RMN Partners collect and analyze local data related to incarceration, reentry, and community well-being; develop policy options based on the findings; use the findings to engage community stakeholders toward community improvement; and document their findings and lessons learned. Current partners include:
Atlanta, GA: The Emory University Office of University-Community Partnerships is working with a collaborative community advisory board to build knowledge about the dynamics of prisoner reentry in the Atlanta metro area. One focus of their project is the delivery of services to former prisoners.
Chicago, IL: The Metro Chicago Information Center is analyzing and mapping data on prisoners returning to Cook County, along with data on current and predicted job market conditions in the area. They aim to explore the employment opportunities available to returning prisoners in Chicago and the policy levers that might improve and expand these opportunities.
Denver, CO: The Piton Foundation is the lead RMN partner in Denver. They are working closely with a Community Advisory Committee, which has identified five priority areas to focus both the research and the community outreach: employment, housing and homelessness, substance abuse, mental health, and family.
Des Moines, IA: Using data from the Iowa Department of Corrections, The Child And Family Policy Center (CFPC) has completed two reports for their Neighborhood Learning Partnership, analyzing current prison populations and the effects of incarceration on local communities. The CFPC continues to participate in strategic planning sessions with local service providers.
Hartford, CT: The United Way of Central Connecticut is providing research and planning support to community partners working to better coordinate reentry-related services for ex-offenders in Hartford.
Indianapolis, IN: The United Way of Central Indiana is mapping incarceration and reentry patterns in Central Indiana to help community organizations better understand and respond to prisoner reentry issues.
Louisville, KY: Making Connections Louisville, and the Community Resource Network (CRN), have provided research support to a local Justice Reinvestment Planning Commission. They also are working with community groups to analyze the availability and adequacy of support services for ex-offenders in Louisville.
Milwaukee, WI: The Nonprofit Center Of Milwaukee is analyzing longitudinal data on ex-offenders returning to Milwaukee from 1997 to 2004. They are using these data to develop reentry related indicators for neighborhoods to use in measuring their progress towards improving outcomes for ex-offenders returning to their communities.
Oakland, CA: The Urban Strategies Council (USC) is producing a regular community report with basic information on the reentry population, their service needs, availability of services to meet their needs, and the costs of various strategies for public safety.
Providence, RI: The Providence Plan and The Rhode Island Family Life Center have used reentry maps to analyze the impact of voter disenfranchisement and to analyze the impact of restrictions on ex-offenders from receiving public benefits. They have also used reentry maps in a community education program that reached over 400 people in neighborhoods with high concentrations of returning ex-offenders.
San Diego, CA: The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and The San Diego Association of Governments have analyzed information on the previous residences and criminal histories of ex-offenders. They are working with an advisory committee to use these data to better understand the needs and resources of ex-offenders in San Diego County.
Seattle, WA: Public Health-Seattle, King County, in partnership with Making Connections White Center/Boulevard Park and Seattle Goodwill is assessing reentry patterns on the basis of race, immigration, socioeconomic status, gender, and the presence of dependent children. They are collaborating with community representatives in using this data to identify and improve services for ex-prisoners.
Washington, DC: NeighborhoodInfo DC has analyzed data on where ex-offenders are returning in the District of Columbia and is working to use those data to better understand and plan for the housing needs of returning ex-offenders.
Winston-Salem, NC: The Center For Community Safety (CCS) has provided research support to a community coalition planning process for the creation of a new Reentry Network Center, designed to serve as a central location for both service referrals and on-site services to accommodate the needs of returning ex-offenders in the Winston-Salem community.
