Maryellen Hess Cameron spent over 25 years as the Executive Director of non-profit agencies in the social.... Inmates in any kind of detention may experience a wide range of emotions about their release. After only one year of incarceration they may already have lost their sense Maryellen Hess Cameron spent over 25 years as the Executive Director of non-profit agencies in the social.... Inmates in any kind of detention may experience a wide range of emotions about their release. After only one year of incarceration they may already have lost their sense of how to cope with the outside world. They often face confusion and anxiety about what life will be like. There are practical obstacles as well. They are likely to know life will be harder as an ex-offender. It will be harder to get a job, and thus harder to establish a stable life. Statistically, nearly half of them are likely to return to incarceration within one year. Recidivism means an individual has returned to criminal behavior. Research from the Council of State Governments (CSG) shows that you, as a case manager, will be most effective in preventing recidivism by focusing intensive supervision and treatment on the people who are most likely to reoffend. Although we may expect more positive outcomes by serving low-level offenders, the opposite is true. Intensive programming for people at a low risk of reoffending is counterproductive, and often increases their likelihood of reoffending. This perspective leads you to the highest need individuals. Setting Up the Initial File Inquiries about programs may come directly from inmates, or as a recommendation from law enforcement, courts and other service providers working with them. You will have to determine whether they are eligible for the services that your agency provides. You can set up the file to record the information you need in this phase, from the initial referral through the assessment to the final decision about eligibility. Casebook Intake’s virtual front desk is a powerful tool that provides flexibility in documenting that first contact with a referral. It presents a choice of fields suited to collect demographics, need assessments and input from others – the information you need to determine eligibility for your agency’s programs. This might include: Client profile with demographics Documented source of referral and agency’s basis for it Documented history of involvement with law enforcement and justice system History of services such as mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment disorders, etc. Implementing the CSG Best Practices adds another level of eligibility screening. You will interview inmates and collect documentation that helps you understand whether they engage in criminal thinking. If so, it’s a risk factor you will address in service planning. You can set up notes to record how offenders fare on the ten factors as a preliminary step for service planning after the eligibility phase is complete.