Within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Division of Correction houses approximately 24,000 offenders. Each year, about 15,000 are released back into the community. Most of the individuals released return to Maryland communities with a myriad of issues, including drug or alcohol addiction. Statistics show that for those released in fiscal year 2001, almost 50% of the offenders returned to the Department with a new conviction (new commitment to Corrections or new parole/probation case) within three years of their release from prison. Preparing offenders for the inevitable transition from our facilities to their communities and families is crucial to the safety of the public, our employees, and the offenders under our jurisdiction. Our priorities over the next few years include:

Targeting: Collaborate with experts to develop and implement a system to effectively used valid instruments to identify the risk level and needs of offenders (screening and assessment) and to provide the appropriate level of security and supervision (classification).

Institutional Treatment: Expand the type of services provided services to offenders during their incarceration, such as education, employment/vocational skills development and substance abuse services. We will further match offenders to those services based upon identified needs.

Several strategies will be explored including creating mission specific facilities (i.e. one prison facilities as a therapeutic community where all of the offenders receive intensive substance abuse treatment) and creating a stronger link between correctional enterprises and private sector businesses. We will work to increase the number of offenders employed by plants operated by Maryland Correctional Enterprises.

We will try to expand the private sector jobs in the prisons through the federally funded Prison Industries Enhancement (PIE) program. Under PIE, private companies operate behind the fences, paying offenders prevailing wages, which the offenders use to pay restitution, room and board, child support, and other obligations owed.

We will also work to increase the number of legitimate institutional jobs in and around the prison and jail facilities, and increase the number of offenders involved in public works and community service. We currently have approximately a thousand offenders involved in public works programs for cities, counties, and state agencies, but plan to double that number. Such initiatives are excellent examples of programs for offenders that would cost the taxpayers little if anything.

Pre-Release Planning: Create a continuum of care by connecting offenders to services in the community prior to their release. Efforts are underway to strengthen our community supervision system and the management of related facilities. We currently have over 4,000 offenders in prison as a result of a technical parole or probation violation. We intend to transfer several pre-release facilities from the division of corrections, to the division of probation and parole so that the facilities may be used as halfway-in houses. These facilities would be used to help offenders who are in danger of violation, so they may be stabilized and continue their supervision in the community.

Post-Release and Reintegration Services: Continue developing essential partnerships with government agencies, community and faith-based organizations to providing housing, employment, treatment, health (physical and mental) education, and relationship/family needs counseling to address the reunification between offenders and their children.

These goals and priorities will be further developed through an on-going strategic planning process and will be published at later date.