Statewide Montana Community Reentry Coalition (MCRC) Mini-Conference

Fairmont Hot Springs, MT, October 3, 2024

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Next Conference: October 30, 2025 In Billings, MT.

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HIGHLIGHTS/ATTENDEES

Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin,

Scott Echner, Rehabilitation & Program Chief

Renee Seiller-McDaniel, Constituent ServicesCommunity Representatives – 32 (list and contact information pgs. 5-6)DOC  

 

 1.Updates- Brian Gootkin,Director

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 2.Rehabilitation and Programs- Division Chief,Scott Eychner,

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 3.Constituent Services Manager -Renee Seiler-McDaniel,; Community Ambassadors 4 Change (CAC) Coordinator

•    New InitiativeCommunity Ambassadors 4 Change (CAC) is our newest success—really excited about their work sharing their success stories (200 years of reintegration collectively) with inmates in all our facilities, plus new employee orientation sessions.

• New Facilities

• A) DOC Pre-Release in Kalispell – Gootkin and Eychner convinced Flathead County Commissioners to support (2-1) a new Pre-Release Center operated by DOC that would set folks up for success; however, the Board of Adjustment zeroed it out by denying location. DOC will continue to work on making this happen.

• B)The past legislature approved $250 Million for new buildings at MSP: replacing low side units including Unit D for elderly with disabilities plus a new Programs building for treatment, education, and a new staff building to provide onsite support and comfort for those who work at MSP.

• C)House Bill 5 in Committee asking for two more housing units – approximately 500 beds.Working with Yellowstone County to co-locate MT Women’s Prison and Yellowstone County Jail in a new location in Billings.CCCS is starting construction now on 80 bed unit in Anaconda that will house inmates for sex offender treatment, materially speeding up mandated completion.System Improvements

• D)SB 11 provided funding ($18 million) for a new Offender Management System (OMS) to combine all criminal justice data; selected vender chosen to construct will not include names starting with DOC, Courts, JudgesWill include drug courts, DPHHS, others laterWill be a gamechanger for a data systemStarted in four counties – called “snowflake’No other state is doing anything like this.

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 4.Desistance: Measuring the progress of a returning Citizen as opposed to measuring the failures. A new position for a “Desistance Coordinator”. This position will help us look at how to measure success, what’s working to prevent a return to the justice system.

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 5.Q&A for Gootkin:

• ​Q Is there a date for returning Montana prisoners from Arizona?

          A. No date for the 240 transferred. It may be 4-5 years. We still have 400 inmates in county jails waiting to be                             transferred to prison; we have to get them into state facilities first.Missoula ended its contract with DOC for                             MASC unit at the County Detention facility, and we lost 120 beds, which caused the second group of 120 to be                     transferred to Arizona. The new MSP/MWP facilities will help- in a few years.

• Q. Can you explain placement for prisoners from county jails into DOC system?  

           A. Placement decisions have been a major source of complaints because there were no    criteria. This year we set               up a new central Placement Committee to make decisions with standards and uniform criteria.

• Q .Do you have any control over the Parole Board and its decisions?

       A. No. The Board is entirely separate from DOC.Q. How is DOC defining recidivism now?A. We have a new                               “Innovations” team, that’s working on better definition than the old definition of return to prison within 3 years – wh                 which was a focus on failure. The new measure will break it out by arrest, indictment, conviction, placement. For                   example, it makes no sense to label all DOC Commits as “recidivism” when only 25% require prison.

• Q.How would DOC be affected if Medicaid Expansion isn’t reauthorized in 2025.

          A. Eychner:  Expansion doesn’t help us enough – many returning citizens make too much to qualify. It does cover a             portion of those released. DPHHS has $300M to use forbehavioral health care and this funding could cover part of               the gap in care for returning citizens. Recommendations have been sent to Governor and 2025 Legislature.                           https://dphhs.mt.gov/FutureGenerations/ApprovedBHSFGInitiatives

• Q.Why can’t DOC fund reentry programs?

       A.The Criminal Justice Oversight Committee (CJOC) meeting during the Interim is looking at how to pay for some                     reentry costs, including fees that are part of mandated parole requirements. There is also an effort in CJOC to                       change the blanket list of parole conditions for all parolees, whether or not related to a crime (i.e., no, alcohol).Rep.               Seekins-Crowe suggested possibility of a separate “Department for Community Reentry”

• Q.What about the “collateral consequences of Incarceration?

           A.They’re real—talk to Jim Andersen, DOC Public Safety Division, who supervises our secure facilities.

      Q. How many leave prison with no meaningful support, trade, training for work?

          A.DOC currently does not track post-release employment. What we have found is thatinmates cannot both work and               take classes, go to school for training while incarcerated.We are changing that by increasing the pay to inmates for               their work inside. In addition, we are totally revamping training for skilled trades to replace outdated work programs.

 

 6. Zoom Presentation on CSG Reentry2030 - Jesse Kelly, Reentry 2030 Program Director,Council of State Governments       Justice Center,  https://reentry2030.org/ 

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 7. Hot Topics for Panel Discussion and Questions 

• ​Mental Health – Leah Wetzel (PPT available upon request),

• Housing – Peter Maney, Director, Recovery Residences of Montana (RRAM)1115 Medicaid Waiver –

• Scott Eychner, DOC Rehabilitation and Programs Division

• CAC update and Peer Mentoring - Renee Seiller-McDaniel,

• Constituent Services Mental Health – Leah Wetzel, Recovery Services, Behavioral Health/DD, DPHHSWetzel comes from Blackfoot experience & personal lived experience with historical trauma, addiction, and 10 years in recovery.  Now Peer Support Specialist, also served on the human trafficking task force.SAMHSA defines “recovery” as “the process of change through which individuals commit to improve their health health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential. She reviewed the 10 Principles of Recovery, and the 4 essential dimensions needed for continued recovery: Home, Health, Purpose, and CommunityDPHHS Behavioral Health Plan ($300 million) is funding recovery efforts in Montana16 Drop-in Centers which serve as the HUB of resourcesRecovery Residences of Montana websiteSSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, Recovery (SOAR) navigation funding coordinatorPeer Support Training through contract with Montana Peer NetworkTechnical Assistance (TA) to support building recovery resources, infrastructureWellness Recovery Access Plan (WRAP) training funded by SAMHSAHousing – Peter Maney (RRAM)Recovery Residences of MT is DPHHS recognized and supported with a grant to Native American Development Corporation of Billings to certify recovery housing that meets national standards of the National Alliance of Recovery Residences - https://narronline.org/RRAM grew from 13 homes in Fall 2023 to 56 certified residences today.In 16% of counties, 268 beds; average length of stay 82 days.72% of participants graduate sober/clean.Don Roberts in Ronan has 2 homes, 32 units. CSKT is giving him another building for tribal members.\1115 Medicaid HEART Waiver – Scott Eychner, DOC Rehabilitation & Programs DivisionWaiver submitted to CMS in 2023, granted January 2024; to allow Medicaid to expand to provide community, residential facilities treatment for DOC population.Waiver willExpand services 30 days before release, for meds, case management, warm handoff, treatment appointmentPay 30 days after release from prison for follow up on medications, other needsFunds for case management in community – new staff.Inmates will have Medicaid eligibility determination on entry to facilities.Waiver will take one year, Sept. 2025, to implement.Other changes already in the works for treatment and rehabilitationNEW “Medical grade” tablets for prisoners, that are more secure, and used for telehealth, with cameras for face to face conversationsSound-proof booths for high-side for secure treatment visits, as a stop-gap until we have new housing units with built-in rooms for appointments.Governor’s HEART initiative (Healing & Ending Addiction through Recovery & Treatment) seeks to build community-located corrections facilities, get into county-level justice system, not just state.Q.  Will Medicaid Expansion Authorization get through 2023 Legislature?A. Rep. Seekins-Crowe stated that all Montana legislators understand this important program; want to see it funded. The concern is whether there can be a bill that will gather support from enough folks, not a “black and white” vote.CAC Update and Peer Mentoring - Renee Seiller-McDaniel,Community Ambassadors 4 Change (CAC) has 24 members, with 200 years of lived experience in the justice system, secure facilities.18 prison visits this year, 1000+ inmates reached, 305 staff members, P&PO Academy participants and all new DOC hires.CAC provides advice to DOC leadership, as they are experts on their own experience.CAC members address the biggest barrier to success for returning citizens: belief in themselves, that they are worthy. Something changed for CAC members, they show that there is hope.

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 8.Discussion Decision on New Name, New URL for website Proposed new name - Montana Community Reentry Coalition (MTCRC)New URL for website - MontanaCommunityReentryCoalition.org