Transition programs report successful outcomes in Massachusetts and Rhode Island

The Massachusetts Forensic Transition Team (FTT) was established in 1998, "after multiple requests from the MA Commissioner for the Department of Mental Health (DMH) for state funding in order to expand services for mentally ill offenders upon release from incarceration," according to the program coordinator, Karin Orr, in a recent response to a question posted to the Consensus Project Web site. Her response also includes information about the program's theoretical underpinnings, data collection, and collaboration. View the full exchange on the program's Q&A page.

Data collection is also a focus for Fellowship Community Reintegration Services in neighboring Rhode Island, reports its program coordinator in another response posted to the Web site. "Our current recidivism rate over the first 2 years of the program is 42 percent," writes Jane Perron. "Compared with the national average of about 60% recidivism for mentally ill inmates, this is wonderful." View the full exchange on the program's Q&A page.

For information about other transition programs, search "Issue Area: Corrections: Transition Planning" in the Program Profiles.

Did you know that you too can post questions for program coordinators directly to the Consensus Project Web site? Visitors who are logged in can click "Q&A" on any program profile page, and scroll down to the bottom to submit a question. To log in, just register with your email and a password of your choice. Registration is free, and the Consensus Project will not share or distribute your email address or other information.