Violence Reduction Grant will expand Sheriff’s Office Re-entry Program
The Newport News Sheriff’s Office will expand its successful inmate re-entry program with more than a half million dollars in federal funds.
The money is included in a $760,000 grant for the City of Newport News’s Gun Violence and Violent Crime Reduction Initiative. It’s a multi-layered approach utilizing collaboration, prevention, intervention, enforcement, reentry, community engagement, and outreach to prevent, intervene, and interrupt cycles of gun violence among residents ages 13 to 24.
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-3rd District) announced the funding on Tuesday, May 2.
The re-entry component of the initiative has many facets and is driven by Sheriff Gabe Morgan and his re-entry team.
Sheriff Morgan says the federal grant will support citizens returning to Newport News after incarceration. (May 2, 2023)
“My focus will be to help citizens returning to Newport News after incarceration. It isn’t always an easy transition and one of the biggest gaps we have is housing. This grant will start to speak to that,” Sheriff Morgan says. “When a person gets a job after incarceration, that first paycheck or two may not arrive for several weeks. Now we can fill the gap in housing for a short time by providing money for things like moving, rent, setting up utilities, essential goods, and more.”
According to the U.S. Dept. of Justice, more than 600,000 citizens nationwide leave prisons and jails and return to the old neighborhoods and communities. Studies have shown that almost half of returning citizens are rearrested within a year and two-thirds are rearrested within three years of release.
Those numbers challenge concerned communities to find and implement innovative solutions to stop the revolving door.
Newport News officials acknowledge the highest poverty-stricken areas in the city directly correspond with the highest number and location of gun violence incidents and the highest numbers of places where recently-released inmates return.
Prioritizing re-entry means the Newport News Sheriff’s Office team gets to work while a person is incarcerated and prepares them for release with programs like GED, anger management, and drug treatment and recovery. Support continues once the person is back in the community to help ensure success.
“We started re-entry when it wasn’t favorable, when it wasn’t looked at as something that needed to be done,” Sheriff Morgan recalls. “We talked about the need for re-entry, for reintegration. We talked about the fact that 95% of everyone who gets incarcerated is coming back to our community. The choice now is how we want them to come back. Do you want them to come back with barriers, facing barriers – no place to live, no job, the stigma – or do you want to say welcome back? To those of you who may be biblical, how do we welcome the prodigal son back? So with that, we set out to do re-entry.”
Sheriff Morgan says Newport News is fortunate to have Rep. Scott’s leadership and support on this issue.
“He’s been a champion of second chances as long as he’s been in Congress. He’s been a champion for our community. He’s been a solid partner and he has been a north star in the midst of the storm.”
Additional money from the grant will support crime reduction strategies of the Newport News Police Department and increase relocation and personal safety services to cooperating victims and witnesses of crime through the Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Office and Police Department.
“It’s imperative that we work together on national state and local levels along with our community partners to find solutions to this important issue. The funding we receive today from Congressman Scott will absolutely be helpful in addressing our cause,” adds Mayor Philip Jones.
The grant begins in July 2023 and lasts for one year.
NNSO Re-Entry items in the Fiscal Year 2023 Grant
3 Re-entry case managers (full-time & benefits)
$55k base salary, $24,129K benefits per person
-mental health/substance abuse recovery case manager
-workforce development case manager
-general re-entry support case manager
Re-Entry Housing Stability Assistance-$312,500
Will include but is not limited to moving-in fees associated with securing a short-term and long-term residence, the connection of utilities, and essential household goods, excluding food; expected to serve approximately 100 people
Re-Entry Program Transportation Support-$8,000
Covered expenses will include purchasing 30-day bus passes from Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) to support a person’s ability to maintain employment and attend school appointments.
Re-Entry Program Assessment and Evaluation Support – $42,250.00
Hire consulting firm to assist the NNSO in developing re-entry outcome measures based on evidence-based models and promising practices in the field and a corresponding system of tracking progress on those measures and recidivism trends amongst participants
Community Collaboration and Outreach: Digital and Audiovisual Materials -$5,830.90
Hire a company to film, produce, and edit an educational and inspirational video of local returning citizens to promote the Newport News Sheriff’s Office re-entry program and encourage returning citizens and their families to participate; the final product to be distributed via social media outlets, websites
Community Collaboration and Outreach: Printed Materials on Re-Entry Support-$4,000
Will provide printed promotional materials to educate citizens on available re-entry support, how to connect for help, and the services available. Printed materials, including flipbooks and tri-fold brochures, will be placed in strategic locations around the city.