Reintegration

Sheriff Bellotti's Reintegration Unit works with inmates who are in the jail's Substance Abuse Treatment Program or have graduated from the program. The Reintegration Unit has assisted hundreds of inmates since Sheriff Bellotti took office in 1999, helping them find shelter at recovery homes after their release from jail.

Currently, the rate of recidivism (which is the likelihood of a released inmate to re-offend and go back to jail) is nearly 75 percent. More than 80 percent of these inmates have problems with drugs and alcohol. Therefore, it is the goal of reintegration to change the behavior of these inmates, get them off drugs and alcohol and make them earn an education so that they will be less likely to re-offend when they get out of jail. By doing this, the recidivism rate goes down, crime is reduced and public safety is improved.

"Sheriff Bellotti hosts regular Job and Recovery Home fairs at the Correctional Center in Dedham. The fair provides inmates with information to help them rejoin society after completing their sentences. Representatives from area recovery homes, shelters and transitional homes make presentations to hundreds of inmates who complete the sheriff's Substance Abuse Program. The goal of the fair is to reduce recidivism by providing inmates with information that will make their reintegration more successful.

Sheriff Bellotti's Moving Ahead Program (MAP) is a unique reintegration initiative that begins while the inmate is in jail and continues for seven weeks after the inmate's release. The program is made possible by a federal grant and is run in collaboration with St. Francis House of Boston. It offers a strict regimen of life skills and education courses, substance abuse treatment, job training and behavioral modification.

Reintegration is an essential part of crime reduction and prevention. By putting inmates through a structured and intense course of treatment and education, they are more likely to get a job after their release and resist the behavior that got them into trouble. Reintegration is essential to public safety.

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