2011 Housing Planning Study - County of Hawaii

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Exiting Offenders Persons with Alcohol or Drug Addictions When incarcerated offenders are released from In 2004, the statewide total number of persons in one of Hawai is correctional facilities, housing is need of alcohol and/or drug treatment was often their most immediate concern. Although estimated to be 78,896. This represents an some exiting offenders will return to their pre- increase of approximately 10 percent between imprisonment residence upon their release, most 1998 and 2004. will be in need of affordable rental housing options. Approximately five percent of these individuals (3,759) are adolescents in grades 6 through 12 In 2009, approximately 1,230 offenders entered who are in need of treatment for alcohol or drug probation following incarceration. An additional use, or both. 733 inmates were paroled back into the community.32 Alcohol is the drug of choice among the majority of the 78,896 adults in need of substance abuse According to the State Judiciary System, each treatment. Three out of four persons are in need year there are about 495 probationers in the state of treatment for alcohol abuse, 13 percent for who have special housing needs. Of these, 25 illegal drug abuse, and 10 percent for abuse of percent are drug court probationers, 10 percent both drugs and alcohol. are considered "high-risk," and the rest are general probationers. In addition, the Hawaii Paroling Authority reports that approximately 375 Housing Needs and Challenges people released from prison on parole each year have special housing needs. According to providers, there is a need for more clean and sober housing during the recovery period. The most pressing need is for clean and Housing Needs and Challenges sober houses for women with children, followed Hawaii currently offers several housing by a similar housing option for single women. alternatives to exiting offenders. These options are summarized in Table 23. The importance of alternative housing options for exiting offenders is underscored by the results of several recent studies. Offenders participating in halfway house programs were found to commit fewer and less severe offenses during a one-year outcome analysis (at a statistically significant level) than those who did not participate 33 Participants also performed better on a range of other outcome measures, such as finding and holding a job, being self-supporting, and participating in self-improvement programs. 32 Probation and Parole in the United States. Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2009. 33 Seiter, Richard and Kadela, Karen. Prisoner Reentry: What Works, What Does Not, and What Is Promising. Crime& Delinquency, Vol. 49 No. 3, July 2003. pp. 360- 388. Hawaii Housing Planning Study,2011 Page 41 ©SMS, Inc. November,2011