Nevada U.S. Attorney’s Office Participates In Federal Prison Events As Part Of National Reentry Week

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – On April 28, 2016, U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami, visited the Federal Correctional Institution in Herlong, Calif. (FCI Herlong) as part of the Department of Justice’s first-ever National Reentry Week, which included events nationwide to assist incarcerated Americans who are preparing to leave prison. National events included job fairs, reentry court graduations, legal service clinics, family events and community resource open houses. 

U.S. Attorney Bogden and Assistant U.S. Attorney Fahami were part of a coalition of representatives from two federal judicial districts who presented information to the inmates on various reentry programs that are being offered to inmates who are returning to the community. The team included U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie P. Cooke of the District of Nevada, as well as U.S. Probation Officers, Assistant Federal Defenders, and residential reentry center representatives.  The team was assisted by FCI Herlong management and staff, including Warden Felicia Ponce, and Associate Wardens Ganson McManus and Israel Jacquez.

During this visit to FCI Herlong, as well as another visit that occurred on March 15, the reentry team conducted panel discussions with Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) participants and general population inmates who were sentenced in U.S. District Courts in Nevada and Eastern California. Approximately 10 staff and 130 inmates attended the panel discussions where the reentry team lectured and responded to inmate questions.  The main topic of discussion was the criteria for and expectations of participants in the Court Led Efforts at Recovery (CLEAR Court) programs.  The District of Nevada has had a CLEAR Court program for approximately five years. These programs are voluntary and are monitored by a federal judge, federal probation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Public Defender’s Office and a residential reentry center (RRC) clinician. 

During their discussion they informed the inmates of the intensive oversight while participating in the CLEAR Court program and that it also offered the returning offenders access to additional resources, a new view of authority figures, and an opportunity to earn up to one year off of their supervised release.  After the panel discussions with the inmates concluded, a tour of the institution program areas was provided to allow the reentry team members an opportunity to meet institutional staff, learn about the various departments’ roles and programs that are offered to inmates to assist them with the skills necessary to have a successful reintegration back to the community.   

Each year, more than 600,000 citizens return to our neighborhoods after serving time in federal and state prisons.  Another 11.4 million individuals cycle through local jails.  And nearly one in three Americans of working age have had some sort of encounter with the criminal justice system — mostly for relatively minor, non-violent offenses, and sometimes from decades in the past.  The long-term impact of a criminal record prevents many people from obtaining employment, housing, higher education, and credit — and these barriers affect returning individuals even if they have turned their lives around and are unlikely to reoffend. 

Visit the following link for additional information on National Reentry Week and reentry programs, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/fact-sheet-during-national-reentry-week-reducing-barriers-reentry-and-employment-formerly.