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Harvard University’s Ash Institute Recognizes Getting Ready: Keeping Communities Safe Prison Re-entry Initiative

Phoenix AZ., – September 9, 2008 – The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School announced today that Getting Ready: Keeping Communities Safe is a winner of the 2008 Innovations in American Government Awards. As a successful initiative of Arizona’s Department of Corrections, the state-wide program facilitates inmate reentry into society by structuring the prison environment like the outside world with real-world workdays and leisure time activities, progressive decision-making and earned opportunities to advance. The announcement was made this evening at the Innovations in American Government Awards reception and gala in Washington, D.C.  Governor Napolitano delivered the event’s keynote address on the unique position of states in generating and spreading innovative practices nationwide.

The Department implemented Getting Ready: Keeping Communities Safe in 2004, as an alternative to conventional correctional systems in which staff exercises complete control over prisoners, affording most inmates few opportunities to acquire and apply basic skills critical to their success. By contrast, Arizona’s initiative empowers inmates to take control of their own lives, shifting pre-release preparation from staff to inmates with graduated incentives and earned privileges to recognize good behavior. This opt-in re-entry initiative is available to Arizona state inmates at all custody levels and was developed with no new funds or enabling legislation.

Called a Parallel Universe, life in prison is restructured to resemble life in the community to the greatest extent possible.  Inmates are encouraged to earn high school (equivalency) diplomas, achieve and maintain sobriety, and work full time during the work day, and serve as community volunteers, participate in victim-focused activities and strengthen family ties in prison during leisure time. To ensure success and sustainable wages after inmates are released, job training and job assignments behind bars are aligned with actual Arizona industries. And, just like the real-world, inmates’ wages improve with post secondary education and good work evaluations, and their status advances with community service and volunteerism.

Prior to the development of Getting Ready, nearly half (42 percent) of all Arizona inmates released returned to prison within three years. Since its implementation over four years ago, the inmate population has increased 17 percent, operating funds have been reduced and the system is more overcrowded and still, the Department operates much better than before thanks to the program’s traction within the inmate community and its widespread support among staff. A study of inmates who participated in Getting Ready prior to their release from prison demonstrated its graduates are 35 percent more successful in the community than inmates of comparable risk. In addition to lowering the recidivism rate, inmate-on-inmate violence is down by 37 percent, inmate-on-staff assaults by 51 percent, and inmate suicides by 33 percent. The initiative also cut inmate litigation by 42 percent and brought down staff vacancies from over 30 to fewer than 3 percent. The prison population is increasingly embracing opportunities for pre-release preparation. Three quarters of the inmate population has earned high school equivalency diplomas and completed bona-fide jobs training. They have also donated over one million dollars to crime victim organizations in Arizona. Plummeting rates of institutional violence and recidivism represent a $1.6 million reduction in spending in its first several years directly benefiting Arizona taxpayers. “Getting Ready fundamentally changes how inmates do time. We operate our prisons like the real world as much as we can with similar rules, responsibilities and rewards,” said Dora Schriro, Director of the Arizona Department of Corrections. “Getting Ready is all-day, every-day, pragmatic pre-release preparation. It keeps communities safe while inmates are incarcerated and when they go home.”

“I want to congratulate Director Dora Schriro and all of the ADC staff for working so hard and succeeding at putting “corrections” back in the mission of the Department of Corrections,” said Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano “Getting Ready is the perfect example of what innovation in government means for real people.”

Since 1986, the Ash Institute’s Innovations in American Government Award Program at Harvard Kennedy School has honored 193 federal, state, and local government agencies through Ford Foundation support. This is the first-ever Innovations award to a Department of Corrections for prison-based reform.  In highlighting exemplary models of government innovation, the Program drives continued progress in improving the quality of life of citizens and encourages scholarly research and teaching cases at Harvard University and institutions worldwide. Many award-winning programs have been replicated across jurisdictions and policy areas, and have served as harbingers of today’s reform strategies or as forerunners to state and federal legislation.

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