Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reductions Act Demonstration Projects
    A Path to Recovery and Successful Community Living (PASSAGES)
    San Bernardino Partners for Aftercare Networking Program (SPAN)

The Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction Grant (MIOCRG) Award was accepted by the California Board of Supervisors on October 26, 1999. This funding stream lead to the development of programs in 23 counties that serve mentally ill offenders who have a high risk for recidivism. These programs provide varying services such as early discharge planning; family support; assessment and referral to Mental Health Court; financial and housing assistance; necessary medication; identification cards; follow-up medical care; substance abuse assessment and treatment referral; and transportation related to these services.

Center staff, lead by Dr. Dale Sechrest, are evaluating two projects that have been funded by the State Board of Corrections by MIOCRG through the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the local Department of Behavioral Health. These agencies work together to address the problems of incarcerated mentally ill offenders in an effort to keep them in the community and at a reduced cost. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is one of four agencies who have received two such grants totaling over six million dollars. The first is the San Bernardino Partners Aftercare Networking (SPAN), which is designed as a “bridge” between custody and community integration by providing early discharge planning, necessary referrals to mental health professionals, appropriate medications, transportation, and related services. Over 1,200 inmates will be seen in the program, which is being evaluated by our CSUSB Criminal Justice research team.

PASSAGES Project
The companion program is called A Path to Recovery and Successful Community Living (PASSAGES), and is designed for about 120 mentally ill offenders who will spend up to one year participating in an intensive treatment program following release from an incustody program housed in a low security jail setting. Evaluation of the PASSAGES Project will mimic the evaluation detailed above with a couple of notable exceptions. Given the complexity of the PASSAGES treatment program, clients will be followed for the duration of the study to assess the impact of treatment on their lives. Located within the Glen Helen Facility, PASSAGES involves an extensive program of behavioral, drug and alcohol, and other assorted therapies. The research design includes a series of client interviews providing feedback to program staff that permit treatment adjustment as well as follow-up referral services.

Dr. Sechrest is assisted in these projects by Dr. Bichler and Dr. Parviz Asheghian of the Economics Department, who is doing the cost evaluation. Consultants include Dr. Don A. Josi, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, Georgia, and Bev Rios, research analyst, San Diego County. Research assistance is provided by many Center staff.

Project Contact: Dr. Dale Sechrest

San Bernardino Partners for Aftercare Networking Program (SPAN) Project
The goal of this evaluation is to document the overall success of the approaches, programs or services implemented by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, as well as specific improvements for individual clients involved in these efforts. Data analysis compares the performance of SPAN clients with a quasi-experimental control group of "nonacceptors" and a comparison group. Also, treated program dropouts (those who are rearrested, disappear, etc.) will be compared with individuals who complete the program (discharges) or are in continuing treatment status, and both groups will be compared with the control and comparison groups. The research design uses existing data and data obtained in the course of the study for follow-up of clients to determine re-admissions to the system, client contacts and performance (e.g., continued alcohol or substance abuse, program behavior, and staff documentation of program progress). The final report will also contain a thorough process evaluation to document the implementation and progress of the SPAN program.

Project Contact: Dr. Dale Sechrest