Corrections

6. Hundreds of thousands of yellow ribbons have been distributed to citizens of

Singapore who wear them in public as a visual representation of their support

for this program and for ex-offender reintegration.

Perhaps most important element of all is the fact that the program has the active

support of prominent corporate and political leaders. They frequently make public

appearance and public statements supporting the Yellow Ribbon initiative.

Overall, there is a need to get the prison population down, to impact less negatively on individuals while they are in prison, and help them to become successfully reintegrated within their family units, their communities and the workforce once they are released, preparing for that reintegration both while in custody and once they leave the prison setting. We can do this by:

1. In principle, developing a less punitive correctional orientation as an American cultural value

2. In practice:

• Front-End options (less reliance on prisons/greater use of alternative, if in prison shorter sentences, minimize classification levels)
• Custodial options (continually minimize classification levels while incarcerated, furloughs, work-release, study release, etc.)
• Back-End options (early parole, halfway-out houses, employment assistance programs, alcohol/drug/mental health program access, etc.)
• Overcoming the Lingering Cultural Orientation of Attainder (ala the Singapore Yellow Ribbon Project)

Parole Reforms

• Expand pre-parole furlough programs (work release, study release, family furlough, weekend confinement)
• Grant parole earlier
• Utilize more VIPs (Volunteers in Parole)
• Eliminate revocation for technical violations
• Mandatory residential re-entry center participation (structured Halfway “out” Houses)
• Reduce parole officer caseload size:
• Social service focused officer to some
• Custody oriented officer to others (intensive/electronic)