RACINE – Department of Corrections (DOC) Secretary Rick Raemisch
announced today that the DOC has been awarded a $450,000 grant by the U.S.
Department of Justice (DOJ) to enhance supervision strategies for
high-risk offenders returning to the Racine community.
“This grant is an important addition to our agency’s comprehensive
agenda to increase public safety and reduce recidivism in Wisconsin
communities, including the Racine area, by improving prisoner reentry,”
Secretary Raemisch said. “We are building partnerships with law
enforcement, the faith-based community and other groups to improve
offender reintegration and to promote offender accountability, and this
grant will help us build upon these efforts in Racine County.”
Under the Prisoner Reentry Initiative (PRI) grant, which was awarded by
the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs, the DOC will work with these
partners to coordinate and implement pre-release and community transition
services, including comprehensive risk and needs assessments,
individualized transition plans, pre and post-release services, employment
training, mentoring, and additional supervision to high risk offenders.
The $450,000, two-year grant will target a minimum of 200 offenders who
are released from DOC institutions and the Racine County Jail to
communities within Racine County, following completion of their
court-ordered sentences.
In developing the PRI’s design, management structure, budget and
evaluation strategy, the DOC consulted and worked closely with the Racine
County Sheriff’s Department, the Racine County Administration, the Racine
County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, the Racine County
Workforce Development Center, and faith- and community-based
organizations. The DOC has had a longstanding partnership with many of
these organizations.
The PRI grant in Racine marks the second grant of its kind being
awarded to the Wisconsin DOC. In 2006, the DOJ awarded the agency a
$450,000, two-year grant to implement a similar program for non-violent
offenders being released into Milwaukee County from DOC facilities and the
county’s House of Correction.
“Wisconsin maintains a national reputation for innovation and effective
correctional practices, and the DOC has established a solid multi-agency,
cross-disciplinary infrastructure to support system-wide efforts aimed at
reentry best practices,” Secretary Raemisch said. “This new grant will
move these efforts to a new level in Racine County, resulting in reduced
recidivism and greater public safety in the long run.”
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