Community Reentry Peer Support Service for Inmates in Community Placement

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) is an agency of the Department of Justice (DOJ). It consists of 122 institutions throughout the United States, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico, 6 regional offices, a Central Office (headquarters), 2 staff training centers, 24 Residential Reentry Management Offices, and 6 Community Treatment Services (CTS) field offices. The FBOP is responsible for the custody and care of approximately 155,000 federal inmates. Nearly 12,000 inmates are residing in the community in Residential Reentry Centers (RRCs), on home confinement or Federal Location Monitoring (FLM) or assigned to a Day Reporting Center (DRC) throughout the United States of America and various territories (i.e., Guam and Puerto Rico).

The FBOP is committed to providing high-quality, evidenced-based programs and services for all federal inmates who reside in the community. These programs include outpatient services, such as substance use disorder, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), sex offender treatment, mental health, psychiatric treatment, and peer support services. The CTS Contracting Section is responsible for procuring the needed services by utilizing community-based providers in areas where inmates are located or, when possible, using nation-wide vendors to deliver a specific service.

The need for a reentry peer support service is crucial for individuals transitioning back into the community as it can address the significant challenges they face, reduce relapse, and improve long-term outcomes. The first year following release, especially the first several months, is the most significant period in a person’s involvement with the criminal justice system. Without the proper support in place for a successful reentry, these vulnerable individuals risk being reincarcerated. Once incarcerated, individuals of all demographic backgrounds are likely to be coping with at least one behavioral health condition. Among those in U.S. prisons, 37% report a mental health diagnosis, with studies also showing up to 65% of inmates meet the criteria for a substance use disorder.

In September 2022, CTS contracted with a nationwide vendor to provide a virtual peer support program on a 24/7/365 basis, which delivered nonclinical support services, available to inmates residing in the community, who enrolled in the service. The program delivered a confidential and evidence-based resource, provided in a digital platform, which focused on providing a safe and anonymous way for inmates to engage on the topics of substance use, behavioral health, and the impact of the justice system in a meaningful way. Once enrolled in the service, a daily rate per inmate was billed during the month, while the inmate remained in the community and engaged in the service, when also meeting minimum requirements for contacts between the inmate and the certified peer support specialist. During the first year of the two-year contract, approximately 300 inmates actively engaged in the program. During the second year of the contract, around 400 inmates participated in the peer support program. Most, if not all, of the individuals who participated in the program found the peer support service to be quite helpful and some even continued to train as a peer support specialist.

At this time, CTS does not have peer support services for inmates in community custody, as the previous contract ended several months ago. The previous contract had been providing virtual peer support primarily for inmates participating in CTS programming, i.e., enrolled in substance use disorder or mental health services, for inmates who were identified with medium and high recidivism risk levels, and was also made available to all inmates who had transferred from the institution who needed reentry support.