Survey Shows Reentry Services Halting Across U.S.

The survey makes clear that community service providers are doing what they can to acclimate to the new pandemic climate. More than 80 percent of respondents said they had increased their use of technology to serve their clients, while nearly 60 percent reduced home visits or direct transportation to and from services.

Yet these adjustments are not leaving practitioners confident that people exiting prison or jail will receive the suite of services they need in the near future. Eighty percent of respondents said they’re either “very” or “extremely” concerned that returning citizens will continue to face reduced access to needed services over the next three months. Over the same period, those surveyed overwhelmingly ranked employment as the biggest need their clients will struggle to receive, followed by in-reach services in correctional facilities, and access to coronavirus testing.

Service providers who participated in the poll hailed from 35 states and serve people in a variety of rural, urban, and suburban areas across the country. Respondents represented a cross-section of entities, ranging from advocacy organizations to homeless service organizations, and provide a variety of services related to reentry, including case-planning, housing, education, mental health, and more.

Despite the diversity of those surveyed, about two-thirds of respondents ranked more funding and resources as their biggest need. Last month, Congress passed a third relief package that included $350 billion in assistance for loans dedicated to small businesses and nonprofits. But the White House reported last week that those funds had recently run dry. The White House and congressional leaders announced Tuesday a deal to expand small business aid as part of a fourth relief bill.

Editor’s Note: For community-service providers seeking financial relief, the CSG Justice Center recently developed a guide to applying for federal and private aid in response to the coronavirus outbreak.