Programs

PAST Program

PAST is an acronym for Post-Adjudication Supervision and Treatment. The PAST program is based on the drug court model and is administered by the State’s Attorney’s Office and the Circuit Court and District Court Judges. It serves an alternative to the standard incarceration and probation model and provides increased levels of treatment and more direct supervision. Participants are first screened by the State’s Attorney’s Office, where we seek to find individuals charged with non-violent offenses and minor criminal records, who have both demonstrable substance abuse issues and a sincere desire to address those issues. Those candidates are then evaluated by Community Behavior Health to determine if they are amenable to treatment.

After entering a guilty plea, sentencing is postponed and each case is reviewed at least once a month for a minimum of one year. In addition to treatment, the judge can also require the participants to attend self-help meeting, participate in mental health counseling, perform community service, or any other conditions they deem appropriate. If the individual successfully completes the program, the case is dismissed and they have no conviction on their record. However, should they not comply with the terms and conditions of the program, the court can impose sanctions which run the gamut from increased treatment to incarceration. If a participant is terminated from the program, the case reverts to the sentencing phase.

Kent County Comprehensive Recidivism Reduction Project

The Kent County Comprehensive Recidivism Reduction Project (RRP), initiated and directed by the Kent County State’s Attorney’s Office, intends to reduce recidivism in Kent County through an evidence-based multi-pronged approach working with local partners to manage behavioral health challenges, and those with the co-occurring issues of mental health and addiction as well as the basic challenges of poverty, food insecurity, housing, not having official identification, driver’s license issues, and employment. The Project works to ensure that RRP Participants are supported with addiction and mental health screenings, mental health and addiction counseling, educational and workforce development activities, workshops, and re-entry services as needed. 

Grant funded through the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services under sub-award number BJAG-2009-9000, RRP will work toward reducing recidivism in Kent County by consolidating and enhance services as well as initiating some new programming components, stressing case management and outreach. Striving to prevent justice system involvement for those with behavioral issues; to divert those with addiction or mental health problems to treatment and other services as appropriate; and to ensure treatment, addiction counseling and mental health counseling is provided to incarcerated individuals, while expanding support services including greatly enhancing re-entry programming.  

KCCRRP is designed to do this with a program manager and a case manager—to coordinate services, provide case management, identify new service providers to fill in programming gaps, and to put systems in place to evaluate and measure a new program as a structure of care is created and strengthened. 

Please find the RRP Flyer for download
Jobs and Education Resources
Behavioral Health Treatment Options

Hope Clark, Recidivism Reduction Project Manager
Phone: 410-810-2233

Christine Chisolm, Recidivism Reduction Project Case Manager
Phone: 410-810-2218

*All points of view in this website are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of any State or Federal agency.