10-year Milestone Celebration of the Kent County Re-Entry model

Warwick, RI. – This coming Tuesday, November 28, 2017 @ 11AM in Warwick City Hall Upper Chambers, there will be a 10-year Milestone Celebration of the Kent County Re-Entry model. The purpose is to recognize the commitment of the Kent cities, towns, agencies and the collaborative work which has been taking place among them all these years. Established in 2007, the Kent County Reentry Council is a regional collaborative which identifies and addresses local systemic challenges faced by individuals who are under the supervision of Adult Probation and Parole and by those who are re-entering the community after incarceration. With public safety, offender rehabilitation, and accountability in mind, the Kent County reentry council is comprised of three tiers: Policy level, Case Management, and Monthly Informational Forums.
The Policy level tier, which has the strategic function of identifying local systemic challenges, addressing gaps and providing direction, is comprised of Adcare, Adult Probation and Parole, Anchor Recovery, Bridgemark, CCAP, Coventry Police Department, East Greenwich Police Department, Elizabeth Buffum Chace, Kent Center, Network RI, Officer of Rehabilitation Services, Providence Center in collaboration with Warwick and West Warwick Police, Rhode Island Legal Services, Rhode Island Vet Corps, Thundermist Health Center, South Pointe Church, U.S. Marshalls, VA-Warwick Vet Center, Vantage Point, Warwick Police Department, West Bay Community Action, West Greenwich Police Department, West Warwick Police Department, West Warwick Senior Center. The Case Management tier consists of specialized meetings which provide the venue to discuss cases of high risk and/or high-profile offenders being released to Kent County.
Individuals who are sentenced to probation by the courts for the first time, transferred from another location, released from the ACI after completion of sentence, or paroled are required to attend a one-time Monthly Informational Forum. One hour forums are hosted at two separate locations to accommodate residents from the five Kent County cities and towns. In a group setting, probationers and parolees have their conditions explained, are informed of the expectations, and are encouraged to use their time under supervision to think about their actions, consider choices, associations and the outcomes of their behaviors. They are able to meet face-to-face with agency representatives who efficiently provide information and a plethora of resources available in the community. In addition to the original purpose of the forum, which was to provide clear information and efficient access to resources and services, a collateral benefit has been offenders voluntarily connecting with agencies to give back and have a positive impact in their communities. When individuals are provided with the necessary resources, they are given tools to make better decisions; tools provide accountability and eliminate excuses. As offenders choose to make better decisions and become productive members of the community, it strengthens families, neighborhoods, communities, and the State as a whole.
It has been this philosophy of changing lives, working in collaboration and across boundaries, which has successfully sustained this model for 10 years.