Prisoner release must include reintegration

There have been many questions in the past few months about the early release of Illinois prisoners. But let's be clear: the vast majority of incarcerated individuals don't receive life sentences; they will be released. The question should be: how is community safety preserved, even after people are released?

The Illinois Department of Corrections has been an unparalleled leader in asking and answering that question. It has developed and implemented prisoner rehabilitation programs that are models for the nation. These programs are successful because they focus on what happens after prison.

Inmates released from the Sheridan Correctional Center, which combines prison drug treatment with intensive community reintegration services and employment support, have a 44 percent lower risk of returning to prison than those who did not receive treatment and post-release services.

The Pew Center on the States reported last week that for the first time in 38 years, state prison populations have begun to recede slightly. Pew attributes the decline largely to successful efforts-such as the Sheridan program-that keep parolees out of prison. In Illinois, there was a .7 percent dip in the state prison population in from the end of 2008 to the beginning of 2010, from 45,474 to 45,161. At a cost of $23,400 per inmate per year, reducing the prison count by even 313 saves Illinois taxpayers more than $7.3 million in one year.

What Illinois has built up must not be torn down by politics. Proven programs should, in fact, be expanded and strengthened. Let's keep our focus on policies that make our communities safer.

Pamela F. Rodriguez

Elk Grove Village

President, Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities