Jessie Ma Houston ATC

The Jessie "Ma" Houston Adult Transition Center (ATC) is a 200-bed facility located in Dixmoor. The facility houses and provides services and programs to four distinct populations.

The center's work release residents are committed persons who have less than two years prior to mandatory supervised release and are reviewed for appropriateness for a work release facility. While at the ATC, the resident is allowed to leave the facility during reasonable hours for activities that assist the individual's reintegration into society and will not cause undue risk to the public. Acceptable activities include work, educational and/or vocational training, and medical or psychological treatment.

Impact incarceration electronic monitoring releasees are another population at the ATC. Upon completion of an impact incarceration program, the committed person is subject to a period of electronic monitoring as a condition of mandatory supervised release. Should no host be available for electronic monitoring, the offender is placed at the facility and the placement resource unit case manager and assigned correctional counselor will access the needs of the individual and assist in securing acceptable placement.

Lost host site releasees are residents who are required to register under the Sex Offender Registration Act, have a mandatory condition of release for electronic monitoring and maintain an IDOC approved host site. When a host site becomes unavailable, the releasee can be temporarily placed at the Jessie "Ma" Houston ATC for placement assistance.

Parole adjustment center residents are releasees who have demonstrated the inability to conform to the expectations of mandatory supervised release and who may be required to attend and reside in a facility established for the instruction or residence of such persons. Jessie "Ma" Houston ATC provides assessment and redirection of community resources as a last chance prior to revocation proceedings.

Highlights

The parole adjustment component of the facility began in January 2002. At the end of the fiscal year, 314 adjusters had completed the program.

Staff received training in high-risk populations to effectively manage the sex offender and parole adjuster population.

A placement resource unit case manager and intelligence investigator were assigned full time to the facility to assist with the parole adjuster process.

Indicator Reports

The number of work release escapes was reduced significantly in FY 2002. Increased spot checks, structured community passes and increased supervision of residents have contributed to the decrease in escapes from the facility.

The number of positive drug tests was reduced significantly in FY 2002. This change is attributed to the routine testing of residents returning from community passes.

Performance-based Auditing

In reviewing the audit process, it was discovered that staff had deficiencies in conducting audits. The office of program services has trained and retrained more than 50 percent of the staff. The audit process is now identifying problematic areas and corrective action is assigned and completed.

New Technology and Automated Enhancements

The center obtained a toll-free number that residents use to phone facility staff to report information. This technology allows residents to report information such as transportation problems, family issues and request overtime movement.