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Second Chances
Our mission is to provide comprehensive support services that promotes family and social stability while providing training and education that leads to permanent full-time employment for persons that have been incarcerated and experience the stigma of ex-offender status. These services are provided in such a manner as to facilitate an atmosphere and environment of respect, trust and dignity among the program, its participants and the community.
Quick Facts:
- Focus of initiative/program:
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- Children and Families
- Education
- Employment/Job Training
- Housing
- Substance Abuse
- Inititative/program name:
- Second Chances
- Year Established:
- 1999
- Lead agency/organization name:
- City of Norfolk / The STOP Organization - Hampton Roads
- Population served by initiative/program:
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- Returning from local jails
- Returning from prison
- Not under community corrections supervision
- Under community corrections supervision (parole or probation)
- Adults
- Juveniles
- Men
- Women
- People convicted of a non-violent offense
Second Chances
Initiatives and Programs
- Focus of initiative/program:
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- Children and Families
- Education
- Employment/Job Training
- Housing
- Substance Abuse
- Inititative/program name:
- Second Chances
- Lead agency/organization name:
- City of Norfolk / The STOP Organization - Hampton Roads
- Funding sources for initiative/program:
- State and Local Funding
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
Funding
Partners in the reentry initiative/program
| Informal Agreement | Formal Agreement (e.g., a written contract or an MOU) with this partner. |
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| Community- and faith-based services providers: |
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| Education and training providers (e.g., local public school officials, vocational instructors): |
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| Health, mental health, and substance abuse treatment providers: |
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| Housing officials: |
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| Institutional corrections (e.g., DOC, jail, prison): |
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| Law enforcement agencies (e.g., police, sheriff's office): |
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| Members of the community (e.g., people who have been incarcerated, their families or neighbors): |
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| Other criminal justice agencies (e.g., prosecutors, judges): |
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| Work force development and employment agencies (e.g. business associations, unions): |
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Participants
- Population served by initiative/program:
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- Returning from local jails
- Returning from prison
- Not under community corrections supervision
- Under community corrections supervision (parole or probation)
- Adults
- Juveniles
- Men
- Women
- People convicted of a non-violent offense
- Total number of people who have participated in initiative/program to date:
- 2500
- Total number of people currently participating in initiative/program:
- 180
- Total number of people who can be served at one time:
- 180-190 active within 6 -12 months
- If your initiative/program serves people under community corrections supervision, how does your organization work in partnership or work in collaboration with participants’ probation or parole officers?
- We receive direct referrals and walk-ins. We have excellent working relationships with the local jail, probation/parole officers, the local jail and court services units. We are also a collaborating partner of the local reentry council established by our state legislators.
Data Collection
- Does your organization collect demographic data on participants?
- No
- Does your organization collect data about the process of your initiative/program?
- Yes
- If "yes", what kind of data? And what results has this data yielded?
- We track our program via database and participant surveys. We recently solicited the services of a local university professor with expertise in criminal justice, to conduct a program evaluation that will examine all facets of our program services delivery to ensure there are no gaps.
- Does your organization measure and/or track the outcome of participation?
- Yes
- If "yes", what kind of data? And what results has this data yielded?
- We track: number served, number placed in housing, number referred for substance abuse treatment services, type of treatment, number completing life skills training, number placed in employment, number retaining employment, number of veterans served. Our results have been good. However, with the onset of the economic recession, we saw our rates of recidivism and relapse increase by 5%. We have a high number to housing referrals and placements, attendance in then life skills and job coaching classes has increased by 10%. The number of veterans with offenses has also increased.
Activities
- What, if any, activities does your initiative/program include for people while they are incarcerated and how do these activities differ from those offered to the general population?
- Currently, we make regular visits to the local jail to conduct pre-release services for inmates who are enrolled in the jail reentry program. At the state level, we conduct workshops, by invitation only, for prison inmates who are within 90 days of release. The main difference in activities between those incarcerated and the general population is that we can immediately assist those in the general population.
- What activities does your organization engage in post-release and how do these activities differ from those offered to the general population?
- At this time, Second Chances only conducts Pre-release services at the local jail level and through the Reentry Court Programs. Pre-release services includes preparing the inmate for release by assisting them to obtain and complete all documentation necessary to prepare them for release (e.g., identification card, social security card, Pre-screening for physical and mental health needs, substance abuse treatment services, housing needs, etc.)
- How are people placed into your program?
- Walk-ins and referrals