About the Report of the Re-Entry Council

20: Planning Continuity of Care

Prepare community-based health and treatment providers, prior to the release of an individual, to receive that person and to ensure that he or she receives uninterrupted services and supports upon his or her return community.

Overview

This policy statement illustrates how policymakers and practitioners can prevent a gap in treatment from occurring in those moments between a person's departure from a prison or jail and his or her commencement of community-based treatment, while supervised and supported by community corrections officers.

Research Highlights

Recommendations

  1. Prepare a summary health record containing information about important medical problems, prior diagnostic studies, allergies, and medications for each person released from prison or jail prior to his or her release.
  2. Connect prisoners to treatment and health care providers in the community prior to their release to prevent gaps in treatment and services.
  3. Provide prisoners receiving medications with a sufficient interim supply of essential medications upon their discharge into the community.
  4. Educate people in prison and jail about continuity of care and provide them with the summary health record and other important medical records prior to discharge.

Related Policy Statements

 Our Publications

10/23/2008: New Toolkit on Law Enforcement Role in Prisoner Reentry: Four Agencies Selected as "Learning Sites" with Justice Department Grant

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center announced today the release of the toolkit, Planning and Assessing a Law Enforcement Reentry Strategy. With support by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), the kit has been designed as a guide and self-assessment tool for policing personnel and their partners to help reduce repeat crimes and facilitate successful reintegration by the more than 700,000 individuals who return to our communities from prisons each year and the more than 9 million from jails.

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