The 12 Principles of the IRC

Impacted individuals and families should be centered in policy and service development.

People who have been convicted and served time in prison are entitled to support to permit them to return successfully to the community.

The effectiveness of the state and local corrections systems and the individuals working in those systems will be measured by the successful reentry of people who have been incarcerated, which includes positive individual outcomes and no recidivism.

Structures and supports developed for individuals and their families should be sustainable, both fiscally and politically.

The practices and programming within jails and prisons should be rehabilitation-oriented, to promote successful reentry and community safety.

The prison/sentencing systems should be designed to create efficient and supportive pathways for people to leave incarceration when they are ready to successfully reenter, rather than on an arbitrary date set at the time of conviction.

The prison system should be engaged in preparing individuals for successful reentry through effective, individualized case planning based on each individual’s assets.

Specific, individualized, effective support services and programming such as healthcare or education should be available to people both because they are indicated by objective assessment and also so people can choose to pursue their personal goals during their incarceration.

Coordination and more partnerships between community-based organizations and the prison system should be established to create a process to seamlessly connect individuals to opportunities and supports.

Connections to and delivery of services and other supports should be provided by organizations in communities. The goal of post-release supervision should be to accomplish successful reintegration into the community and positive individual outcomes.

Everyone leaving prison should be provided financial support and guidance to secure housing for at least one year if needed.

Support services to address individual needs and personal goals should be provided until successful, independent reentry is attained. In some cases, this may mean extended medical or financial support, as determined by objective and validated standards.