Sustainability and the Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) Initiative

• In Event: Reentry Research: Findings and Implications from Four Studies

Abstract

The Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) Initiative was designed to improve public safety and to enhance the success of individuals returning to the community from local jails through implementation of an innovative, evidence-based transition model developed by the National Institute of Corrections in partnership with the Urban Institute. Between 2008 and 2015, 14 jurisdictions received targeted technical assistance (TA) to implement the TJC model: six sites (Davidson County, TN; Denver, CO; Douglas County, KS; Kent County, MI; La Crosse County, WI; Orange County, CA) participated in TJC Phase 1 implementation, which spanned September 2008 to February 2012; another eight communities (Ada County, ID; Franklin County, MA; Fresno County, CA; Hennepin County, MN; Howard County, MD; Jacksonville, FL; San Diego, CA; and Santa Barbara, CA) received TA under TJC Phase 2, which began in September 2012 and will conclude in June 2015. An intended outcome of the TA is that learning sites would sustain and build on some, if not all, of the TJC efforts implemented. In September 2012, roughly nine-months after Phase 1 TA concluded, the Urban Institute began an 18-month sustainability assessment in all six Phase 1 sites to document and explore the extent to which those sites maintained, modified or expanded key components of the TJC model including collaborative partnerships and reentry practices such as screening and assessment and targeted interventions; incorporated the TJC Core Performance Measures into routine program management activities; and engaged in knowledge transfer and capacity-building. Changes in leadership and its impact on local reentry efforts were also examined. This presentation reviews the sustainability assessment’s key findings and explores the lesson learned for future systems change initiatives.

Authors

• Cybele Kotonias, Urban Institute

• Janeen Buck Willison, Urban Institute