Evaluating the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative within and across the New England Region

The reentry of inmates back into the community is a hotly debated topic in society today. A descriptive study was conducted to analyze what mental health services were being provided to inmates who were participants in the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI). Additionally, barriers to implementing comprehensive mental health services, along with trends within and across the New England Region regarding mental health services were examined. The data collected was from three program evaluation surveys completed by Project Directors for SVORI in 2003, 2005, and 2006. The results indicate that the mental health services provided to SVORI participants varied according to state, lacking comparable data and having no consistent definition for mental health services. Inadequate referrals by facility staff was most often reported as a factor limiting participant enrollment in SVORI. These results have implications for the counseling field, as well as society in general