Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction IPP - Community Supervision

In addition to the principles laid out for the institutional component of the Intensive Program Prisons, the Work Group also proposes the following recommendations concerning the supervision phase of the IPP regimen. Community supervision - including both the surveillance and treatment aspects - is viewed as a vital, integral component of the IPP concept. It is important not only to ensure the credibility of the IPP programs for Judges and other stakeholders, but also to increase the overall effectiveness of the correctional intervention. Towards these ends, the primary goals of supervision are to assist the offender in completing the term of supervision and reintegrating successfully into the community while ensuring the safety of the community.

As the Work Group proposed for institutional IPPs, community supervision should mirror the characteristics that have been shown to enhance program effectiveness. Community supervision should also be compatible with the Reentry and Community Justice initiatives. The Work Group recommends the following principles as crucial to effective, well-run community programs:

• The community phase of the IPP is seen as a period of balance between an emphasis on the continuity of treatment begun in the institution and a reasonable standard of surveillance. The role of field staff, however, is not only to provide the services and supervision of traditional community release but is also to serve as a mentor who reinforces pro-social values and behavior and provides advice and guidance to assist offenders in completing their terms of supervision.
• Planning and design of the community supervision phase should ensure a continuous linkage between institutional and community programs.
• Supervision, like institutional programming, should be tailored to meet the assessed needs of the offender, following the recommendations of the Reentry Accountability Plan.
• The supervision plan for an individual offender may include conditions that are based on recommendations of the institutional Reentry Management Team and are compatible with the offender's risk level and needs. These conditions, if any, should be Parole Board-mandated conditions of supervision.
• The offender's community supervision plan should utilize appropriate resources and programming to create an environment suitable for rehabilitation, as well as providing an opportunity for the offender to become a contributing member of society.
• Offenders on community supervision should have opportunities for repaying their debt for harm done to the community; these opportunities can be offered through various community service work projects and other volunteer activities. These opportunities will link the principles of Community Justice introduced in institutional programs to supervision activities and will enhance the offenders' development of pro-social attitudes and behavior.
• An array of graduated sanctions should be available for use with offenders who violate the conditions of their supervision and/or are a risk to the safety of the community. These offenders will be held to a higher standard of accountability relative to compliance with conditions of supervision because of their IPP status.
• There will be a presumption of at least a twelve-month period of supervision. However, if there is sufficient evidence of successful reintegration and appropriate performance under supervision, the period of supervision may be reduced. ^[1]

^[1] Under criteria established in DRC policy 100-APA-16.

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