Community Reentry and Supervision

Community Reentry

Tyler Zatcoff

Email: [email protected]

Community Reentry and Supervision oversees all statewide supervision and reentry services for individuals released from prison to a term of community supervision. Additional responsibilities include oversight of support units to include warrants administration, support of the Board of Executive Clemency, sex offender registry, administration for the state's Interstate Compact responsibilities, and oversight of all contracted programs and treatment center operations

The responsibility of the division is to protect the public through community based supervision of people upon release from an institution and/or people accepted under the Interstate Compact (ISC) until expiration of their term of supervision.

Community Reentry and Supervision ensures the accurate release, effective re-entry, transition, and supervision of people released to the community utilizing a continuum of supervision services, strategies, evidence based programs, and meaningful incentives and sanctions. Community Reentry also facilitates the swift return to custody of those people who violate conditions of supervision and who represent a serious threat to the safety of the community. It also provides meaningful interaction with victims to maintain public protection.

While under Community Supervision, there are standard conditions of supervision as well as any special conditions that the assigned Community Reentry Officer deems appropriate based on the person’s criminal history

• Payment Methods for Community Reentry Fees
• Community Reentry Office Locations
• Standard Conditions of Supervision

Community Supervision

Community Reentry ensures the accurate release, effective re-entry, transition, and supervision of people released to the community utilizing a continuum of supervision services, strategies, and evidenced based programs. Community Reentry also facilitates the return to custody of those people who violate conditions of supervision and who represent serious threats to the safety of the community.

Community Supervision provides community based supervision for the protection and restoration of victims, the community, and people on parole. Major duties of Community Reentry include the operation of two Community Reentry Centers, 22 field and support units located in 12 field offices throughout the state. The offices are staffed by 216 community reentry staff supervising approximately 5,500 active parolees in the community.

Specialized Caseloads

Electronic Monitoring supervises all people released on community reentry or community supervision that require electronic monitoring for a past or current conviction for a crime designated as Dangerous Crimes Against Children. This is outlined in A.R.S. §13-604.01 and §13-705 or for individuals placed under House Arrest by the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency.

Special Needs assists people who have been determined to have high General Mental Health needs to include Seriously Mentally Ill (SMI), as well as those people with severe physical impairments who have been placed on community supervision. Officers assigned to this unit have special training to serve these populations and forge relationships with integrated healthcare service providers to more effectively serve these populations.

Arizona Automated Reporting Supervision (AARS) allows low-risk people to have minimum reporting requirements as compared to other supervision categories. Monthly reporting using an automated call-in procedure to the supervising officer advising of current address, participation in education, employment, treatment programs, etc. The supervising officer monitors their parolees to determine if police contact was made and document their findings. Community Reentry believes that based upon the risk, need, and treatment principles of Evidence Based Practices (EBP), it would be more advantageous to remove those people who meet the eligibility criteria from a standard active field caseload.

Veteran’s Caseload supervises all parolees that have veteran status and are released to Maricopa County and parts of Pinal County. Since the supervising officer is a combat veteran, he has the ability to connect with the veterans assigned to his caseload and effectively navigate the VA system to better address their special needs.

Many of the veterans suffer from PTSD and other trauma that has not been addressed. Veterans are placed in specialized trauma-informed care programs, which utilize both individual and group counseling. Community Reentry has also partnered with the Veterans’ Administration VA Peer Support Specialists and Re-entry Specialists that meet one-on-one with the newly released people. Additionally, DES Veterans Workforce Specialists assist with employment resources.

Community Reentry Centers

The Pima Reentry Center (formerly Southern Region Community Reentry Center) was first established in December 2012. This program offers structure, supervision, surveillance, drug/alcohol education, and treatment opportunities to people under supervision who are released from prison without an adequate address in place and are in need of short term housing.

In July 2016, the Department opened its second Reentry Center in Maricopa County. Maricopa Reentry Center’s (MRC) mission is to provide a therapeutic environment for individuals on community supervision who are addressing substance abuse issues or transitioning back into community life. The program focuses on reducing recidivism and enhancing community safety by offering therapeutic services tailored to individuals dealing with trauma and substance abuse.

Administrative Support

Sex Offender Coordination Unit (SOCU) reviews all sex offender cases up to one year prior to their release to determine if they are subject to the statutory requirements of Sex Offender Registration ARS §13-3821, Community Notification ARS §13-3825, and/or civil commitment under Arizona’s “Sexually Violent Person” (SVP) statute ARS § 36-3701. The Unit also provides ongoing training to local police and sheriff's offices on the Sex Offender Community Notification Process in Arizona. Unit staff coordinates all sex offender referrals to the county attorney under the state's Sexually Violent Persons statutes.

Interstate Compact Services Unit (ICS) coordinates community reentry transfers to and from Arizona. The Unit serves as the central location for interstate information and special investigation requests from other states on pardons, clemency investigations and pre-sentence reports. Unit staff acts as liaisons with various state and local criminal justice agencies when procedural problems arise. The unit administers the Interstate Agreement for Detainers for Inmates incarcerated elsewhere who are returned to Arizona for trial on untried criminal charges. The Interstate Compact is a formal agreement between member states that seek to promote public safety by systemically controlling the interstate movement of certain retained adult individuals.

The Warrant Services Hearings Unit is responsible for obtaining, processing, and monitoring all warrants requested, issued, and received by and for Community Reentry. Responsibilities include entering warrant data into ACIC/NCIC database, confirming warrants for other agencies, quashing warrants approved by the Community Reentry Manager, monitoring of a detainer caseload of persons on supervision, maintaining the warrant database for statistical purposes on all arrests, warrants issued, quashed, and canceled. Other duties include providing testimony before the Board of Executive Clemency (BOEC) during revocation hearings, conducting administrative and ISC probable cause hearings, and maintaining statistics on revocation hearings.

Release Unit processes all release programs for individuals being released from prison to serve Community Supervision pursuant to all statutory sentencing schemes (Truth in Sentencing), Board of Executive Clemency Releases (Home Arrest, Community Reentry, Work Furlough) and Legislative release programs (Transition Program and Community Accountability Program).

Programs - Contracts

Transition Program ARS §31-281, 31-282: SB1291/HB2298/SB1093 funding was established in 2003, via SB 1291 to provide reentry programming to non-DUI offenses In 2009, legislation expanded eligibility to additional non-violent drug offenders through SB1093. This law stipulates that the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry shall contract with a private or nonprofit entity to provide eligible individuals transitional services. Inmates may be released up to 90 days early in order to complete the program.

Community Accountability Program (CAP) funding provides programs available to Community Supervision individuals who have a history of substance abuse and whose conduct demonstrates a need for additional treatment, intervention, and oversight. CAP is utilized to address violations of supervised conditions and/or individuals who pose a high risk to recidivate. CAP is funded by the state Spirit Tax and delivered through contracted services to provide cognitive behaviorally based counseling, electronic monitoring and/or transdermal alcohol detection monitoring. Formerly a Legislative program ARS § 41-1609.05 expired as of July 2012). ADCRR has since adopted the program with established internal eligibility criteria.

Residential Community Behavior Modification Program A.R.S. § 42-3106 funds residential treatment programs for those in the community who are having difficulty on community reentry status and are high risk/high need, relapsing into drug use, and/or demonstrate additional high needs, to include Serious Mental Illness (SMI). The program includes two program tracks:

• Sanctions:  A swift invention which includes residency with a brief cognitive assignment to address poor decision making and improve coping skills;
• Residential treatment: Includes residential substance abuse treatment for up to 90 days. Additionally, the program offers stabilization services to those requiring medication adjustments, stabilization, enhanced oversight, and case management.

Contracted programs are available in Maricopa and Pima Counties.

Urinalysis Drug Testing funding provides statewide drug testing services with Treatment Assessment Screening Center (TASC) for all individuals under community supervision.

GPS Monitoring and Equipment Services funding provides electronic monitoring services for individuals convicted of Dangerous Crimes Against Children offenses as outlined in A.R.S. §13-604.01 and §13-705 and for individual placement under House Arrest by the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency.

The Absconder Reduction Program (ARP) in Maricopa County is a pilot program to successfully identify individuals who have absconded from ADCRR supervision status and to attempt to make contact with those absconders to bring them back under supervision with their terms of release. After a person absconds from supervision, ARP letters are then mailed out to family and friends in an attempt to make contact with these individuals. Once a person receives the ARP letter and calls in, they are provided with information about the program and given a next report date. This program offers an alternative to incarceration while providing the resources and opportunities to successfully complete their term of supervision, thus lowering recidivism.

Interagency Community Reintegration Collaborations

Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System’s (AHCCCS) Targeted Investment Program (TIP) program will provide medical, mental health, and substance abuse assessment services for those individuals reentering the community. Upon release from prison, people will, after their initial assessment, be referred to a participating community “home clinic” for continued services in Maricopa, Pima, and Yuma counties.

Department of Economic Security Arizona@Work Program Department of Economic Security Arizona@Work Program embeds DES employment specialists at Employment Community Reentry Offices and Community Reentry Centers. The program is designed to provide job readiness, employment fairs, and job placements services to the community.

Maricopa County Smart Justice Pilot provides intensive employment/vocational case management services to a targeted 25-50 people. The program includes fully integrated case management for up to one year for high risk/need individuals.