The Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Division of Juvenile Corrections (DJC) received a "Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative" grant of two million dollars from the U.S. Department of Justice in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Labor, and Health and Human Services. The original grant period began July 1, 2002 and extends to June 30, 2005. Since the start of the grant, the Division of Juvenile Corrections applied for, and received, additional supplemental funds to enhance services in the area of Substance Abuse and Mental Health and pre-employment educational, literacy, or job training skills, and job placement. Along with these supplemental funds, the Going Home Project has been extended through June 2006.

The Going Home Project involves male and female delinquent youth committed to a secured juvenile correctional facility returning to Milwaukee County (Milwaukee area) or Brown County (Green Bay area). Youth selected for the Project have been adjudicated delinquent for serious and violent offenses such as sexual assault, battery and armed robbery. In Milwaukee County, DJC supervises all youth leaving a juvenile correctional facility with time remaining on their correctional orders. In Brown County, DJC or the Department of Human Services supervises youth depending on the youth’s legal supervision status. The Going Home Project focuses on enhancing strategies and services to support the reentry of serious juvenile offenders from DJC institutions to the community in Milwaukee and Brown Counties.

The primary goal of the grant is to provide extensive programs and services to 100 (state supervised) and approximately 10 - 15 (Brown County supervised) delinquent youth and their families using a three-phase model. The first phase, Institution, begins during a youth’s placement at a secured juvenile correctional facility. DJC operates three facilities: Southern Oaks Girls School in Union Grove, Lincoln Hills School (boys) in Irma, and Ethan Allen School (boys) in Wales. The second phase, Transition, starts approximately three months prior to a youth’s return to the community and continues for about three months in the community (phases A and B, respectively). The third phase, Stabilization, takes place during ongoing community supervision of the youth for an average of six to nine months.

The Going Home Project currently has 82 (state supervised) youth enrolled in the project and 10 (Brown County supervised) youth. There are currently 26 youth in phase one, 21 in phase two - A, 29 in phase two - B, 7 youth in phase three and 9 youth that have completed the project and are no longer under the supervision of Juvenile Corrections.

Representatives from the correctional facility, committing county, community supervision staff, families, youth, schools, workforce development agencies and other community service providers work cooperatively during all three phases in order to address needs of the youth and family as well as to build upon strengths. A re-entry case manager leads the Transition Team for each youth through all three phases of the project. Youth participants, their families and their home communities will benefit from the increased focus on preparing delinquent youth to successfully return to their communities. Ultimately, youth will be better prepared to live crime-free and productive lives resulting in decreased risks to the community and more positive outcomes for the youth and families. Teams may also include others such as representatives from local law enforcement, employers, educators, landlords, members of the faith-based community, mentors, family and extended family members and others who may be able to be actively involved in planning and supporting the offender's safe and successful return to the community.

Building on the strengths of existing programs and services available both within DJC and in the community, the Going Home project provides and opportunity to transform those strengths into a mission focused on a safe and successful return of the youth to the community. The Going Home project will provide the catalyst for existing agencies and programs to re-assess their mission and practices toward collaboration and promoting the safe and successful return of youth to the community. The Going Home project also provides an opportunity for new partnerships to form throughout the community in order to collaborate in this mission.

An interagency committee with representatives from key state, local and county stakeholders was charged with working with the Division of Juvenile Corrections and the Going Home project staff on the development, implementation and planning for long term sustainability of the project. In each county, the committee consists of representatives of local agencies, service providers, community members, educators and faith based organizations that will have a significant impact on the successful reentry of the youth back to their family and community.

Primary Contact:
Division of Juvenile Corrections
The Wisconsin Going Home Project
Director, Kate Elvidge
3099 E. Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 8930
Madison,WI 53708-8930
(608)240-5937

Secondary Contact:
Division of Juvenile Corrections
Assistant Division Administrator, Silvia R. Jackson
3099 E. Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 8930
Madison, WI 53708-8930
(608)240-5902