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About SMART
Photograph: Mike Bleeg, Interim Secretary/Coordinator Mike Bleeg, Donald Hardaway, Jr.
1. SMART.
2. Reentry in Monroe County.
3. Recidivism.
4. Recidivism Reduction.
5. Evidence-Based Performance.
6. Broad Collaboration.
7. Similar Steps Elsewhere.
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Safer Monroe Area Reentry Team (SMART) is dedicated to improving the prospects of men and women reentering society from prisons and jails. SMART itself does not provide direct reentry services. SMART promotes collaboration, efficacy of direct and indirect services, expansion of such services where needed, mutual assistance, education, and advocacy. SMART thus aims to promote public safety, reduce recidivism, and improve quality of life for individuals, families, and neighborhoods. [Back to Contents][Back to Home]
SMART is voluntary organization, a forum for discussion, an agency of collaboration and change, and an advocate for improving the prospects of men and women reentering society from prisons and jails back into Monroe County, New York. Rochester is the largest municipality in Monroe County and the seat of its government, and its poorer neighborhoods are the hardest impacted by crime and recidivism. [Back to Contents][Back to Home]
Reentry is a critical point from which to view our community. Yearly, 2,500 men and women leave incarceration and attempt to adjust to life on the outside in Monroe County. Without proper behavior and assistance, up to 70% of these persons are rearrested for crimes, and many are sentenced and sent back to jail, within a short time and surely in three years. See Monroe County Reentry Task Force. [Back to Contents][Back to Home]
Recidivism unevenly affects families and neighborhoods. It has devastating effects on loved ones, public safety, health and well-being, governmental operations, and costs to taxpayers. Realistically, we believe carefully planned, collaborative, and comprehensive reentry improvement will reduce recidivism by 25% or more and pay off economically. Among urgent needs is safe housing linked to supportive programming and other reentry services. In 2003, Mike Bleeg wrote of the community's shortage of some 1,000 such beds. Read Mike's 4-page article as it appeared in Justicia: p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 4. Also, read the original 31-page report; also the one-page executive summary. [Back to Contents][Back to Home]
Recidivism reduction is now a major policy objective of New York State, exemplified in the 100+ page preliminary report of the New York State Commission on Sentencing Reform. And Monroe County is doing its part. The report cited above indicates changes seriously being considered, discussed with the public, yet still subject to revision. The testimony of three Monroe County activists -- Ann Graham of Monroe County Reentry (etc.), Carl Hatch of the Reentry Association of New York (etc.), and Bob Seidel, of JPC and SMART (etc.) -- is linked here. [Back to Contents][Back to Home]
SMART supports the local development of results-based recidivism reduction programs and services by the Monroe County Reentry Task Force (see Monroe County Reentry tab), the Judicial Process Commission, Spiritus Christi Prison Ministries, Step by Step of Rochester, inc., and lots of others. [Back to Contents][Back to Home]
SMART applauds the leadership of many in this work. These include the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Department of Probation, Jail, and Correctional Facility; the State's Division of Criminal Justice Services, Department of Corrections, Division of Parole, and Department of Mental Health; and many other public and private organizations. For that portion of the reentry population that is most vulnerable, at risk, and willing, they help with safe housing, health care, nutrition, employment services, transportation, relationship building, and more. [Back to Contents][Back to Home]
Other cities and states are actively pursuing reentry initiatives to reduce recividism and accomplish other goals that SMART has in its sights. Chicago and Massachusetts are two of them. Check these link to see more.
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© SMART 2008 |
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