog and transcripts. Radio Program available at http:\/\/media.csosa.gov\/podcast\/audio\/2011\/05\/iowa-reduces-recidivism-dc-public-safety-radio\/ We welcome your comments or suggestions at leonard.sipes@csosa.gov or at Twitter at http:\/\/twitter.com\/lensipes. [Audio Begins] Len Sipes:\u00a0 From the nation’s capital,\u00a0this is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,54,15,18,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audiopodcast","category-corrections-prisons","category-interviewswithpolicymakers","category-reentry","category-whatworks","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pBoKk-aY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/media.csosa.gov\/podcast\/transcripts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/media.csosa.gov\/podcast\/transcripts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/media.csosa.gov\/podcast\/transcripts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/media.csosa.gov\/podcast\/transcripts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/media.csosa.gov\/podcast\/transcripts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=680"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/media.csosa.gov\/podcast\/transcripts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1454,"href":"https:\/\/media.csosa.gov\/podcast\/transcripts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/680\/revisions\/1454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/media.csosa.gov\/podcast\/transcripts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/media.csosa.gov\/podcast\/transcripts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/media.csosa.gov\/podcast\/transcripts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}