Last week, we returned to O.H. Close Youth Correctional Facility in Stockton, California, and had a chance to hear from staff about the implementation of the strength-based, family-focused approach they initiated more than a year ago. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Justice, chose O.H. Close as a site to develop and pilot some family engagement strategies—the results of which are being shared and rolled out with facilities throughout the state.

Superintendent Yvette Marc-Aurele and her staff updated us on some exciting progress. In addition to increased staff-family contact by phone and in the visit hall, staff are also helping young people meet with their families and parole officers via videoconference before they are released. This is a significant improvement in addressing the distance that often exists between incarcerated youth and the important people in their lives. Staff integrated recommendations from Family Justice into several forms, including the Youth Expectation Contract. As one staff member noted, “The Youth Expectation Contract is a useful tool, as it engages the youth to identify strengths about themselves [and] identify goals and objectives the youth feel they want to work on." Revisiting the contract weekly allows a young man and staff to assess how things are going.

In marking the 25th anniversary of the Sentencing Reform Act, Attorney General Eric Holder said that "a thorough review of federal sentencing and corrections policies, with an eye toward possible reform, is welcome and necessary."

He spoke yesterday in Washington, D.C., at a symposium sponsored by the Harvard Law School's Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice and the Congressional Black Caucus. You can read Attorney General Holder's remarks here.

At the annual NIJ conference this week, I gave a presentation and facilitated a discussion on cutting-edge family-focused research. Fifteen years ago the room would have been empty; on Tuesday there was standing room only to hear about the role families play in reentry.

We heard about two important studies. First, Christine Lindquist of RTI International reported on work that strengthens ties between incarcerated men and their families. Their research shows that incarcerated men want and expect to resume relationships with their partners and children after their release. Institutional barriers to contact with loved ones were found to be a significant impediment to family-focused programming.

Second, University of Missouri–St. Louis researcher Jennifer Cobbina reported on a study showing that family support helped 58% of women succeed on parole. She also reported that 71% of women under parole supervision who were not reincarcerated within two to three years of their release cited “supportive parole officers” as a factor.

This collaboration will look comprehensively at how a strength-based, family-focused approach will be integrated—from staff development and case flow to visitation and partnerships with community-based organizations.

We are excited to begin work in this area. Do you know of a jail that might be a good fit for this project? If so, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  Natalie Wright-Umoh or complete this questionnaire.