State Board of Pardons and Paroles Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report
FY 2015 Reentry Services
M.O.R.E. or the Max-Out Reentry program's first full year was FY14. M.O.R.E. is the result of a recommendation of the Governor’s Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Department of Corrections developed the program to allow for a mandatory period of community supervision for offenders who would remain incarcerated otherwise until their maximum release date.
M.O.R.E. offenders are housed at transitional centers operated by the Department of Corrections.
Community supervision officers (formerly parole officers) with the Department of Community
Supervision provide reentry services to the M.O.R.E. inmate population.
The M.O.R.E. program’s offender population includes selected inmates who are statutorily ineligible for parole which requires them to max-out their sentences in prison and those offenders who have previously been denied parole. The Parole Board and the Department of Corrections carefully screen inmates for possible placement in the program. Inmates within 12 to 18 months of their maximum release date are eligible for the program. Previously, these inmates would be released at end of sentence with minimal, if any, transitional assistance.
The M.O.R.E. program provides transitional services to this inmate population by providing the opportunity and assistance in establishing access to mental health and substance abuse services, stable housing,
and employment prior to release. The program is engineered to
address the risk and needs of this population and establishes a continuum of care with community resource providers prior to the offender's release.
Offenders housed at the transitional centers are required to work with a portion of their earnings used to cover program costs. Parole eligible offenders placed in the M.O.R.E. program can be reconsidered for parole based on their success in the program. Inmates who are non-compliant can be returned to a secure state prison.
During FY15, a total of 403 inmates were placed in the M.O.R.E. program. As of June 30, 2015, a total of 254 offenders were active in the program. Of those, 124 were ineligible for parole and 130 were referred by the Parole Board. By the end of the fiscal year, 289 inmates had successfully completed the program and 65 inmates who had previously been denied parole were reconsidered by the Board and granted early release.
APPA Recognizes M.O.R.E.
In January 2015, the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) awarded the State Board of Pardons and Paroles with the 2015 APPA Award for Excellence in Community Crime Prevention based on the success of the M.O.R.E. program. The annual award goes to community corrections agencies which have integrated community crime
prevention initiatives into the
traditional roles of supervision, intervention and sanctioning of offenders.
Employment
Employment is a key element necessary for success once an offender is released on parole. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles works with community partners to assist parolees with needed services, to include employment and housing. In FY15, the average monthly percentage of parolees employed was 69%, up 6% from the previous year.
Department of Corrections’ Day Reporting Centers (DRC)
During FY15, 424 parolees were diverted to Day Reporting Centers operated by the Department of Corrections. By successfully completing the program, the parolees receive substance abuse treatment and they are continued on parole instead of being revoked to prison.
Photo: Parole at APPA accepting award for M.O.R.E.
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