Safer Foundation

SAFER FOUNDATION

SAVE CROSSROADS ATC

2012 TOOL KIT

LETTER TO STATE LEGISLATORS:

Instructions: Please add the date and your legislator’s name and address. Then, please delete these red lines of instruction, print out, add your signature at the bottom, and mail to your state official. Thank you for helping “Save Crossroads!”

(Date)

Dear

As a concerned member of your constituency, I am writing to urge you to vote to keep funding for Crossroads Adult Transition Center (ATC) in the FY 2013 state budget. I understand the difficult decision you have as you work to balance the state’s budget. However, I hope you will not jeopardize public safety or put the people of Illinois at risk. Cutting reentry programs is not the answer – we must find the proper funding to ensure the safety of millions of Illinois families.

In fact, the state’s reentry programs are a more efficient and economical way to spend taxpayers’ money. These programs not only cost less than incarceration, they provide job training, life skills, and counseling that help men become law-abiding, tax-paying husbands and fathers who can support their families, improve their communities, and grow the tax rolls.

Cutting reentry services and closing these six ATCs will actually cost the state millions of dollars more than if they were allowed to continue providing these vital services. The closings will further depress local economies and harm Illinois’ most vulnerable communities. Thousands of incarcerated individuals will be released, without community supervision, social services, or employment opportunities. This could have a drastic impact on the public safety of men, women, and children throughout this state.

Founded in 1972, Safer Foundation works to reduce recidivism by supporting, through a full spectrum of services, the efforts of people with criminal records to become employed members of the community. Safer’s reentry programs have a proven track record of success. Clients served by Safer’s Crossroads ATC, for example, have a recidivism rate of only 31%, compared to 51% of the general prison population who are released and re-offend because they did not have the benefit of Safer’s reentry services.

If Safer’s Crossroads ATC is cut, the more than 750 clients helped there each year will no longer receive sufficient and necessary services. Additionally, as a result of the cuts, all 12,000 individuals who come to Safer’s headquarters each year will be negatively impacted.

If the state fails its citizens by eliminating essential public safety programs and services, the result will be an increase in costs for behavior-related social problems. During the last fiscal year, Safer provided 4,200 job starts, saving the state more than $160 million (assuming an average stay in prison of one year costs Illinois taxpayers $38,268 per individual, according to research conducted by the highly-respected Vera Institute of Justice in New York).

Safer continues to be part of the state’s budget solution. Our reentry programs make communities safer and save taxpayers money. Therefore, your support of Crossroads ATC is respectfully requested. Please keep the funding for this important program.

Thank you for your time and your service to our community.

Sincerely,

LETTER TO LOCAL (CITY/COUNTY) OFFICIALS:

Instructions: Please add the date and your public official’s name and address. Then, please delete these red lines of instruction, print out, add your signature at the bottom, and mail to your local city and/or county official. Thank you for helping “Save Crossroads!”

(Today’s Date)

Dear

As a concerned member of your constituency, I am writing to urge you to advocate for continued state funding of Safer Foundation’s Crossroads Adult Transition Center (ATC). Essentially, failure by the state to provide money to continue effective reentry programs, like those provided by Crossroad ATC, will jeopardize public safety and actually cost more taxpayer dollars.

The state’s reentry programs, including Crossroads ATC, are a more efficient and economical way to spend taxpayers’ money. These programs not only cost less than incarceration, they provide job training, life skills, and counseling that help men become law-abiding, tax-paying husbands and fathers who can support their families, improve their communities, and grow the tax rolls.

The proposed closure of six ATCs, including Crossroads, is a perfect recipe for increased crime and a threat to public safety. Many communities in Chicago are experiencing an increase in gang activity and gun violence towards children. Not providing assistance and hope to thousands of individuals coming out of prison will only lead to more crime and arrests in our communities. That will, in turn, place more of a burden on police and jails at a time when we already do not have adequate resources.

In addition to the public safety issue, supporting the ATCs makes good fiscal sense. As you know, Safer Foundation works to reduce recidivism by supporting, through a full spectrum of services, the efforts of people with criminal records to become employed, productive members of the community. Safer’s last recidivism study, conducted by Loyola University, demonstrates a 42% improvement in the recidivism rate for Safer programs, as compared to the recidivism rate for the general released population from IDOC who did not use Safer services (22% vs. 51%). This results in a savings in the cost of incarceration, while growing the tax rolls. Safer’s services turn those who were once a drain on the economy into law-abiding taxpayers.

If the decision to cut these reentry programs from IDOC’s budget stands, thousands of inmates could be released in Illinois. Roughly 60 percent of them will return to Chicago and Cook County, most without community supervision, social services, or jobs. This could lead to a significant increase in the number of victims in your jurisdiction.

Please join me by urging our state officials to do what must be done to maintain our most vital public safety programs, such as Crossroad ATC.

Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

“Save Crossroads” Telephone Script You Can Use:

“Hello, my name is _______ and I live in _______. I am calling to express my concern regarding Governor Quinn’s proposed closing of Safer Foundation’s Crossroads Adult Transition Center in his Fiscal 2013 budget.

As a taxpayer, I believe that it is important to fund cost-effective, proven reentry programs that help keep our communities safe. The decision to close Crossroads Adult Transition Center will have a severely negative impact on the public safety and fiscal health of our State. We understand that the current economic situation is difficult, but cutting funding to programs that actually save taxpayers money and protect our communities is not the way to fix it.

Closing Crossroads would:

· Hurt our State's long-term economic health.

· Put thousands of families at risk of increased criminal activity.

· Hinder hundreds of former prisoners from becoming productive members of society.

· Be an irresponsible use of taxpayers' dollars.

Please reverse Governor Quinn’s decision and help protect the people and the financial future of Illinois.

Thank you for your time today.”

Advocacy Guidelines

When calling legislators to advocate for Safer in regards to the reentry (Crossroads) program cut, it is important to ensure a sympathetic audience by keeping the following in mind:

State your name, where you live (to let them know you are a constituent) and that you are calling as an advocate for Safer Foundation in regards to the pending cut to reentry programs, namely Crossroads ATC. (You can use the opening paragraph of the phone message above.)

Be polite and avoid raising your voice. Speak clearly to ensure you get your message across. Avoid using slang terms and poor grammar. Approach the call as you would a job interview, etc.

Leave a clear voice mail message and state your name, where you live, and say that you are calling on behalf of Safer Foundation in opposition to the Governor cutting a cost-effective, results-oriented reentry program. Leave your number at the end if you desire to speak with someone further. (You can use the opening paragraph of the phone message above.)

Be prepared. Have your message (phone script above) ready and in hand to avoid awkward stumbling and show that you are serious about what you are advocating.

Do not pose threats but let them know in no uncertain terms where you stand and how important this issue is to you and your vote.

Ask questions: What can I do to help the lawmaker to better understand the impact to all communities if these devastating cuts are approved?

Say thank you to the person on the other end of the call for his/her time and willingness to listen.

Telephone Numbers (Illinois Legislators)

TO CONTACT LAWMAKERS: You can click on or copy and paste the link below into your web browser to find your Illinois State Representative or Senator or to the find the complete list of Members for the Illinois General Assembly: http://www.ilga.gov/.

Who Should You Call? Focus on:

1. Representative or Senator from your district

2. Appropriations Committees that will vote on the IDOC Budget containing Crossroads ATC:

a. Senate: Appropriations I

b. House: Appropriations-Public Safety

KEEP CALLING UNTIL THE DECISION TO CLOSE CROSSROADS IS REVERSED!

Dated: March 7, 2012