The Department of Detention Facilities applies a Case Management approach to delivering classification and program services to the inmate population. The elements of Case Management include advocacy, intake, assessment, classification, referral, intervention, monitoring and evaluation, each of which is manifested in different ways at different points during an inmate’s incarceration. In performing these functions, Correctional Case Managers are called upon to individualize services based on each inmate’s history, status and needs. Toward that end, there are separate tracks for pretrial and sentenced inmates, summarized below.
Case Management services for inmates awaiting trial center on offering assistance in understanding and navigating the criminal justice process. Case Managers track and explain to the inmate the progress of the case(s) for which he or she is committed, and any others that may be pending so that failures to appear may be avoided. Referral to and communication with attorneys is facilitated as described in Section XIV, Legal Services.
The goal with inmates serving sentences to AACDDF is to, “Begin With the End in Mind;” i.e., to start making preparations for re-entry as soon as the sentence is imposed. Within in the first seven days, inmates with at least 90 days to serve enter into an Individual Program Agreement (IPA) which maps out behavioral and program expectations for the term of the sentence. Each IPA is individualized based on the inmate’s starting classification level, sentence length, in-custody and post-release needs and eligibility for available programs, including Work Release and House Arrest. Throughout the term of sentence, the Case Manager follows the inmate’s progress, allowing for downward classification consistent with the terms of the IPA. The Case Manager also initiates action, as appropriate, to ensure inmates are partnered with agencies and services in the community through the Re-Entry Program. One such partnership is with the Division of Parole & Probation, which assigns an agent to conduct pre-release conferences with inmates who have probation obligations. The agent provides the inmate with specific reporting instructions, discusses his or her planned residence, employment and treatment plans, and reviews program participation while in custody to facilitate continuity between institutional and probation supervision.