District of Columbia Corrections Information Council (CIC)
Michelle R. Bonner, Chair
Katharine A. Huffman
Reverend Samuel Whittaker
	
  

May 24, 2013
To:

Mayor Vincent Gray, District of Columbia
Council of the District of Columbia
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton
Charles Samuels, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Thomas Faust, Director, DC Department of Corrections
Jeffrey Varone, Director and CEO, Hope Village
DC Community At-Large

Established by the Revitalization Act of 1997 and expanded by the District of Columbia Jail
Improvement Act of 2003, the DC Corrections Information Council (CIC) is mandated to inspect
and monitor conditions of confinement at facilities operated by the Federal Bureau of Prison (the
Bureau), DC Department of Corrections (DOC) and their contract facilities where DC residents
are incarcerated.
The CIC conducted a comprehensive inspection of Hope Village over the past six-month period,
with a site visit occurring on November 30, 2012. In the attached report the CIC records its
findings along with recommendations.
The CIC thanks the Bureau employees who directly assisted in this Hope Village inspection,
specifically Michael Boram, Chief, Policy Development and Planning Section, Correctional
Programs Branch; Jon Gustin, Assistant Administrator, Residential Reentry Management
Branch; Kathryn Tracy, Senior Deputy Assistant Director Correctional Programs Division; Clay
B. Kiser, Administrator, Residential Reentry Management Branch; and Kenneth Hyle, Senior
Deputy General Counsel. Additionally, the CIC thanks Mr. Jeffrey Varone, CEO and Director of
Hope Village, and his staff for their time on the day of the onsite inspection of Hope Village,
during subsequent document review, and during CIC open meetings. Finally, the CIC thanks
current and former Hope Village residents, family members and loved ones of current and
former Hope Village residents, community service providers, community advocates, and the DC
community at large. All of these individuals and groups provided invaluable information,
without which the CIC would not be able to fulfill its mandate.
We anticipate that this report is the first of many by the CIC on Hope Village and other halfway
houses in the District; as such, it addresses some but not all of the areas and issues presented to
the CIC in the course of our inspection process. The CIC views this report as only the beginning
of an ongoing process; and its desire is to work together with and serve as a resource to the
Bureau, Hope Village, the Mayor and City Council, and the DC community to better serve DC
residents both here in the District and across the United States.
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. • Suite 533 • Washington, DC 20004
Phone: 202.478.9211 • Email: DC.CIC@dc.gov • Website: https://sites.google.com/a/dc.gov/cic/

DC Corrections Information Council (CIC)

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Table of Contents
Letter from the CIC

1

Executive Summary

3

I.

Information Gathering Process

8

II. General Information on Successful Reentry

10

III. Hope Village Background

12

IV. Information, Observations and Recommendations

13

Programming

14

Community Relations and Partnerships

16

Academic and Vocational Education

20

Employment Assistance

22

Hope Village Staff

24

Transportation Assistance

26

Grievance Procedure

28

Disciplinary Procedure

30

Mental Health

32

Bureau Oversight and Accreditation

35

Other Topics

36

V. Conclusion

39

VI. Appendices

40

DC Corrections Information Council (CIC)

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Executive Summary
The Corrections Information Council selected Hope Village as its first inspection because
it heard many concerns from District leaders and community members about this facility. The
CIC heard on multiple occasions that incarcerated DC residents would prefer to stay at secure
Bureau facilities than renter DC through Hope Village. DC residents are returning to the DC
community after periods of incarceration, and many have served long sentences and are
disconnected from their homes, families, loved ones, government, and local services. Often DC
residents in Bureau custody are incarcerated in states all over the country, as far as California,
Texas, Arizona, and Florida. Upon return to the DC community, residents need assistance with
employment, housing, medical and mental healthcare, substance abuse, reintegration, mentoring,
therapy, identification, transportation, living necessities, and more. All of these needs, if unmet,
present significant challenges to reentry. The CIC’s intention through this entire process has
been to work in partnership with the Bureau and Hope Village to procure better outcomes for our
DC residents returning to the District from Bureau custody.
The CIC conducted an inspection of Hope Village Residential Reentry Center (RRC)
located at 2844 Langston Place SE, Washington, DC 20020, with a site visit occurring on
November 30, 2012. The CIC collected information from Hope Village, the Federal Bureau of
Prisons (Bureau), advocates in the DC community knowledgeable about DC halfway houses and
successful reentry, more than 20 current and former Hope Village residents,1 families and loved
ones of current and former Hope Village residents, government agencies, community service
providers, and the community as a whole. Upon review of a report draft, Hope Village and
Bureau submitted additional information and comments.2 As you will see in the report, there are
numerous issues addressed here, some more than others due to more information on some issue
over others at this time. Where there is less information, know that the CIC is in perpetual
information collection mode; and the CIC will produce reports in the future on Hope Village and
thematic reports on system-wide issues presented here. However, regardless of the amount of
information contained in this report, the CIC recommends that Hope Village ensure and the
Bureau confirm that proper policies are in place and being implemented, and that those policies
and practices be clearly communicated to the community.
Based on all of the information collected the CIC makes the following general recommendations.
Transparency. Hope Village is required by its Program Work Statement (PWS), which sets
forth contract performance requirements with the Bureau, to communicate, educate, and interact
with the community. The DC community does not feel that Hope Village staff is accessible,
interacting with the local community, or welcome to forming community partnerships to better
serve DC residents at Hope Village. The CIC recommends:
• The Performance Work Statement (PWS) for Hope Village requires a Community
Relations Advisory Board (CRAB) with regular meetings. The CIC recommends that
these quarterly CRAB meetings be open to the public. This forum could be established
where Hope Village, community members, and service providers come together to
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
1

For the purpose of this report former Hope Village residents include residents who left Hope Village within six
months of speaking with the CIC.
2
Factual corrections have been incorporated in the body of the report. Responses to observations or CIC
recommendations are contained in Appendix A, attached.

DC Corrections Information Council (CIC)

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•

discuss the most prominent needs of Hope Village residents and link these needs with
services available in the community to supplement contractually required programming.
In this setting, Hope Village management and staff can be open and available to the
community and actively address their concerns.
Hope Village should partner with other community service providers and explore
executing Memoranda of Understanding (MOU’s) with service providers who already
serve Hope Village residents, to better ensure clarification of roles and responsibilities
towards this population.

Employment Assistance. According to Hope Village, vocational counselors assist residents
with finding employment, hold a job readiness class one hour per week, maintain a job bulletin
board, and develop a bi-weekly employment newsletter. Residents are sent to Project
Empowerment and STRIVE DC for Employment Assistance. Hope Village provides onsite
computer and Internet access to residents in the GED program, and that residents who are not in
the GED program are sent to the One Stop Career Center to search for jobs and fill out online
applications. In contrast to this information, current and former Hope Village residents as well as
community members have indicated that Hope Village itself provides little to no job assistance.
The CIC understands that returning citizens face tremendous challenges in finding and
maintaining employment. Citizens returning to DC face additional barriers to employment, such
as high unemployment rates. The CIC, therefore, recommends:
• Hope Village ensure staff have the education, training, experience and expertise in the
field of job placement as vocational counselors. These individuals should be experts in
this field, teach job readiness classes, and assist residents individually on a weekly basis
with job placement. This may require additional training for current staff; and
• Hope Village provide all residents, not just GED students, with sufficient access to the
Internet onsite for job searching and communication with employers as well as for
computer literacy. The facility already has 16 computers onsite for the GED program
that can be set up for these multiple uses.
Staff and Programming. Current and former Hope Village residents indicated to the CIC that
the programming they received at Hope Village was not helpful to their reentry process.
According to Hope Village, the facility already has outside sources evaluating programming, and
that program evaluations are consistently positive. Despite these representations, Hope Village
residents indicated that programming was not helpful. The CIC recommends:
• Hope Village utilize and the Bureau approve the use of experts with education, training,
and experience in the specific subject matter as instructors for contractually required
programing;
• Hope Village supplement the contractually-required programming by partnering with
community service providers, organizations with expertise in providing evidence-based
programming to provide services to Hope Village residents; and
• An independent, comprehensive assessment process be conducted by a third party and
include confidential interviews with residents by non-Hope Village staff. This would
ensure the evaluation process is more reflective of residents’ true concerns. The CIC

DC Corrections Information Council (CIC)

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recommends that the District government be willing to support such an evaluation of
programming services.3
Housing. Residents are held at Hope Village for relatively short periods of time and need to find
housing before they leave. Locating suitable housing is problematic nationwide for individuals
returning from incarceration. Additionally, in the past, Court Services and Offender Supervision
Agency (CSOSA) was onsite at Hope Village providing some housing assistance to residents.
CSOSA, however, no longer has a permanent space at Hope Village. The CIC recommends:
• Hope Village utilize trained staff or service providers to help residents find housing and
prioritize the identification of housing placement upon entry to Hope Village; and
• Hope Village and CSOSA re-establish continuous and full-time CSOSA presence at the
facility. This Hope Village/CSOSA partnership should aid residents in finding
permanent residential placements upon their release to supervision.
While not much information obtained by the CIC for this report focused on the issue of housing,
the CIC endeavors to explore housing placement and pre-release planning further in future
thematic and institutional reports.
Travel Assistance. According to Hope Village staff, tokens are given to indigent residents. A
determination of indigence is made on a case-by-case basis, based on, for example, what type of
sneakers a family member has given a resident or if a resident has received some money from
family or friends. If a resident has received funds from his family, he will not be considered
indigent and will not receive travel tokens. Therefore, according to Hope Village, only a small
portion of residents is truly in need of travel assistance. Hope Village residents and community
service providers have indicated that Hope Village residents are not receiving sufficient tokens
for transportation to and from Hope Village to search for jobs, obtain identification, travel to
mental and medical health care visits, and go to work before their first paycheck is received. In
several cases community service providers have provided travel funding to residents, without
which these residents would not have been able to travel back to Hope Village. The CIC
recommends:
• Indigence be determined based on a widely accepted national definitions of “indigent,”
not subjective inferences from gifts from family or friends. Indigent disabled residents
and job seekers should receive adequate travel assistance from Hope Village to make
appointments, look for work, and to conduct other trips in the community that are helpful
to successful reentry.
Grievance Procedure. The CIC has heard grievances about Hope Village from current and
former Hope Village residents and community members. However, the Bureau has indicated to
the CIC that it received only one grievance report that referenced Hope Village over a twelvemonth period beginning in November 2011. This is an indication that the grievance process at
Hope Village is broken. The CIC recommends:
• The Bureau investigate and review the application of the grievance procedure at Hope
Village;
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
3	
  There

is precedent for this type of independent programming assessment in Washington, DC. In 2012 the DC
Department of Corrections employed a private contractor to evaluate women’s reentry programming at the
Correctional Treatment Facility. See http://doc.dc.gov/page/womens-services-doc

DC Corrections Information Council (CIC)

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•
•

Hope Village ensure all residents receive copies of the grievance procedure, and
grievance forms should be readily available at all times; and
Hope Village ensure an environment where residents do not fear retaliation for filing
grievances or voicing their concerns, and in which grievances are taken seriously and
follow up action is taken when necessary.

Disciplinary Procedure. Technical violation hearings are held to determine if a resident has
violated Hope Village or Bureau rules (rather than new criminal conduct) while residing at Hope
Village. In certain circumstances residents may be sent to Virginia Regional jails for violations
without a hearing at Hope Village. When hearings are held, current and former Hope Village
residents do not believe the hearing process takes into account situations residents cannot control
(e.g. traffic) and feel everyone is found guilty at technical violation hearings no matter what the
circumstances surrounding the violation. Recognizing the need to balance accountability and
public safety, the disciplinary and sanctions process can operate effectively while ensuring the
accused has the opportunity to present a defense. The CIC recommends:
• The Bureau and Hope Village provide all residents the opportunity to have a fair hearing
with access to legal representation or assistance before being sent to a jail due to a
technical violation.
Mental Health.4 Many Hope Village residents have identified mental health needs that, if
unmet, present significant challenges to reentry. The Bureau commented that its policy does not
allow restrictions from required mental and medical health appointments as a disciplinary
sanction. The CIC received information, however, from two former Hope Village residents and
one local advocacy organization that this practice was in fact occurring at Hope Village as
recently as February of this year: residents reported that they were unable to attend mental health
treatment because of placement on “no movement.”5 The CIC recommends:
• Hope Village staff receive additional training in recognizing the differences between
symptoms of mental health and disciplinary issues and to effectively connect residents to
appropriate services and benefits;
• Hope Village staff receive additional training to educate residents about mental health
rehabilitation services and to access these services while residents at Hope Village; and
• Residents needing mental health treatment have the unhindered ability to communicate
with their mental health care providers.
Identification. Upon release to Hope Village residents must obtain identification, generally,
non-driver’s license IDs, birth certificates and Social Security cards. Identification is one
essential element in job applications and hiring as well as receipt of various community services.
The Bureau's RRC providers nationwide are not required to provide funds to residents to obtain
identification documents. Fortunately, in the District of Columbia returning citizens can obtain a
free non-driver’s identification card from the Department of Motor Vehicles. The CIC therefore
recommends:
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
4	
  Obtaining

mental health services while at RRC’s is an issue that the CIC will endeavor to address in greater detail
in a thematic report at a later date.
5
No movement is a disciplinary sanction that restricts the resident’s ability to leave the facility.

DC Corrections Information Council (CIC)

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• The government of the District of Columbia should provide one free birth certificate to
returning citizens upon release from prison or jail in the same way it has made
accommodations for non-driver’s IDs.
Bureau Oversight. The Bureau has indicated that they have a comprehensive approach to
contract oversight that is driven by the Federal Acquisition Regulations, as well as Bureau
policies and practices. Hope Village informed the CIC that the Bureau conducts a review of
Hope Village annually and issues a report covering the following: inmate accountability, inmate
programming, community relations, site validity and suitability, RRC personnel staff, and
communications and responsiveness with Bureau. However, the CIC reviewed these reports, the
Bureau’s annual Contractor Evaluation Forms from 2009 to 2012, where they were virtually
identical from year to year, indicating copying and pasting of reports by Bureau staff. These
annual reports are also based on quarterly self-assessment reports from Hope Village.
Additionally, the CIC has heard from the community that many Bureau policies,
including the grievance procedures, procedures for technical violation hearings, and disciplinary
sanctions, are not being fairly applied at Hope Village. Furthermore, the document review
process for this inspection was difficult and time consuming, indicating the Bureau’s difficulty in
acquiring information from Hope Village. The CIC recommends that:
• The Bureau investigate and oversee the improvement of the implementation of grievance
procedures at Hope Village. If functioning properly, this is one of the most meaningful
ways for the Bureau to correctly ascertain the residents’ concerns;
• The Bureau meaningfully evaluate other policies being implemented at Hope Village,
particularly discipline and sanctions procedures. If unfairly implemented or if there are
no safeguards to ensure due process (such as proper notice, waiver of rights, legal
representation or assistance) is followed, then this will have a chilling effect on filing
grievances for fear of retaliation; and
• The Bureau continue to work with the CIC to develop a process for document review
with Bureau contract facilities. Surely this was as much a learning experience for the
Bureau as it was for the CIC. Hopefully this experience will cause the Bureau to evaluate
and strengthen its oversight of Hope Village in advance of contract renewals in 2016 and
2017.
Concluding Remarks.
The task of successful reentry is immense, and one organization or individual cannot be
responsible for providing all of the necessary services and support to facilitate successful reentry.
No one organization in DC is an expert on providing all of the services listed above; but many
service providers in DC are experts on providing services in one or more of the above areas. It is
imperative that qualified and trained professionals provide evidence-based programing with
curriculums that are proven effective to best facilitate reentry. This demands that organizations
work together, not in isolation.
The CIC is encouraged by Hope Village’s invitation to community service providers to
tour its facility. Additionally, one service provider reported that Hope Village has recently been
very open to new community partners and providing space to said providers. Hope Village has
also invited community members to one of their quarterly Community Relation Advisory Board
meetings, as is recommended in this report. The CIC applauds Hope Village for this outreach to
the community and recommend that it continue.

DC Corrections Information Council (CIC)

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The CIC recognizes and appreciates the willingness on behalf of the Bureau to educate
and work with the CIC. The CIC desires to continue to work together with the Bureau, Hope
Village, and the DC community to better serve DC residents returning to the community from
incarceration. The CIC will continue to monitor and provide recommendations as is required by
its mandate, and looks forward to seeing and reporting on progress towards the implementation
of many of these recommendations.

I. Information Gathering Process
In accordance with its mandate, the CIC conducted an inspection of Hope Village Residential
Reentry Center (RRC). The inspection process began in early November 2012 and was
completed in May 2013. Throughout this inspection process the CIC obtained information from
advocates in the community who are knowledgeable about DC halfway houses and successful
reentry, current and former Hope Village residents, families and loved ones of current and
former Hope Village residents, government agencies and nonprofit service providers delivering
services to returning citizens, and organizations interested in volunteering their time with Hope
Village residents. The CIC obtained information from over 20 current and former Hope Village
residents; this information was supplemented by numerous conversations with loved ones and
family members of current and former Hope Village residents. The CIC also spoke with eight
organizations providing services to DC retuning citizens Hope Village residents, including more
than one employee at several of these organizations. In addition to these personal interviews, the
CIC inquired generally about Hope Village at community events we attended and held six
meetings open to the public with Hope Village specifically listed on the meeting agenda. The
CIC submitted a document request to review Hope Village documents necessary to conduct a
comprehensive inspection, reviewed the Bureau’s Performance Work Statement (PWS) that “sets
forth the contract performance requirements for the management and operation of a community
corrections based facility,”6 and reviewed documents pertaining to Hope Village generally
available to the public.
Additionally, before the onsite inspection the CIC sent correspondence to all DC residents at
Hope Village in Bureau custody, totaling 112 letters. These letters included an informative CIC
flyer, a letter informing residents of the CIC’s onsite inspection date, and a release form for
residents to speak with the CIC in person on the date of the inspection. The CIC interviewed one
Hope Village resident on the day of the inspection.
On November 30, 2012 the three CIC Board Members –Michelle Bonner, Chair, Katharine
Huffman, and Reverend Sam Whittaker – and the CIC Program Analyst, Cara Compani, arrived
at Hope Village at 9:30 am for an onsite inspection of the facility. The CIC was met by Bureau
staff, management level Hope Village staff, and a Court Services Offender Supervision Agency
(CSOSA) representative. After this opening session and observation of a New Arrivals meeting,
the CIC divided our inspection into three portions: document review, a tour of the facility, and
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
6

Federal Bureau of Prison’s, Performance Work Statement, Community Corrections, p.1 (Feb. 2005) [hereinafter
PWS].

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program observation. On the tour the CIC observed resident’s rooms, the kitchen, the dining
hall, and the grounds generally. One member of the CIC reviewed documents for approximately
four hours on this date. The CIC also spoke with a social worker, vocational counselor, case
manager, substance abuse counselor, program coordinator, and program director while on the
visit. Additionally, the CIC interviewed the one resident referenced above. 7
As a courtesy, a draft of this report was provided to Hope Village and the Bureau for fact
checking purposes. This report was marked “CONFIDENTIAL” and the CIC explicitly
requested this report not be shared with anyone; however, Hope Village did provide the
confidential draft to the Office of Councilmember Marion Barry. Additionally, the CIC provided
two DC-based criminal justice experts the opportunity to review and comment on the draft
version of this report. The CIC greatly appreciates the comments received from Hope Village,
the Bureau, and experts during this review period.

Document Requests
The CIC made four specific document requests for Hope Village documents through the Bureau.
These requests and responses are outlined below.8
•
•

•

•
•
•

October 19, 2012, the CIC presented the initial document request to the Bureau for Hope
Village documents.
October 24, 2012, a roster of the following information for all DC residents: names,
federal register numbers, terms in-effect, and projected release dates was received from
the Bureau.
November 16, 2012, the CIC was informed by the Bureau that Hope Village would only
allow the CIC to review the documents requested on site during the inspection, per
statute.9 The documents would not be provided in advance.
November 20, 2012, the CIC requested of the Bureau a day to inspect all requested
documents at Hope Village prior to our inspection on November 30, 2012.
November 27, 2012, the Bureau informed the CIC that Hope Village had denied the
CIC’s request for a date to review documents before our onsite inspection.
November 30, 2012, the CIC conducted the onsite inspection of Hope Village.
However, the CIC did not have the Performance Work Statement outlining contractual
requirements on the inspection date. On this date several documents were available for
the CIC to review, but did not include all of the documents requested. The CIC did not

	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
7

The CIC has excluded the name and identifying information of this resident and all private individuals or private
agencies not subject to this inspection that contributed information for this report unless given express permission to
disclose.
8
The Bureau informed the CIC that when information is requested for a Bureau contract facility, a legal review of
the request is required to ensure contractual and Freedom of Information Act requirements are met. With respect to
the CIC’s document request, a large portion of the requested information was deemed proprietary in nature by Hope
Village’s legal counsel; therefore, the Bureau has indicated they could not release the information unilaterally. The
information the CIC requested could only be released with the consent of Hope Village. Recommendations by the
CIC on this topic are contained later in this report.
9
It should be noted that D.C. Code § 24-101.01 list one of the CIC’s duties as “reviewing documents related to
conditions of confinement,” and does not require facilities to provide hard copies of these documents.

DC Corrections Information Council (CIC)

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•

•

•

•
•

•

•

•
•

have sufficient time to sufficiently review the documents provided on that date. The list
of documents available for review on this date is attached at Exhibit B.
December 5, 2012 the CIC renewed its document request for Hope Village documents to
the Bureau and submitted a new request for documents identified after the onsite
inspection.
December 11, 2012, the CIC was informed by the Bureau that Hope Village would not
allow the CIC to review either of their contracts with the Bureau because the contracts
contained proprietary information. Instead, the Bureau offered to provide the CIC with
Hope Village’s Program Work Statement, which contained the standards with which
Hope Village contractually agreed to comply.
December 12, 2012, the CIC received from the Bureau the sole administrative remedy
form (BP-10) filed by a Hope Village resident from a one-year period beginning in
November 2011.
December 26, 2012, the CIC received the Performance Work Statement from the
Bureau.
March 1, 2013, the CIC submitted another document request to the Bureau for
outstanding document requests for Hope Village and additionally requested the two
contracts between Hope Village and the Bureau with all proprietary information redacted.
March 18, 2013, the Bureau forwarded the CIC a letter from the attorney for Hope
Village dated March 5, 2013 denying all of the CIC’s document requests from the March
1, 2013 document request.
March 29, 2013, the CIC submitted another document request to the Bureau for
outstanding document requests for Hope Village. In the alternative the CIC requested a
date to review documents at Hope Village.
April 4, 2013, the CIC conducted a document review at Hope Village. The list of
documents available for review on this date is attached at Exhibit C.
April 5, 2013, the CIC received the Hope Village Performance Award from the Bureau.

II. General Information on Successful Reentry
DC residents are continuously returning to the DC community after periods of incarceration, and
many have served long sentences and are disconnected from their homes, families, loved ones,
government, and local services. Often DC residents in Bureau custody are incarcerated in states
all over the country, as far as California, Texas, Arizona, and Florida. These far distances are not
conducive for travel from loved ones and family members that reside here in DC. Upon return to
the DC community, residents need assistance with employment, housing, medical and mental
healthcare, substance abuse, reintegration, mentoring, therapy, identification, transportation,
living necessities, and more. All of these needs, if unmet, present significant challenges to
reentry. Often returning citizens are less educated and healthy and have lower levels of skill
training than the population as a whole. The support needs of returning citizens are extremely
high at the time of release.

DC Corrections Information Council (CIC)

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Research indicates that the following components are necessary for successful reentry. Increased
provision of these support services will lead to DC residents spending less time incarcerated,
overall safer communities, and monetary savings. The components of successful reentry include:
1. Employment services10
2. Substance abuse/use treatment11
3. Mental Health Care Services12
4. Physical Health Care Services13
5. Reintegration with Family and the Community14
6. Effective Programs that Change Behavior15
7. Positive Reinforcement16
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
10

Christy Visher, Nancy LaVigne, & Jeremy Travis, Returning Home: Understanding the Challenges of Prisoner
Reentry Maryland Pilot Study: Findings from Baltimore (Jan. 2004), available at:
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/410974_ReturningHome_MD.pdf; Kendall Black, Common Ground
Community, & Richard Cho, Corporation for Supportive Housing, New Beginnings: the need for supportive
housing for previously incarcerated people (2004), available at
http://documents.csh.org/documents/pubs/full_new_beginnings.pdf; Reentry Policy Council, Reentry Program
Database, Comprehensive Healthcare Reentry Program (last visited April 30, 2013) [hereinafter Reentry Policy
Council Comprehensive Healthcare Reentry Program],
http://www.reentrypolicy.org/program_examples/comprehensive-healthcare-reentry-program; Reentry Policy
Council, Reentry Program Database, Project REACH (last visited April 30, 2013) [hereinafter Reentry Policy
Council Project REACH], http://www.reentrypolicy.org/program_examples/project-reach; ; Council of State
Governments, Reentry Policy Council, & New York: Council of State Governments, Report of the Re-Entry Policy
Council: Charting the Safe and Successful Return of Prisoners to the Community (last visited April 30, 2013)
[hereinafter Reentry Policy Charting the Safe and Successful Return of Prisoners to the Community],
http://www.reentrypolicy.org/Report/About; Jamie Yoon & Jessica Nickel, A Guide for States and Faith-Based and
Community Organizations (2008), available at http://www.justice.gov/archive/fbci/docs/reentry-partnership.pdf;
Department of Justice, Key Components of Effective Prisoner Reentry Programs: A Guide to Matching National
Service Programs with Weed and Seed and Other Citywide Initiatives on Prisoner Reentry, [hereinafter Department
of Justice Key Components of Effective Prisoner Reentry Programs], available at
http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/files/r3447-key-components-of-effective-prisoner-reentry-programs.pdf.
11
Black & Cho, supra note 8; Reentry Policy Council et al., supra note 8; Council of State Governments et al.,
supra note 8; Yoon & Nickel, supra note 8; Reentry Policy Council Comprehensive Healthcare Reentry Program,
supra note 8; Reentry Policy Council Project REACH, supra note 8; Reentry Program Profiles, Hillsborough House
of Hope, Tampa, FL (found in Reentry National Media Outreach Campaign) Aug. 2006, available at
http://www.mpt.org/reentry/rnoc_august06_newsletter.pdf.
12
Visher et al., supra note 8; Black & Cho, supra note 8; Reentry Policy Charting the Safe and Successful Return of
Prisoners to the Community, supra note 8;
Paul VanDeCarr, Call to Action, How Programs in three cities responded to the Prisoner reentry crisis, available at
http://northstarnews.com/userimages/references/Call%20to%20Action.Prisoner%20Reentry%20in%20Three%20Cit
ies_Public%20Private%20Ventures.pdf; Reentry Policy Council Comprehensive Healthcare Reentry Program, supra
note 8; Reentry Policy Council Project REACH, supra note 8.
13
Reentry Policy Charting the Safe and Successful Return of Prisoners to the Community, supra note 8.
14
Visher et al., supra note 8; Black & Cho, supra note 8; Reentry Policy Charting the Safe and Successful Return
of Prisoners to the Community, supra note 8; VanDeCarr, supra note 10; Department of Justice Key Components of
Effective Prisoner Reentry, supra note 8; Urban Institute Justice Policy Center, Understanding the Challenges of
Prisoner Reentry: Research Findings from the Urban Institute’s Prisoner Reentry Portfolio (Jan. 2006), available at
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411289_reentry_portfolio.pdf.
15
Visher et al., supra note 8; Black & Cho, supra note 8; Reentry Policy Council Project REACH, supra note 8;
Reentry Policy Charting the Safe and Successful Return of Prisoners to the Community, supra note 8;
VanDeCarr, supra note 10.
16
Joan Petersilia, What Works in Prisoner Reentry? Reviewing and Questioning the Evidence, Federal Probation
Journal Sep. 2004, Volume 68 No. 2, http://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/FederalCourts/PPS/Fedprob/200409/whatworks.html.

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8. Housing17
9. Mentoring18
10. Individual and Group Therapy19
11. Identification20
12. Transportation21
The task of successful reentry is immense, and one organization or individual cannot be
responsible for or successful at providing all of the necessary services and support to facilitate
successful reentry. Each of the twelve components listed above requires specific training and
skill sets, and the availability of expertise – public, private, or (in some circumstances) volunteer
– in each of these areas is necessary for successful delivery of services. Research indicates that
successful reentry is dependent on community partnerships and collaborations.22
No one organization in DC is an expert on providing all of the services listed above; but many
service providers in DC are experts on providing services in one or more of the above areas. It is
imperative that qualified and trained professionals provide evidence-based programing with
curriculums that are proven effective.

III.

Hope Village Background

Hope Village is located at 2844 Langston Place SE, Washington, DC 20020. Hope Village was
established in 1977 and began to house male DC residents in Bureau custody in 1982.23
Generally the Bureau contracts with RRCs, such as Hope Village, to “provide a safe, structured,
supervised environment, as well as employment counseling, job placement, financial
management assistance, and other programs and services. RRCs help inmates gradually rebuild
their ties to the community and facilitate supervising ex-offenders' activities during this

	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
17

Black & Cho, supra note 8.
Reentry Policy Council Comprehensive Healthcare Reentry Program, supra note 8; Reentry Policy Charting the
Safe and Successful Return of Prisoners to the Community, supra note 8; Department of Justice Key Components of
Effective Prisoner Reentry, supra note 8; Reentry Policy Council Project REACH, supra note 8.
19
Reentry Policy Council Comprehensive Healthcare Reentry Program, supra note 8.
20
Black & Cho, supra note 8; Reentry Policy Charting the Safe and Successful Return of Prisoners to the
Community, supra note 8; Yoon & Nickel, supra note 8.
21
VanDeCarr, supra note 10; Emily Boer Drake & Steven LaFrance, Findings on Best Practices of Community ReEntry Programs for Previously Incarcerated Persons 6 (2007), available at
http://www.eisenhowerfoundation.org/docs/Ex-Offender%20Best%20Practices.pdf.
22
Emily Boer Drake & Steven LaFrance, Findings on Best Practices of Community Re-Entry Programs for
Previously Incarcerated Persons 6 (2007), available at http://www.eisenhowerfoundation.org/docs/ExOffender%20Best%20Practices.pdf.;Yoon & Nickel, supra note 8; Reentry Policy Charting the Safe and Successful
Return of Prisoners to the Community, supra note 8; Justice Policy Institute, How to Safely Reduce Prison
Populations and Support People Returning to their Communities (2010) available at
http://www.justicepolicy.org/images/upload/10-06_FAC_ForImmediateRelease_PS-AC.pdf.
23
The Local Role of the U.S. Parole Commission: Increasing Public Safety, Reducing Recidivism, and Using
Alternatives to Re-Incarceration in the District of Columbia before the H. Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform, 111th Cong. (2010) (statement of Jeffrey Varone, CEO Hope Village).
18

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readjustment phase.”24 Currently, Hope Village has two contracts with the Bureau25 and one
contract with DC Department of Corrections. Both of the contracts with the Bureau are
performance-based contracts with expiration dates in 2016 and 2017. The two contracts between
Hope Village and the Bureau and their general terms are listed below.26
City and State
Contractor
Type
Male
Female
Per
Expiration Annual
of Performance
of
Beds
Beds
Diem
Date
Contract Price
Service
Washington,
Hope
CCC27 65
0
$100.09 10/31/16
$ 2,594,566.00
DC
Village, Inc.,
Washington,
Hope
RRC
75
0
$96.67
10/31/17
$ 2,906,677.50
DC
Village, Inc.,
The capacity at Hope Village is 360.28 The age range of residents is 18 to 75.29 The average
monthly occupancy for 2011 through 2012 was 307 and the average stay of residents is 90
days.30 For November 2012 Hope Village had an average daily population of 247 residents inhouse and 29 residents on home confinement, and on December 1, 2012 there were 246 inmates
in-house.31

IV.

Information, Observations and Recommendations

Below is the compilation of information the CIC gathered pertaining to Hope Village. The
information received is divided into topics; and within each topic there are three categories of
information from which the CIC collected data. First, information from Hope Village, which
includes information received from Hope Village staff, Bureau staff, the Hope Village document
review process, and the PWS. Second, information from other sources, which includes
information from current and former Hope Village residents, loved ones of current and former
Hope Village residents, community service providers, advocates, and the DC community in
general. Third, CIC Observations is information directly from CIC observations during the
inspection process.
For several of the topics there are specific recommendations from the CIC. There are also several
instances noted where the CIC has been unable to make specific recommendations due to
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
24

Federal Bureau of Prisons, Residential Reentry Management, (Apr. 30, 2013),
http://www.bop.gov/locations/cc/index.jsp.
25
Federal Bureau of Prisons, Active Community Corrections/Residential Reentry Center (RRC) Contract Listing
July 2010, (Apr. 30, 2013), http://www.bop.gov/locations/cc/RRcontracts_0710.pdf.
26
Id.
27
CCC refers to a community corrections center (CCC). The term CCC “was replaced by residential reentry center
(RRC) several years ago to more accurately convey the mission of the facility - facilitating reentry into the
community.” Federal Bureau of Prisons, Community Corrections Facts, (Apr. 30, 2013),
http://www.bop.gov/locations/cc/ccc_faqs.jsp#13.
28
CIC document review. The CIC reviewed documents at Hope Village on April 4, 2013, a list of documents
reviewed on this date is available at Exhibit C.
29
Id.
30
Id.
31
This information was obtained by the CIC directly from the Bureau.

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conflicting information from the facility and other sources. In these instances the CIC
recommends that Hope Village ensure, and the Bureau confirm, that proper policies are in place
and being implemented; and that those policies and practices be clearly communicated to the
community. Both Hope Village and the Bureau provided comments to the CIC’s draft report;
and any factual information was incorporated with the Bureau or Hope Village noted as the
Source. Comments to the CIC’s draft report are noted in chart form in Appendix A.

PROGRAMMING
Information Provided by Hope Village:
• Hope Village is contractually obligated to devise and formalize a program plan with each
resident within 14 days of arrival. However, Hope Village procedures include an
individual meeting with program review staff within 48 hours of arrival and a formal
team review within 7-9 days of arrival. A full program review team consists of a
program director, case manager, vocational counselor, social worker, and drug treatment
provider. The team reviews the resident’s records, and recommends the programming
they feel appropriate for the resident during his time at Hope Village (source: Hope
Village staff).
• Every offender is required to complete Orientation consisting of an orientation class,
mental and medical health assessments, and a 12-hour life skills program. Orientation
must be complete before any movement outside of Hope Village is permitted including
the job search. (source: Hope Village staff)
• During the orientation phase, residents are permitted to leave the facility to obtain social
security cards, birth certificates, and photo identification. (source: Hope Village staff)
• Programs offered for residents include: Orientation, Transitional Skills Journaling
Program, Project Empowerment Training Program (off site), General Education
Development (GED), Hope Village Job Readiness Program, Wellness and Stress
Management Program, Anger Management, Work Literacy, and Life Skills. Life Skills
may include: Job Readiness Program, Money Management, Parenting and Family
Reunification, Health Education, Counseling programs, Release Preparation, Community
Resources, Substance Abuse Aftercare, Metro access, and debit card use. (source: Hope
Village staff and document review)
• Inmates required to participate in drug aftercare must complete one hour of programming
per week through an in-house educational program. Inmates who participated in the
Bureau's Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) are exempt from drug aftercare
programming. Hope Village is not contracted to perform drug treatment services and is
not expected to engage inmates in drug treatment activities. Drug aftercare is not drug
treatment. Drug aftercare is not bound by the same requirements as a treatment program,
which requires specific staff qualifications. (source: Bureau)
• Hope Village is not required by contract to provide substance abuse prevention programs.
(source: Hope Village staff).
• Currently, the Bureau has two Community Treatment Services contracts which are
separate from the Residential Reentry Center contract with Hope Village, as outlined
below:

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•
•

•
•

o Washington Hospital Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, 110 Irving
Street, NW, Suite NA1177, Washington, DC 20010; and
o Renaissance Medical Group, 525 Eastern Avenue, Capital Heights, MD.
Inmates who participate in treatment at these providers may receive up to four hours of
individual or group therapy per week. The Bureau monitors the treatment plans for
inmates participating in treatment at the above agencies. Additionally, due to the unique
needs of DC offenders and the mental health resources readily available in the
community, the Bureau utilizes treatment services offered by the DC community mental
health network (source: Bureau).
Drug and Alcohol Treatment is based on Bureau Program Statement 7430-02 (source:
document review).
The contractor is required to offer the Transitional Skills Journal Program and a drug
aftercare program (source: PWS). Hope Village has implemented both of these
programs. For the Transitional Skills and Journaling Program the maximum number of
residents per class is 24, but there are usually fewer (source: Hope Village staff).
Counseling is available daily or as needed and reviews of the initial program plans occur
bi-weekly. (source: Hope Village staff)
New arrival meetings are held weekly for all new arrivals as part of the orientation and
are held in conjunction with the Bureau of Prisons. (source: Hope Village staff)

Information from Other Sources:
• Some programs are offered at Hope Village; however, the quality of the programming is
poor. Topics discussed in class are not related to the class (e.g. in Life Skills class, life
skills are not discussed and residents do not learn anything; in drug programming many
topics are discussed, none of which include drugs or drug use). The time spent and
subjects discussed in programming do not further the goal of successful reentry. (source:
former and current Hope Village residents and community service providers)
• Current and former Hope Village residents have indicated that the programming they
received was not helpful. (source: current and former Hope Village residents)
• Residents feel unprepared to complete basic life tasks, such as taking the Metro or bus
and navigating their way around the District, along with more complex tasks such as
housing, employment and reentering a community they have been distanced from for an
extended period of time. (source: former and current Hope Village residents and
community service providers)
• There are no quality drug aftercare programs, supporting substance abuse prevention,
offered at Hope Village. (source: former and current Hope Village residents)
CIC Observations:
• On the day of our inspection the following programs were offered: New Arrival Meeting,
Job Readiness, Congress Heights GED, Life Skills, Transitional Skills Journaling, Drug
Aftercare, and a job fair with DC Central Kitchen. (source: CIC onsite inspection)
• In the New Arrival meeting residents were informed of facility rules, such as prohibited
items and the visitation policy. There was a questions and answer session between the
residents and the facilitator. In this session residents shared some of their concerns.
including: not receiving enough food; not receiving sufficient tokens for travel; and lack

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•

of flexibility in return time from a pass outside the facility. (source: CIC onsite
inspection)
The CIC observed the end portion of the Transitional Skills and Journaling class. During
the class two residents were discussing how difficult it was for them to find jobs. (source:
CIC onsite inspection)

CIC RECOMMENDATIONS
• Hope Village should ensure and the Bureau should confirm the use of experts with
education, training, and experience in the specific subject matter as instructors for
contractually required programs.
• Hope Village should supplement the contractually required programming by partnering
with multiple community partners, organizations with expertise in providing evidencebased programming, to provide services to Hope Village residents. There are numerous
service providers willing to provide such services at Hope Village, and many are willing
to seek outside funding to pay for services to be provided to Hope Village residents.
Also, they have staff who are willing and able to pass the Bureau’s security clearance
process that would allow regular entry into the facility to provide services on-site.
• The District government should support and enable an independent, onsite evaluation of
programming services presently provided by Hope Village. An independent evaluation
process should be conducted by an independent entity contracted by the District
government. During a recommended independent evaluation process, collection of
empirical data, confidential interviews with residents, and staff evaluations and
interviews will aid in measuring the efficacy of programming presently provided.
Programming should not only be evidence-based, but also produce the desired results per
purported evidence.
• During New Arrival Meeting and/or Orientation, Hope Village provide a case manager,
social worker, vocational counselor, and a member of the program staff so residents can
receive clear answers to any questions they may have. If not already in practice, the
facility should collect a signed notice from residents when it provides copies of
handbooks to verify that they are in receipt of the information needed throughout their
stay. It should maintain copies in residential common rooms.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS
Information Provided by Hope Village:
• Hope Village has developed a comprehensive community relations plan that includes
networking of community partners throughout the District of Columbia to provide varied
services to residents in the areas of job search, training and placement; mental and
medical services; education, and housing. (source: Hope Village staff)
• Representatives from these community partners, including attorneys, parole/probation
officers, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, Unity Health Care, University
Legal Services, D.C. Department of Mental Health, and D.C. Central Kitchen, routinely
visit with residents at the Hope Village facility where it provides space for these visits.
(source: Hope Village staff)

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•

•

•

•
•

•

•

•

•

Hope Village has a community relations consultant, Mr. Phinis Jones, who has worked
with Hope Village for twenty years and has quarterly Community Relations Advisory
Board Meetings. (source: Hope Village staff)
The Community Relations Advisory Board has representation from the Ward 8
Councilmember's office, the Advisory Neighborhood Commission, a DC School Board
member, the D.C. Department of Corrections, MPD - 7th District, the Bureau, DC
Community College, etc. This board has at its disposal varied means of obtaining
feedback from the community, the primary concerns being public safety and reintegration
of the resident into his community. (source Hope Village comments)
Hope Village Community Partners include: Faith Tabernacle, Allen Chapel AME,
Samaritan Ministries, Congress Heights, and United Methodist. Hope Village partners
with these organizations for clothing, bus passes, ID assistance, and counseling. (source:
document review)
Hope Village has a Volunteer Manual with five categories of volunteers with
requirements for volunteers to work with Hope Village. (source: document review)
According to the Performance Work Statement, Hope Village is required to have a
process IN PLACE (PWS’s emphasis) for educating and interacting with the local
community to acquire and maintain public support and foster program initiatives.
(source: PWS)
According to the Performance Work Statement, Hope Village is required to have written
policy, bylaws, and procedures for a public information program which offers ongoing,
positive communication between the facility and the local community, elected officials,
and law enforcement. (source: PWS)
According to the Performance Work Statement, Hope Village is required to establish a
Community Relations Advisory Board (CRAB) that shall meet quarterly. The facility
director shall be a standing member on the CRAB. Within five days of a CRAB meeting,
the contractor shall submit to the attention of the CCM the prepared written minutes,
which will include follow-up to the previous quarterly meeting. (source: PWS)
According to the Performance Work Statement, Hope Village is required to provide
space to accommodate outside social services and for clinical/mental health
professionals providing offenders with mental health services or other identified re-entry
services (source: PWS). The intent of this requirement is to allow temporary space to
these types of agencies to meet with clients; it does not require Hope Village or any
other RRC contractor to provide permanent, dedicated space for any agency or service
provider. (source: the Bureau)
According to the Performance Work Statement, a resident’s absence from the facility is
to achieve specific programming objectives to include seeking employment,
strengthening family ties, engaging in religious activities, education, recreation, and
counseling; and the contractor is to approve these program activities as long as the public
interest is served (source: PWS).

Information from Other Sources:
• Community organizations have unsuccessfully tried to form partnerships with Hope
Village. When DC organizations call Hope Village, the phones are often not answered or
staff do not return phone calls. (source: community service providers)

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•

•

•

•

•

•
•

One community service provider indicated they are “giving up” on Hope Village because
it is a waste of their limited resources to try to reach residents and staff at the facility.
Another organization feels they are being used by Hope Village to provide services,
including transportation, which Hope Village is supposed to provide themselves. (source:
community service providers)
Hope Village has been unwilling to allow volunteers to provide services (e.g. mentoring
or counseling) on- or offsite. Volunteers do not feel welcome at Hope Village. (source:
community service providers)
Hope Village on some occasions has not allowed residents to attend events to facilitate
employment and successful reentry offered by organizations and agencies around the
community. One DC organization providing reentry services informed us that they called
Hope Village four times to request that a resident be able to attend an event to assist with
reentry in the community and the resident was still not allowed to attend. (source:
community service providers)
Generally, the community feels Hope Village management is out of reach to residents
and not accessible or interacting with the community as a whole. Community members
have indicated they have tried to contact Mr. Varone and other upper level staff at Hope
Village and they have never received a return phone call. (source: community service
providers)
The DC community does not feel that Hope Village is accessible or interacting with the
local community. (source: community service providers and families and loved ones of
Hope Village residents)
No community members that we have spoken with are familiar with the members of the
CRAB, have attended meetings, or are aware of anything beyond the name.
The Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, through its Transition Assistance Program (TAP),
has been meeting and providing services to residents of Hope Village and other Halfway
Houses for at least 15 years. One purpose of their program is to facilitate employment
and productive self-reliant citizenship after release. A major TAP activity has been to
help returning citizens and residents of halfway houses secure the necessary
documentation required for jobs, housing and other social services. TAP has subsidized
birth certificates, from states all over the U.S., (and in the past also for Non Drivers IDs)
to Hope Village residents. Hope Village sends residents to TAP, which is located in
Northwest Washington DC (over twenty five miles round-trip) for checks, usually $23
each, to secure DC birth certificates. Of all halfway houses in the DC, Hope Village is
the only one that routinely sends its residents to TAP for the funding and guidance
needed to get their birth certificates (TAP estimates that Hope Village represents at least
70% of halfway house referrals to TAP). Residents have to take at least two buses and
usually spend an hour or more each way to come across town to the church to get
documentation checks from TAP. For many years, Hope Village has refused to pay for
birth certificates and non-driver’s license IDs, both of which are essential
documents. TAP has also provided all clients who do not already have one with a
SmarTrip card, which provides users with free bus transfers as well as reduced bus fares.
Additionally, TAP provides some non-perishable food, clothing, and toiletries; and
makes arrangements for Hope Village residents to get eyeglasses if they need
them. Because TAP does not know what services the Bureau’s contract mandates and
pays Hope Village to provide, this community service provider wonders if it is being

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•

asked by Hope Village to subsidize services that Hope Village is required to provide
itself. (source: Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church Transition Assistance Program)
One service provider indicated that Hope Village has recently been very open to new
community partners and to providing space to said providers. (source: community service
provider)

CIC Observations:
• The CIC personally attempted to contact Mr. Jones, Hope Village community relations
consultant, on four occasions32 to obtain information about the CRAB and community
relations in general and, to date, has not heard back from him. The CIC has not attended
and has no information about specific prior or future CRAB meetings.
• The CIC has not received or reviewed information about the public information program
that is required by the PWS (this public information program offers ongoing, positive
communication between the facility and the local community, elected officials, and law
enforcement.
• The CIC is encouraged by Hope Village's openness to this agency through:
o The November 30, 2013 CIC visit and document review,
o The April 4, 2013 CIC document review, and
o Attendance by Hope Village staff at no fewer than six CIC open meetings.
• The CIC is further encouraged by Hope Village's public invitations to meeting
participants at the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Reentry Initiative Committee
meeting on April 29, 2013 and to other agencies, such as Office of Returning Citizens
Affairs, to tour its facility.
CIC RECOMMENDATIONS
• Clearly demonstrate their commitment to the DC community. The CIC is very
encouraged by the recent actions taken by Hope Village in this arena and we recommend
Hope Village continue to be open to the community and partnerships and to expand these
efforts further.
• Form long lasting community partnerships with regular, ongoing collaboration to provide
returning citizens with a network of support and services. Identify existing quality
community service providers, and facilitate their obtaining appropriate Bureau clearance
to provide services to Hope Village residents onsite.
• Hope Village should partner with other community service providers and explore
executing Memoranda of Understanding (MOU’s) with service providers who already
serve Hope Village residents, to better ensure clarification of roles and responsibilities
towards this population.
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
32

The CIC contacted Mr. Jones on April 16, 2013 via email; called Hope Village April 22, 2013 and spoke to a staff
member, she stated that Mr. Jones is a contract worker and can't be contacted by the Hope Village number. She then
referred the CIC to call the Congress Heights Community Training Center to contact him. On April 25, 2013 the
CIC called Congress Heights Community Training Center and we were informed that Mr. Jones was unavailable.
On May 3, 2013 we again called Mr. Jones at Congress Heights Community Training Center and he was again
unavailable and we left a message and were told that he doesn't have office space at this location, but they would get
the message to him.

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•

•
•

•

•

Hope Village has offered to a few agencies the opportunity to tour the facility. This can
produce even more strides if the tours are not offered one time, but are regular open
houses on a bi-annual or quarterly basis. Openness by the administration would go far to
quell community concerns and answer questions. Participation of community partner
organizations will result in:
o Increased and improved programming that will aid in reducing recidivism and
increasing public safety; and
o Increased perception of transparency in the community through the facility's
openness to community partner organizations.
Open the Community Relations Advisory Board meetings to the public to create a forum
to discuss community concerns as well as the needs of RRC residents.
Establish a forum where Hope Village staff and management, community members, and
service providers come together to discuss largest needs of Hope Village residents and
link these needs with services available in the community on a monthly or quarterly
basis.33
Allow residents of Hope Village to attend more community events and forums outside of
Hope Village that support successful reentry.34 The positive results of this would be
twofold. First, this is a good opportunity for residents to connect directly with service
providers and network for employment opportunities. Second, this could better facilitate
structured reintegration into the community.
Residents obtaining Birth certificates and non-driver’s license IDs should be a priority for
successful reentry. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) of the District of
Columbia allows returning citizens to obtain one free non-driver’s identification card
upon release. The CIC therefore recommends that the District government consider
allowing for one free copy of a certified birth certificate upon release from incarceration.

ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Information provided by Hope Village:
• Congress Heights Community Training and Development Corporation (CHCTDC) offers
workplace literacy to residents of Hope Village. The Office of the State Superintendent
on Education (OSSE) funds this program. The goal of workplace literacy is to increase
the adult learner's functional literacy by encouraging core literacy, numeracy, and
computer literacy in a work-based context by at least one grade level prior to exit from
program rather than General Educational Development (GED) attainment. (source: Hope
Village staff)

	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
33
	
  Arlington County Detention Center has a program which is based on providing comprehensive services to inmates
through building community partnerships with service providers and matching these services to the specific inmate’s
needs. The results of this program have been very positive for Arlington County.

	
  
34	
  For

example, the PDS Reentry and Expungement Summit is held at the Washington Convention Center on June
4, 2013 and annually in June. This event includes panels on reentry and criminal justice issues, as well as service
providers providing reentry services, all in one place, on one day.	
  

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o The only criteria for residents' enrolment in the literacy program is not having a
high school diploma or GED and residency at Hope Village exceeding 60 days
(source: Hope Village staff);
o CHCTDC has an incentive program for residents gaining an educational
functioning level by providing $25 Metro Smart trip cards; and since January,
2013, 14 residents have benefited from this incentive program for a total of $350
in incentives (source: Hope Village comments);
o As an ancillary service, CHCTDC has also registered 33 residents to vote (source:
Hope Village comments);
o The program funders independently evaluate the program twice yearly with
CHCTDC receiving 89 points of 105 total points available for the 2012-2013
program year (source: Hope Village comments); and
o In the past year Hope Village had 90 residents enrolled in the workplace literacy
program. Of the 90 enrolled residents who have validly matched pre- and posttests, 70% of those entering at Beginning Adult Basic Education (ABE) level,
75% of those entering at Beginning ABE, 39% of those entering at Low
Intermediate, 26% of those entering at High Intermediate, and 33% of those
entering at ASE low increased at least one grade level. Each category exceeded
the OSSE Adult and Family Education targets on average by 25% (source: Hope
Village comments).
If the resident is at Hope Village for less than 60 days, he is referred to an ABE/GED
program in the community, e.g. at Patricia R. Harris Educational Center, Ballou Senior
High School, or Roosevelt High School. (source: Hope Village staff)
CHCTDC provides GED services onsite to Hope Village residents. (source: Hope Village
staff)
GED classes are held Monday through Thursday (source: Hope Village staff).
o Some residents want to join the GED program just for the privileges, not to learn,
therefore, the program is selective in who they admit. (source: Hope Village staff)
The actual GED test is not offered onsite, but a practice GED test is available onsite. If a
resident receives a specific score on the practice test then the resident may go offsite to
the GED testing office to take the test. (source: Hope Village staff)
Residents’ educational paperwork takes a long time to be transferred from a Bureau
secure facility to Hope Village. This is especially problematic due to residents’ relatively
short time at Hope Village (source: Hope Village staff).

•
Information from Other Sources:
As of the date of this report, the CIC has not collected any information particular to the
GED or academic programs, but will endeavor to collect information on these topics, especially
as changes to the GED test are implemented in 2014.
CIC Observations:
• The CIC observed a portion of the GED class on November 30, 2013. There were 16
computers in the classroom for use only by GED students, and all appeared to be
operational. (source: CIC onsite inspection)
• According to the Performance Work Statement Hope Village is not required to provide a
GED program; however, it has contracted with CHCTDC to do so.

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Phinis Jones, who was introduced to the CIC as the Hope Village Community Relations
Advisory Board representative, is also the founder, board member, and registered agent
of the CHCTDC. When the CIC called Hope Village on April 22, 2013 in an attempt to
contact Mr. Jones, the receptionist indicated that Mr. Jones was a contract worker for
Hope Village.
Jeannett Henry, Esq., who is the General Counsel for Hope Village, is also Chair of the
Board of CHCTDC. (source: www.chctdc.org)
Hope Village has indicated that the CHCTDC workplace program is independently
evaluate the program twice yearly with CHCTDC receiving 89 points of 105 total points
available for the 2012-2013 program year. The CIC, however, does now know who
completes the evaluation, what is included in the evaluation, or if the score is based on
empirical or anecdotal evidence.

CIC RECOMMENDATIONS
• The CIC recommends that, in the interest of increased transparency, an independent
educational evaluator conduct an assessment of the GED, ABE, and vocational programs
offered by CHCTDC at Hope Village, particularly in 2013, prior to and in preparation for
the implementation of the new GED testing program in 2014. This evaluation should
examine numbers of those in the program, number of those requiring remedial education
services, numbers of those taking the GED test and passage information.
• Hope Village could also improve community relations and participation by partnering
with additional service providers for academic and vocational training.
EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE
Information Provided by Hope Village:
• Vocational counselors hold a job readiness class for residents one hour per week.
• Vocational counselors maintain a job bulletin board, five to six job postings are
contributed by each vocational counselor totaling of 20-25 jobs. The vocational
counseling staff also develops a bi-weekly employment newsletter including job leads
that is distributed to each building at Hope Village. (source: Hope Village staff)
• Residents determined to be indigent always receive tokens so they can travel for job
training, employment assistance, substance abuse, medical treatment, etc. (source: Hope
Village staff)
• Residents are sent to Project Empowerment and STRIVE DC as component programs of
the Employment Assistance offered at Hope Village. (source: Hope Village staff)
• Residents who are not in the GED program are sent to the One Stop Career Center at the
Department of Employment Services (DOES) to search for jobs and fill out online
applications. Hope Village only provides computer and Internet access to residents in the
GED program. (source: Hope Village staff)
• If a resident remains unemployed for 45 days the vocational counselor makes a goal
action plan with each resident. (source: Hope Village staff)

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Information from Other Sources:
• Hope Village lacks job readiness resources; for example, there is no assistance from staff
in putting together a resume or providing access to thumb drives so that resumes can be
printed and shared. (source: current and former Hope Village residents)
• Hope Village itself provides little to no help with job assistance and residents have no
resources to search for jobs because they do not have access to computers onsite. Only
residents in the GED class have access to computers onsite. Without access to
computers, residents cannot search and apply for jobs online or compile and update
resumes and cover letters. Instead of providing computer access on site, residents are sent
to a One-Stop Career Center to search for jobs; and residents are seldom allowed to go
there for job searching. (source: current and former Hope Village residents)
• Hope Village has inhibited residents’ ability to find and sustain employment due to the
lack of flexibility on procedural restrictions. Specifically, staff members do not assist
residents who need a pass for an interview or work related event on short notice. It is
very difficult to get a pass for an employment related activity on the weekend for the
following Monday morning. Also, residents cannot go to work or to an interview when
they are placed on no movement. (source: current and former Hope Village residents)
• Residents are often late to work because Hope Village does not release them on time.
(source: employer of Hope Village resident, community service providers, and current
and former Hope Village residents)
• One Hope Village resident found a job on the job board maintained by vocational
counselors. (source: former Hope Village resident).
CIC Observations:
• CIC observed the job board, which listed jobs available in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
• A job fair was given by DC Central Kitchen on November 30, 2012, a culinary jobtraining program; there were approximately 20 residents at the job fair. (source: CIC
onsite inspection)
CIC RECOMMENDATIONS
Employment and educational assistance is a critical dimension of successful reentry.
However, former inmates face tremendous challenges in finding and maintaining employment,
including low levels of education, limited work experience, and limited vocational skills.
Citizens returning to DC face additional barriers to employment such as high unemployment
rates, including an unemployment rate of 8.5% in DC overall, 20.7 % in Ward 8, 13.7% in Ward
7, and 11.1% in Ward 5.35 Additionally, the stigma attached to incarceration makes it especially
difficult for retuning citizens to compete for jobs.36

	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
35

DC Department of Employment services, District of Columbia Labor Force, Employment, Unemployment and
Unemployment Rate by Ward (Nov. 2012), available at
http://does.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/does/page_content/attachments/Unemployment%20Data%20for%20DC
%20Wards(monthly).pdf ; DC Department of Employment Services, District Unemployment Rate Drops to 8.5
Percent, Nov. 30, 2012, http://does.dc.gov/release/district-unemployment-rate-drops-85-percent
36
Black & Cho, supra note 16, at 10.

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Employment is continuously cited as the most important indicator of successful reentry and
deterrent to recidivism.37 Additionally, employment also offers the secondary benefits of
structure and additional supervision. The economic downturn coupled with obstacles to
employment for the returning citizen population does not make obtaining employment an easy
task. The CIC believes the partnerships Hope Village has formed with employment training
providers are helpful. The CIC recommends:
• Hope Village require current staff to have and hire new staff with education, training,
experience and expertise in the field of job placement as vocation counselors. These
individuals should be experts in this field, teach job readiness classes, and assist residents
individually on a weekly basis with job placement. This may require additional training
for current staff;
• Ensure vocational counselors are:
o Providing sufficient assistance in job searches;
o Providing sufficient passes and transportation assistance for employment and job
searches; and
o Are releasing residents form Hope Village with reasonable time to travel to work.
• Hope Village provide all residents, not just GED students, with sufficient onsite access to
the Internet for job searching and communication with employers as well as computer
literacy. The facility should make computers and printing available for job searching,
resume/cover letter writing, and other key employment-seeking related issues. Making
the 16 computers already onsite available or providing additional computers will
facilitate computer training, job readiness, and efficient and effective employment
searches onsite.
HOPE VILLAGE STAFF
Information Provided by Hope Village:
• Hope Village employs 94 full time staff members. The staff includes 18 administrative
staff, two support staff, 48 program staff, five security staff, and 21 other staff (including
kitchen and maintenance staff). The turnover rate for personnel is 8%. (source: document
review)
• Hope Village has six buildings; each building has eight to twelve apartments with four to
eight residents in each apartment. Each building has two case managers and a vocational
counselor, Charge of Quarters, and key administrative management staff. Ancillary
service staff are located throughout the facility. (source: document review)
• Social Worker.
o The Social Worker has caseload of 30-35 offenders. There are four social
workers employed by Hope Village. The social worker completes individual
meetings and release preparation programs for residents, and runs the Transitional
Skills and Journaling Program. The social worker is to assist offenders with
transitional programming to include mental health, transitional housing, and
general counseling needs. The social worker does not provide individual
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
37

Drake & LaFrance, supra note 20; Amy Solomon, Kelly Dedel Johnson, Jeremy Travis, & Elizabeth C. McBride,
From Prison to Work: The Employment Dimensions of Prisoner Reentry (Oct. 2004), available at
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411097_From_Prison_to_Work.pdf.

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counseling services; if this is needed, residents are sent off site. (source: Hope
Village staff)
o While the PWS lists a Master's Degree as the minimum qualifications for a social
worker, the Bureau has waived this requirement and allowed Hope Village to
recruit for this position at the Bachelor's level because it was not a necessary
prerequisite for the position. According to Hope Village, this change in
educational requirement has not negatively impacted the delivery of services to
residents (source: Hope Village comments).
Vocation Counselor.
o The vocational counselors at Hope Village assist with job readiness, including
cover letters and clothing for interviews. The counselor holds one job readiness
class for one hour per week and approximately 15 residents are in each class.
Each vocational counselor is in charge of one Job Posting Board, which includes
five to six job postings (totaling 20-25 jobs for the facility) and changes every two
weeks. (source: Hope Village staff)
o After 45 days of unemployment, the vocational counselor makes an individual
goal action plan with every resident.
o The vocational counselor provides tokens for travel to indigent residents. (source:
Hope Village staff)
o According to the written job description, the Vocational Counselor monitors and
evaluates employment programs, develops new programs, develops and maintains
the resource library, employment data records, contacts with employers and lists
of vacancies, studies client case histories to determine job interests/skills,
interviews clients and seek further info from referring agencies as needed.
(source: document review)
o Job qualifications for the vocational counselor position are a High School diploma
with Bachelor of Arts preferred and one-year experience. (source: document
review).
Case Manager.
o Each case manager has 35 residents under their care. Residents have daily access
to case managers, but meet with them a minimum of once every two weeks. They
assist residents with obtaining identification upon arrival. (source: Hope Village
staff)
o According to the written job description, the case manager works under the
supervision of the Program Director and provides individual and group
counseling.
o The major duties of the Case Manager include: intake, casework,
interviewing/counseling, liaison with federal/local Court Supervisions Officers,
social service agencies, staff, community contact with residents, families,
employers, judges, and probation, and record-keeping and report-writing (source:
document review).
o The case manager holds investigations on violations of Bureau and Hope Village
rules. At the hearing a resident can bring someone on his behalf and introduce
evidence. The case manager makes a recommendation to the program director,
who then makes a recommendation to the Bureau. Only the Bureau can make a

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determination of whether a violation, in fact, occurred. (source: Hope Village
staff)
o The qualifications for this position include a Bachelor of Science in
Social/Behavioral Science and 1-year experience, drivers license and car, First
Aid & CPR training, and participation in required training as mandated by Hope
Village. (source: document review)
Drug Counselor.
o The drug counselor offers substance abuse and use programs, focusing on stress
related to reentry that may cause a relapse, and anger management. Classes are
required to meet from 60 to 90 minutes per week. (source: Hope Village staff)
o The drug counselor has a 40-inmate caseload, holds one or more individual and/or
group counseling sessions per week for each inmate with drug aftercare, and
prepares weekly notes on each client. (source: document review)
o The requirements for this position include a Masters in Behavioral Sciences, Drug
Counseling Certification, and 2 years experience (source: document review).

Information from Other Sources:
• The vocational staff is not trained and lacks experience in employment assistance.
(source: community service providers and current and former Hope Village residents)
• The attitude of Hope Village staff is poor, providing punitive rather than supportive
measures. The staff is inexperienced, not professional, and rude. (source: community
service providers, employer, current and former Hope Village residents, family members
and loved ones of current and former Hope Village residents)
• Staff members lack training and competence to work with the ex-offender population.
(source: community service providers and current and former Hope Village residents)
• Staff does not offer enough support to residents at such a critical time in their lives to
procure the most successful employment and life outcomes. (source: community service
providers and current and former Hope Village residents)
• Hope Village provides little or no assistance for residents seeking housing upon their
release from the facility. Residents are often forced to reside in homeless shelters or on
the street when they fail to receive such assistance. (source: DC community)
CIC Observations:
• On the day of the onsite inspection the CIC interviewed a social worker, vocational
counselor, case manager, drug counselor, program coordinator, and program director. All
of the interviews took place in the presence of the Hope Village attorney.
CIC RECOMMENDATIONS
• The CIC recommends that Hope Village hire individuals with education, training,
experience, and expertise in their respective field as social workers, case managers,
vocation counselors, and drug abuse counselors.
o Specifically, the Job qualifications for the vocational counselor position, High
School diploma with Bachelor of Arts preferred and one-year experience, are not
sufficient to assist returning citizens with the very difficult task of locating
employment.

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Residents are held at Hope Village for relatively short periods of time and need to find
housing before they leave. Locating suitable housing is problem nationwide for
individuals returning from incarceration. We recommend Hope Village utilize trained
staff or service providers to help residents find housing and prioritize housing placement
upon entry to Hope Village.

TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE
Information Provided by Hope Village:
• The governing PWS requires Hope Village to provide transportation for indigent
offenders seeking employment or attending program activities, at no cost to the offenders.
(source: PWS)
• According to Hope Village staff, tokens are given to indigent residents. However, a
determination of indigence is made on a case-by-case basis, based on, for example, what
type of sneakers a family member has given a resident or if a resident has received some
money from family or friends. If a resident has received some funds from his family, he
will not be considered indigent and will not receive travel tokens. Therefore, only a
small portion of residents is perceived as truly in need of travel assistance. (source: Hope
Village staff)
• Hope Villages uses this as a life skills teaching for residents: if you receive money you
must use this money for transportation and job searching before buying less necessary
items. (source: Hope Village staff)
• Hope Village has recently indicated, “HOPE VILLAGE, INC.'s determination of
indigence is not made in a vacuum, but in accordance with Bureau guidelines.” (Hope
Village comments)
Information from Other Sources:
• Residents are not receiving sufficient tokens for transportation to and from Hope Village.
This transportation is viewed as necessary to search for jobs, obtain identification, travel
to mental and medical health care visits, and go to work before their first paycheck is
received. (source: community service providers and current and former Hope Village
residents)
• It is difficult to obtain a social security card and identification due to lack of
transportation assistance and lack of cooperation of staff. (source: current and former
Hope Village residents)
• One DC community organization that is providing transportation assistance to several
Hope Village residents claims that, without its transportation assistance, Hope Village
residents would not have the ability to return to Hope Village from their facility. (source:
community service providers)
• Nearly every Hope Village resident is indigent. They have minimal income and little or
no savings. (source: DC community)
CIC RECOMMENDATIONS
• Indigence be determined based on a widely accepted national definitions of “indigent,”
not subjective inferences from gifts from family or friends. Indigent disabled residents

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and job seekers should receive adequate travel assistance from Hope Village to make
appointments, look for work, and to conduct other trips in the community that are helpful
to successful reentry. The discrepancy between the community and Hope Village seems
to lie in the definition and determination of “indigence.” The facility can use multiple of
the Department of Health and Human Services federal poverty guidelines as a more
objective measure of indigence, along with financial worksheet based on these guidelines
to determine whether a resident is indigent.
The Bureau should ensure residents who do not have sufficient funding for travel receive
tokens for transportation to and from Hope Village for approved off-site activities.
Hope Village allow travel for non-job purposes that facilitate successful reentry: to see
family, interact with community, get counseling, and further facilitate reentry into the
community they are returning to.

GRIEVANCE PROCESS
Information Provided by Hope Village:
• The Bureau has a three-tier administrative remedy system: BP-9s are processed at the
institution level; BP-10s are the second level of appeal, at the Bureau Regional Office
level; and BP-11s are the final level of appeal, reviewed by the Bureau’s Central
Office. Certain actions, like appealing a disciplinary sanction, can be filed directly at the
BP-10 level. (source: the Bureau)
• Inmates who are scheduled to transition to Hope Village are provided with information
regarding both the facility's and the Bureau's grievance procedures before they release
from a Bureau institution. Specifically, future residents are provided with a Hope Village
Resident Handbook, which outlines the local grievance and appeals processes. They are
also informed that they can utilize the Bureau's Administrative Remedy Program, which
is outlined in Program Statement 1330.17. (source: the Bureau comments)
• Upon arrival at Hope Village, residents are again advised of the grievance procedures
during their initial orientation to the facility. The Bureau's Contract Oversight Specialist
(COS) ordinarily participates in the new resident orientation and advises residents that
they are available to discuss any resident concerns or grievances during their routine
visits at the facility. (source: the Bureau comments)
• If a resident has a grievance that he believes can be addressed locally, he may obtain the
facility Resident Grievance Form from his Hope Village case manager and submit the
form to any Hope Village staff member. The grievance form is then submitted to the
Program Director for response. If the issue cannot be resolved at that level, the
Administrative director attempts resolution with the resident. (source: the Bureau)
• Residents can also file a grievance through the Bureau's Administrative Remedy
Program. To file such a grievance, the resident completes the Administrative Remedy
forms and mails them directly to the Bureau's Mid-Atlantic Regional Office (MARO)
address, which is posted on the resident bulletin boards. Grievances from RRC residents
are investigated and responded to by the Residential Reentry Manager whose decision
can be appealed to the MARO Deputy Regional Director for investigation and response.
(source: the Bureau comments)

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In addition to Hope Village's grievance process and the Bureau's Administrative Remedy
Program, Hope Village residents can contact Bureau staff directly at the address and
telephone numbers posted in each building, and can also directly contact the Office of
Inspector General at the telephone number posted in each building. (source: the Bureau
comments)
Residents can get access to the grievance procedures and appeal process from case
manager. (source: Hope Village staff)

Information from Other Sources:
• Hope Village lacks a legitimate process by which residents can file grievances.
Grievances are not taken seriously; they are ignored and may even be given to the
individual staff member about which the grievance is filed. (source: former Hope Village
residents)
• There is no effective Bureau oversight of the grievance process and the issues raised.
(source: local advocate)
• Some residents fear retaliation if they do file grievances or speak out against Hope
Village. Others have problems or concerns but do not file grievances because they are
almost done serving their time and just want to get out. (source: former Hope Village
residents)
• A resident of Hope Village said that he was fearful of being sent to a Virginia regional
jail for speaking out about conditions at Hope Village. (source: former Hope Village
resident)
• Residents do not receive copies of the grievance procedure. (source: former Hope Village
residents)
CIC Observations:
• In our second document request submitted to the Bureau on December 5, 2012, the CIC
requested all grievance reports filed to the Bureau for Hope Village from January 1, 2012
to the present date. For this time period the Bureau found only one grievance report it
received in reference to Hope Village, which was BP-10 appeal of a disciplinary sanction
for a resident escape. (source: document review)
• Before our onsite inspection the CIC sent correspondence to all DC residents at Hope
Village in Bureau custody, totaling 112 letters. These letters included an informative
CIC flyer, a letter informing residents of the CIC’s onsite inspection date, and a release
form for residents to speak with the CIC in person on the date of the inspection. Out of
the 112 letters the CIC sent we received only one release from and interviewed that one
Hope Village resident on the day of the inspection.
• The CIC has spoken to over 20 current and former Hope Village residents who shared
valuable information about their experiences at Hope Village. Most of these residents
indicated specific concerns about their time at Hope Village, and indicated that their
concerns reflected those of many other Hope Village residents. Additionally, community
members described numerous specific concerns about conditions or treatment of residents
at Hope Village. It is therefore very surprising to the CIC that the Bureau has only
received one grievance report that referenced Hope Village over a twelve-month period
beginning in November 2011.

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CIC RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Although there are written procedures regarding Hope Village and Bureau grievance
processes, the absence of any evidence regarding the actual implementation of these
procedures is troubling, especially given the numerous complaints about the facility from
former residents and community members. The CIC recommends that Hope Village
ensure an environment where residents are knowledgeable about the grievance procedure,
do not fear retaliation for filing grievances, and in which grievances are taken seriously
and follow up action is taken when necessary. This should include:
o Making Bureau grievance forms and instructions readily available to residents in their
housing units; and
o Use of Bureau grievance procedure rather than internal grievance procedure so that
there is transparency on the regional office level and via Freedom of Information Act
about the grievances presented and actions taken (if any) regarding these grievances.
o Ensuring that staff are knowledgeable about Bureau grievance procedures,
consistently provide that information to residents, and handle the filing of grievances
in a professional and confidential manner according to applicable policy.
• The CIC also recommends that the Bureau investigate and review the application of the
grievance procedure at Hope Village to verify whether the one BP-10 in the year is an
accurate reflection of grievances at the facility.
• The CIC will continue to monitor this issue via interviews and surveys of former
residents, as well as Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with permission of
individual DC Residents.
DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE
Information Provided by Hope Village:
• Technical violation hearings are held to determine if a resident has violated Hope Village
or Bureau rules (rather than new criminal conduct) while residing at Hope Village.
• Disciplinary Hearing officers are usually vocational counselors or case managers,
employees of Hope Village. At technical violation hearings, residents have no attorney
present, but they do have the ability to call witnesses and introduce evidence on their
behalf. The Disciplinary Hearing Officer makes a recommendation to the program
director, who then makes a recommendation to the Bureau. After the hearing process the
Bureau Disciplinarily Hearing Officer reviews and makes a disposition of the case; only
the Bureau can make a determination of whether a violation, in fact, occurred. (source:
Hope Village staff and document review)
• The PWS requires Hope Village to develop written procedures for escape, control of
contraband, and discipline procedures for offenders in Bureau custody. The Facilities
Operations Manual contains such policies, as does the Hope Village Resident Handbook.
• Residents who were ultimately sent to Virginia Regional Jails may not have received
hearings at Hope Village. The circumstances that would result in no hearing at Hope
Villages include:
o A resident submits a positive urine sample, or poses an immediate threat to self or
others. In this case the Bureau will arrange for a quick transfer of the resident
from Hope Village to the jail, where Hope Village violation paperwork will be

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forwarded and the resident will receive a hearing at the jail (source: Hope
Village); or
o A resident must have failed to provide any legitimate reason for returning late to
Hope Village jail (source: Hope Village staff).
If a resident is sent to one of the Virginia Regional Jails, it is because Hope Village staff
could not verify any representations the resident made. Hope Village balances
accountability and public safety at all times, and follows the policies and procedures
implemented by the Bureau as well as the national industry ACA standards. (source:
Hope Village comments)
If a resident is going to return late to Hope Village because of an employment obligation,
the resident’s supervisor must call Hope Village with sufficient time for the resident to
return to Hope Village if the request is not approved. (source: Hope Village staff)
All escape incident reports are reviewed by a specifically trained Bureau staff member,
the Discipline Hearing Officer (DHO). The DHO ensures the hearings are fair and
residents are provided with an opportunity to present a defense. Further, inmates are
made aware of appeal procedures. (source: the Bureau comments)
If a resident receives an incident report, a copy is given to the inmate within 24 hours of
the incident. A hearing may be recommended by Center Discipline Committee (CDC). If
there is a hearing it will be held within three working days after the alleged infraction.
(source: document review)
From November 1, 2011, through October 31, 2012, there were 1, 415 residents in
Bureau custody released from Hope Village (if the individual had more than one release
in that time period, they were only counted one time). As of March 30, 2013, a total of 80
inmates who were permanently released during that time period have returned to the
Bureau as designated inmates, most likely for re-incarceration on new convictions or
supervised release violations. Additionally, of the 1,415 inmates released from Hope
Village during the same time period, 180 inmates were subsequently released from
Bureau custody via a jail, 79 were released from a Bureau institution, and 17 inmates
remain in custody. These inmates were transferred out of Hope Village for reasons that
would render them no longer suitable for community placement. (source: Bureau
comments)

Information from Other Sources:
• Often buses run late due to traffic and residents have no access to phones to notify Hope
Village because they are not allowed to have cell phones. It is therefore difficult to
contact Hope Village if a resident is running late. (source: current and former Hope
Village residents)
• The hearing process does not take into account circumstances residents cannot control.
(source: current and former Hope Village residents and family members and loved ones
of Hope Village residents)
• Residents did not receive hearings before being sent to the Virginia Regional Jails.
(source: current and former Hope Village residents and family members and loved ones
of Hope Village residents)
• Residents and former residents feel that everyone is found guilty at technical violation
hearings no matter what the circumstances surrounding the violation are. (source: current

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•

and former Hope Village residents and family members and loved ones of Hope Village
residents)
The CIC has spoken to three Hope Village residents that were sent to the Virginia
Regional Jails for technical violations (specifically, for returning to Hope Village after
the designated return time) for what they consider legitimate and unavoidable reasons
(traffic, weather related state of emergency, and emergency medical care). They felt
there is no flexibility in return time and the hearing process was unfair whether they
received a hearing at Hope Village or the jail. (source: former Hope Village residents)

CIC RECOMMENDATION
• The CIC recommends that the Bureau review this hearing process to ensure the hearings
are fair and residents are provided with a true and reasonable opportunity to defend
alleged violations. This review should include random file reviews of incident reports,
observations of notification of alleged violations and procedures, and hearing
observations by Bureau staff not regularly assigned to the facility.
• The CIC also recommends that access to legal assistance be made available in cases in
which return to prison facility and/or loss of time credit are possible sanctions. Along
with notice of infractions, information should be provided on how to contact the Public
Defender Service’s Institutional Services Program, law school clinics (such as
Georgetown University Law Center’s Criminal Defense and Prisoner Advocacy Clinic)
for consultation and possible representation at such disciplinary hearings. These legal
entities exist to provide such legal assistance and to advocate for inmates at disciplinary
and other hearings regarding prisoners’ rights and issues, at no cost to the Bureau or
Hope Village.
• No prisoner should be removed from an RRC to jail or prison without the due process of
a hearing prior to removal unless placed under arrest. The CIC further recommends that
Hope Village residents go through the disciplinary hearing process prior to being moved
to a facility outside of the District of Columbia. Should that person be exonerated or
sanctions less than return to prison are appropriate, those inmates will then be able to
return to the RRC.
MENTAL HEALTH
Information provided by Hope Village:
• Hope Village is not contracted to provide medical or mental health services to residents.
Residents with psychological and/or medical diagnoses are identified on the transfer
paperwork from the Bureau referring institution. Within the first week of arrival at Hope
Village, these residents are sent to Unity Health Care for an initial medical assessment
and then referral for treatment. When necessary, within the first week of arrival, residents
are sent to the DC Department of Mental Health for an initial psychological assessment to
determine whether the resident needs medication and/or counseling, and if counseling is
necessary the resident is linked to core service providers in the community. (source: Hope
Village staff)
• In circumstances when there is a psychological emergency with a resident, personnel
from the Comprehensive Psychology Emergency Program ("CPEP") of Department of

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•

Health come to Hope Village to assess the resident and make treatment
recommendations, including temporary hospitalization where warranted. (source: Hope
Village staff)
Due to the unique needs of DC offenders and the mental health resources readily
available in the community, the Bureau utilizes treatment services offered by the DC
community mental health network. Utilization of the local network facilitates continuity
of care as the Department of Mental Health (DMH) provides mental health services to
these returning citizens upon their release from Bureau custody. Additionally, DMH is a
resource providing early linkage to the social service network that assists offenders with
critical post-release needs including housing, employment, training, and continued access
to medication. A Bureau mental health expert is assigned to partner and collaborate with
Hope Village staff and DMH staff. This staff member provides oversight and clinical
case management for all offenders referred to DMH. Following the consent of the
offender, this staff member provides DMH with the necessary treatment records to ensure
continuity of care. (source: the Bureau comments)

Information from Other Sources:
• Residents with mental illnesses are not being provided appropriate alternative
accommodations for their disabilities, resulting in unnecessary disciplinary infractions,
missed treatment appointments, altercations, rearrests, and re-incarceration. (source: local
advocates)
• Former residents feel that Hope Village does not prioritize treatment. Hope Village
residents who are on “no movement” status are unable to keep scheduled treatment
appointments or use the phone to reschedule. (source: local advocates)
• Several mental health and other service providers, including advocates, have been denied
access to their clients at Hope Village. Providers and advocates play key roles in assisting
residents with mental illnesses in obtaining vital services and supports that would help
them succeed at the halfway house and in the community, such as crisis intervention,
reconnection to benefits, and housing assistance. For people with severe and persistent
mental illness, allowing mental health and other providers to “reach in” to establish
relationships is an evidence-based practice and is absolutely necessary to ensure
continuity of care. (source: local advocates)
• Hope Village staff consistently refer residents in need of mental health services to the
Department of Mental Health (DMH) Urgent Care Clinic at 35K Street NE. Although
35K is an important source of medications and initial assessment, an urgent care clinic is
not the best or most efficient resource for identifying appropriate mental health programs
and providers. Hope Village staff do not have the necessary knowledge and training to
educate residents about mental health rehabilitation services offered by DMH; utilize the
Access Helpline to streamline service linkage; and assess residents who are in need of
and interested in receiving Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and develop ACT
referrals. (source: local advocates)
• Currently, Hope Village staff sends residents to their local Social Security offices to
apply for benefits. Most SSI/SSDI applications that are filed without assistance are
rejected, resulting in significant delays. The application process is daunting even for
someone without a psychiatric disability. Hope Village staff should receive training about

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how to assist residents with filing for benefits so that the residents are less likely to face a
two-year appeal process. (source: local advocates)
CIC Observations:
• Recognizing the difference between symptoms of mental illness and disciplinary issues is
difficult even for mental health experts sometimes. The Department of Mental Health
(DMH), University Legal Services (ULS) and others provide training to staff of various
agencies on the characteristics of mental illness and best ways to respond. These agencies
can also provide information on the different programs and services offered by mental
health providers.
• Mental health services in the District of Columbia are now based on a community service
model, wherein mental health clients receive medications and services from community
mental health service providers. Therefore, in order for residents with mental health
diagnoses to receive proper care here, they must be allowed to communicate with their
providers while in residence – in this case, while at Hope Village – and in the
community. By DC’s mental health system’s very design, mental health providers need
to be able to see their clients at Hope Village to establish relationships and their offices
ensure continuity of care.
CIC RECOMMEDNATIONS
• The CIC strongly recommends that Hope Village ensure residents placed on nomovement are able to attend and/or receive mental health treatment from their
community mental health service providers. Residents needing mental health treatment
should have the unhindered ability to communicate with their mental health care
providers.
• The CIC also recommends that the Bureau investigate the application of disciplinary
sanctions that preclude residents from attending and receiving mental health treatment.
• Hope Village should establish relationships with community mental healthcare providers
and use these same mental health care providers as a resource. If Hope Village has
recently begun providing temporary space to mental health providers, this is a best
practice that Hope Village should endeavor to continue.
• Hope Village staff should receive additional training in recognizing the differences
between symptoms of mental health and disciplinary issues and to effectively connect
residents to appropriate services and benefits. The CIC recommends that Hope Village
participate in mental health services training, provided by University Legal Services
and/or Department of Mental Health (DMH).
• ULS also provides training to incarceration facility staff to assist inmates applying for
disability benefits prior to their release. This training will explain to Hope Village staff
the roles of the Social Security Administration (SSA) in this process (for example, SSA
does not assist consumers to apply for benefits) and how or to whom staff should refer
residents for assistance.
• Hope Village staff should receive additional training to educate residents about mental
health rehabilitation services offered by DMH; utilize the Access Helpline to streamline
service linkage; and assist linking residents who are in need of Assertive Community
Treatment (ACT).

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BUREAU OVERSIGHT AND ACCREDITATION
Information provided by Hope Village:
• Hope Village has received accreditation and is currently accredited with the American
Correctional Association (ACA). Hope Village received their most recent ACA
accreditation on January 28, 2013. (source: document review)
• The Bureau completes yearly contractor evaluation for both contracts with Hope Village.
Additionally, Hope Village must submit quarterly self-assessment reports to the Bureau.
(source: document review)
• The Bureau commented that it has a comprehensive approach to contract oversight that is
driven by the Federal Acquisition Regulations, as well as Bureau policies and practices.
Additionally, significant staff resources are dedicated to contract facility oversight
nationwide to include the Bureau's Administration Division which is responsible for
contract administration, and Correctional Programs Division which is responsible for
policy and program development, and field staff throughout the Bureau's six regions who
provide daily oversight of the facilities through on-site and remote monitoring. (source:
the Bureau comments)
• The Bureau commented that it conducts a review of Hope Village annually and issues a
report, the most recent from February 5-8, 2013. The full monitoring report covers the
following six areas: inmate accountability, inmate programming, community relations,
site validity and suitability, RRC personnel staff, and communications and
responsiveness with Bureau. In addition to full monitoring inspections, the Bureau also
conducts pre-occupancy visits to assess whether the RRC is ready to begin performance,
interim monitoring inspections, unannounced on-site examination, and contractor
evaluations rating the RRC's performance at the end of each 12-month performance
period. For seven years, the Bureau's contract oversight specialist has been making
weekly visits to Hope Village. (source: Hope Village staff)
• With respect to requesting documents from the Bureau for their contract facilities, a legal
review of the request is required to ensure contractual and Freedom of Information Act
requirements are met. Hope Village’s legal counsel deemed a large portion of the
information requested by the CIC as proprietary in nature; the Bureau could not release
the information unilaterally for contract facilities. The information could only be released
with the consent of Hope Village. (source: Bureau comments)
CIC Observations:
• The annual Bureau Contractor Evaluation Forms are almost identical from year to year,
word for word, with little to no change for years 2009 through 2012.
• Hope Village has indicated that inmate programming and community relations are two of
the components of the Bureau’s annual review of Hope Village. Despite these reviews,
the CIC has learned of significant concerns, noted in this report, about both of these
topics.
• Staff members at three separate Bureau prisons have made unsolicited comments to the
CIC that DC inmates at their facilities would rather finish their incarceration in prison
than be transferred to Hope Village.
• The CIC had difficulties in obtaining documents requested pertaining to conditions of
confinement at Hope Village. The document review process for this inspection was

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difficult and time consuming. The CIC submitted four requests for documents related to
conditions of confinement at Hope Village over a six-month period.38
CIC RECOMMEDNATION:
• Many DC residents in Bureau custody are located at Bureau contract facilities. The CIC
is committed to continuing to work with the Bureau to receive and review information
from Bureau contract facilities to fulfill its mandate. Part of this collaboration to develop
efficient information collection, the CIC is committed to work with the Bureau to clearly
define what is legally considered “proprietary information” as opposed to confidential
information or information that is publicly available.39
• The CIC is concerned that, despite Bureau comments regarding intensive oversight, there
are still numerous complaints about Hope Village. Rather than dismissing these
complaints, the CIC recommends that, in addition to supporting an independent evaluator
for programs (above), the Bureau facilitate an anonymous, confidential survey with
prison and Hope Village inmates to ascertain and then address potential and current Hope
Village residents’ concerns.
• The contracts between the Bureau and Hope Village expire in 2016 and 2017. Therefore,
there is over 2.5 years for Bureau to enhance its monitoring, note any changes that are
needed or best practices that should be implemented, and make the performance of future
contracts contingent upon these adjustments. The CIC is committed to continued
monitoring of Hope Village during this time period as well, and will report to the Bureau
any information that will assist in this regard.
OTHER TOPICS
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA).
At the time of the CIC’s inspection CSOSA had a space onsite at Hope Village, including
five cubicles, and usually seven staff onsite. On the date of the inspection CSOSA was working
with 177 Hope Village residents. CSOSA’s indicated their ratio at Hope Village was between 25
to 30 residents per staff member, this is average for their agency. CSOSA would to meet with
residents upon intake, which is within the first five to seven days of arrival; the following week
residents would travel to the Transitional Intervention for Parole Supervision (TIPS) office
where CSOSA screens residents, provides referrals, and administrates necessary tests; CSOSA
will notify Hope Village of release planning. According to CSOSA, they shared information
with Hope Village and would work together to provide for the basic needs of residents. The
largest barriers to reentry are the lack of housing, lack of community resources (particularly for
homeless), and the extended amount of time required to obtain identification (source: CSOSA
staff).
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  
38

The process of document review for Hope Village has been very different from the document review process for
Bureau institutions. For all three Bureau institutions the CIC has inspection the Bureau has provided all the
documents the CIC requested within 15 days of the request.
39
	
  For example, the desire to keep information confidential does not make that information “proprietary”, i.e., trade
secrets.

	
  

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Since the date of our inspection, CSOSA no longer has a space at Hope Village. CSOSA and
Hope Village have had an agreement since July of 1999. Through this agreement Hope Village
provided space at no cost to CSOSA staff. The agreement was terminated at Hope Village’s
request in December 2012 and CSOSA vacated in early January. In February of 2013, Hope
Village presented CSOSA with a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) providing for the
return of CSOSA staff to the facility. CSOSA is in the process of reviewing this document at this
time (source: CSOSA staff).
According to Hope Village CSOSA placed unreasonable demands on Hope Village for the
free space, CSOSA refused to continue under the terms of the arrangement that had been in
existence for 14 years, and CSOSA chose to leave the space. Since then Hope Village has
provided CSOSA with a number of new drafts of the MOU but CSOSA has chosen not to return
to Hope Village (source: Hope Village comments).
The Bureau has indicated that they do not have the legal authority to require Hope Village
provide space to CSOSA. The Bureau recognizes that while not contractually obligated to
provide space, there are mutual benefits to having CSOSA staff on-site full-time at Hope Village.
To that end, the Bureau has facilitated discussions with CSOSA and Hope Village to assist both
agencies in arriving at a mutually agreeable arrangement. (source: the Bureau comments)
CIC RECOMMENDATION: Proper pre-release planning conducted by CSOSA for
those to be released to community supervision is critical to public safety and successful reentry.
Additionally, the services CSOSA provides to returning citizens are integral to successful
reentry. The CIC recommends Hope Village and CSOSA re-establish continuous and full-time
CSOSA presence at the facility. The CIC will continue to monitor this issue and provide
additional information in subsequent reports.
Visitation
Each resident is entitled to one hour of visitation per week. Visitation occurs on Saturday and
Sunday. Two adults and children may visit for one hour. Residents add visitors to their
visitation list at orientation.
Medical Care
The initial medical intake occurs within hours of the resident's arrival at Hope Village. Residents
go to Unity Health Care for an initial medical visit; mental health is not included. There is no
onsite medical supervision or personnel, Hope Village is not contractually required provide
medical services. Hope Village has made arrangements for residents to receive medical and
mental health services through community providers. (source: Hope Village staff)
Telephone Access
Current and former residents have informed the CIC that, although they would prefer cell phone
access, it is very easy to access landline phones to make calls. They stated that it is very difficult
for residents to receive calls, however, and staff are generally uncooperative in providing access
and forwarding messages. This is particularly important for job seeking; employers need a
reliable way to contact residents regarding work related issues. The CIC will continue to monitor
this issue and provide additional information in subsequent reports.

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Recreation
Residents are allowed access to parks and facilities within walking distance in the local
community. During the orientation period, residents still have one hour of leisure time, but this
is restricted to facility grounds. (source: document review)
Physical Structure of Hope Village
Buildings were built in 1950. Hope Village has a comprehensive maintenance and
housekeeping plan. Maintenance staff is at Hope Village each day and are on-call after 5 pm to
address any maintenance issue. The plumbing is functional and passed all DC inspections
(source: Hope Village staff).
Current and former residents have complained that the water in the shower does not drain
properly. The CIC observed that there were some noticeable problems with the lavatories as
well. The bathroom tiles were old with visible mold in the grout of the tiles. The flooring and
the plumbing both appeared to be outdated as well (source: CIC onsite inspection). The CIC will
continue to monitor this issue and provide additional information in subsequent reports.
Food Service
Hope Village’s food service director monitors each meal to ensure that it meets standards
in the food industry. Hope Village has a dietician who involved in meal planning to ensure meals
meet nutritional requirements and adult daily requirements. DC Department of Consumer and
Regulatory Affairs conducts annual reviews and inspections of Hope Village. Residents are also
provided the opportunity on a quarterly basis to be interviewed and complete a questionnaire
about the food service operation. To date, Hope Village has received consistent high praise from
residents. (source: Hope Village staff)
Current and former residents have stated that the quantity of food provided is not
sufficient and that the quality of food is poor. There are too many people in the meal hall at one
time. There is a long line of people waiting to get trays that wraps around the food hall. The
cafeteria is too small to accommodate residents.
The CIC was informed by a Hope Village resident that the food on the day of its visit was
better than the food residents receive on a regular basis. The CIC did observe that the dining hall
seats 35 persons at one time; and the residents eat in shifts. The kitchen staff appeared to be
cheerful. The kitchen was very old. The food was uncovered and fruit flies were flying on the
prepared meal.
The CIC has heard from over 50% percent of current and former Hope Village residents
we spoke with that the food provided at Hope Village is of poor quality and the quantity of food
is not sufficient. The fact Hope Village consistent receives high praise from residents leads the
CIC to question the procedure by which this information is gathered. The CIC will continue to
monitor this issue and provide additional information in subsequent reports.
Religious Services
Hope Village regulations and handbook indicate that religious movement is permitted to
the closest facility of the resident’s faith. Also, resident may attend religious services one time
per week and must provide Hope Village with proof of attendance.

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The Bureau's policies require that inmates be provided with reasonable and equitable
opportunities to pursue religious belief s and practices, consistent with the security and orderly
running of the facility. Inmates may designate any or no religious preference. Additionally, an
inmate may change his religious preference. (source: the Bureau)
Residents have indicated they are being denied passes to attend a religious service of their
choice, specifically Allen Chapel AME, and Hope Village has informed residents they can go to
another place of worship instead.
Hope Village lists Allen Chapel AME as a community partner; and residents of Hope
Village have attended this place of worship in the past. Therefore, the CIC anticipates that Hope
Village will continue to follow the PWS and its regulations allowing residents to attend the
religious services of their choice at the closest facility of the resident’s faith. The CIC will
continue to monitor this issue and provide additional information in subsequent reports.

V. Conclusion
Again, this report is the beginning of an ongoing process of monitoring and inspection of
this and other facilities where DC residents are incarcerated. The CIC desires to continue to
work together with the Bureau, Hope Village, and the DC community to better serve DC
residents returning to the community from incarceration. The CIC will continue to monitor and
provide recommendations as is required by its mandate, and looks forward to seeing progress
towards the implementation of many of these recommendations.

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VI.

Appendix
Exhibit A
Bureau and Hope Village Response by Topic

PROGRAMMING
Information from Other Sources: The quality of the programming is poor. Topics discussed in class are not
related to the class (e.g. in Life Skills class, life skills are not discussed and residents do not learn anything; in
drug programming many topics are discussed, none of which include drugs or drug use). The time spent and
subjects discussed in programming do not further the goal of successful reentry
Hope Village Response: It is ludicrous for any source to say that residents do not learn anything in the Life
Skills class. The class is taught by Dr. Linda Winehold, whom the CIC staff met and had a chance to interview.
Dr. Winehold, a seventeen (17) year employee with Hope Village, holds a PhD in biological in Pharmacology, a
psychology, post-doctoral work Behavioral holds a Master's of Science in Mental Heath Counseling, and a
Bachelor's of Science in Mental Health Work, and is a well respected professional. The topics covered in the
Life Skills class are very informative and relevant to everyday functioning and survival. For example, in money
management the residents learn how to create a budget, obtain and use credit and debit cards, open savings
accounts, make direct deposits, and salient facts about the current economy that affect their lives. They are
taught time management, AIDS awareness, the perils of driving under the influence or while texting, road blocks
to transition (overcoming obstacles, conflict resolution), social reconnection issues (family, parenting, repairing
bridges, investing in health), negative influences, employment and substance abuse issues. If a resident cannot
find something useful is this array, then he has succumbed to institutionalization and not serious about
reintegrating into the community.
The CIC's source also seems confused about HOPE VILLAGE, JNC.'s drug programming. It is a 1-hour, weekly
relapse prevention program. Therefore, this program necessarily focuses on the types of behavior and
associations that often lead to relapse.
Information from Other Sources: Residents feel unprepared to complete basic life tasks, such as taking the
Metro or bus and navigating their way around the District, along with more complex tasks such as housing,
employment and reentering a community they have been distanced from for an extended period of time.
Hope Village Response: It is bewildering that residents feel "unprepared" to complete basic life tasks. In the Life
Skills class residents are taught how to take the Metro or bus and generally travel around the metropolitan
Washington area.
CIC Observations: In the new arrival meeting residents shared that they were not receiving enough food, they
were not receiving sufficient tokens for travel, and there was a lack of flexibility in return time from on a pass
outside the facility.
Hope Village Response: Since the CIC observed a new arrivals group meeting, it is curious how these residents
could already have been in a position to express concerns about food quantity, tokens, and pass outside the
facility. All meals at Hope Village are certified by a registered dietician, prepared in accordance with the Adult
Daily Living standard and served in quantities deemed acceptable by the American Dietician Association.
Residents who need and request tokens for travel receive the requisite amount for the approved travel from the
facility Hope Village is required to maintain accountability of the residents for public safety, and residents'
timely return from pass outside the facility is part of that accountability. The only flexibility that Hope Village

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can take into consideration are verifiable delays in return to the facility due to Metro delays, accidents, etc.
CIC Recommendation: Hope Village should utilize experts with education, training, and experience in the
specific subject matter as instructors for programs offered on and offsite. There are numerous service providers
willing to provide such services at Hope Village, and many are willing to seek outside funding to pay for
services to be provided to Hope Village residents.
Hope Village Response: All HOPE VILLAGE, INC. program staff meet or exceed BOP's requirements for
education, training, and experience. To enhance the on-site educational offerings, residents have access to
outside resources and agencies such as universities and high schools.
CIC Recommendations: For quality assurance purposes, Hope Village should have outside and independent
assessments of these programs and their outcomes. Programming should not only be evidence-based, but also
produce the desired results per purported evidence.
Hope Village Response - HOPE VILLAGE, INC. already has outside sources evaluating program offerings. The
Bureau is the client and obviously knows what services it seeks for the residents. HOPE VILLAGE, INC. has
consistently received high marks from the Bureau over the years, and the longevity of the contractual
relationship confirms same. In addition, HOPE VILLAGE, INC.'s programs are evaluated by the ACA during
the accreditation and re-accreditation processes, and by the Audit Division of the Office of Inspector General of
the U.S. Department of Justice, as recently as March 2012.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS
Information from Hope Village staff: residents are sent offsite to connect with volunteer services; no volunteer
services are provided onsite at Hope Village.
Hope Village Response: CIC report is inaccurate that no volunteer services are provided onsite at HOPE
VILLAGE, INC. The workplace literacy program provided by CHCTDC is volunteer not contracted service.
Information from Other Sources: Community organizations have unsuccessfully tried to form partnerships with
Hope Village. When DC organizations call Hope Village, the phones are often not answered or staff do not
return phone calls.
Hope Village Response: HOPE VILLAGE, INC. has full-time receptionists to answer phones from 8:30 – 10:00
pm Monday through Friday. During nights after 10 pm and weekends, our phones are answered by on-site
correctional staff. HOPE VILLAGE, INC. is very interested in finding out which source claims to call HOPE
VILLAGE, INC. and calls are not answered. These organizations have never brought these complaints to the
attention of HOPE VILLAGE, INC. management
Information from Other Sources: Hope Village has been unwilling to allow volunteers to provide services (e.g.
mentoring or counseling) on- or offsite. Volunteers do not feel welcome at Hope Village (source: community
service providers.
Hope Village Response: HOPE VILLAGE, INC. has volunteers come to the facility and encourages residents to
go off-site to meet volunteers. Because HOPE VILLAGE, INC. is viewed as a correctional facility, we cannot
just have people walk off the street and have access to the facility as some of the complainants wish to do. All
volunteers must complete a background check and be cleared by BOP. In the past some volunteers have sought
to mentor residents by taking them to the movies and to dinner, totally oblivious and, in some cases, naive to the
accountability required of HOPE VILLAGE, INC. for these residents.
Information from Other Sources: Hope Village will not allow residents to attend events to facilitate employment

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and successful reentry offered by organizations and agencies around the community. One DC organization
providing reentry services informed us that they called Hope Village four times to request that a resident be able
to attend an event to assist with reentry in the community and the resident was still not allowed to attend.
Hope Village Response: The CIC report is inaccurate. Residents are allowed to attend job fairs and other events
that would facilitate employment. HOPE VILLAGE, INC. is interested in learning the source that alleges to
have called 4 times without success to be able to get a resident to attend an event.
Information from Other Sources: Another organization feels they are being used by Hope Village to provide
services Hope Village is supposed to provide themselves
Hope Village Response: No organization is being “used” by HOPE VILLAGE, INC. to provide services HOPE
VILLAGE, INC. is contractually required to provide. HOPE VILLAGE, INC. provides all services it is required
to provide under its contracts with BOP. HOPE VILLAGE, INC. is not allowed to outsource any of these
services, and this may be a cause of frustration to outside groups.
Information from Other Sources: Residents are not receiving passes for community activities that assist in
successful reentry
Hope Village Response: It is a total fabrication that residents are not receiving passes for community activities
that assist with successful reentry. When issuing passes, HOPE VILLAGE, INC. staff has to be able to verify the
community activity, including its location, the specifics of the event, beginning and ending times for the event,
and the time it will take the resident to travel to and from the event – all part of HOPE VILLAGE, INC.’s
accountability for residents.
Program Work Statement: The CIC has not received or reviewed information about the public information
program that is required by the PWS
Hope Village Response: HOPE VILLAGE, INC. is very engaged with the community, providing information
about developments. The CIC was provided with Support Letters for Hope Village from HOPE VILLAGE,
INC., received after sharing with the community that the facility was recently re-accredited by the ACA. These
letters were from the Citizens Advisory Council Metropolitan Police Department, Emmanuel Baptist Church,
reintegration alternatives personal program, Allen Chapel AME, Government of the District of Columbia
advisory neighborhood commission 8b,
Information from Other Sources: The Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, Transition Assistance Program (TAP).
TAP has subsidized birth certificates, from states all over the U.S. Of all halfway houses in the DC, Hope
Village is the only one that routinely sends its residents to TAP for the funding and guidance needed to get their
birth certificates. For many years, Hope Village has refused to pay for birth certificates and non-driver’s license
IDs, both of these essential documents. TAP has also provided all clients who do not already have one with a
SmarTrip card, which provides users with free bus transfers as well as reduced bus fares. Because TAP does
not know what services BOP’s contract mandates and pays Hope Village to provide, this community service
provider wonders if it is being asked by Hope Village to subsidize a service that Hope Village should provide
itself
Bureau Response: The Bureau's RRC providers nationwide are not required to provide funds to residents to
obtain identification documents. Identification for returning offenders is a priority to help facilitate the transition
from prison to the community. The Bureau established an MOU with the Social Security Administration to
assist with the processing of replacement social security cards. Hope Village refers inmates to Unity Health Care
who assists residents in obtaining a non-driver's license identification card issued by the District of Columbia

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that is free of charge to ex-offenders. Hope Village is not contractually obligated to pay for inmate
identification.
Please be advised that to our knowledge, TAP has not expressed concerns to the Bureau regarding subsidizing or
providing services that are contractually mandated by Hope Village. The Bureau fully expects Hope Village to
provide all required services and monitors the contract accordingly.
Hope Village Response: HOPE VILLAGE, INC. is not contractually required to pay for residents' birth
certificates and non-driver's license IDs. HOPE VILLAGE, INC. has not and cannot ask TAP to subsidize any
service HOPE VILLAGE, INC. is required to provide under its contracts with BOP. This would be a contract
violation. HOPE VILLAGE, INC. continues to bring to our contracting authority’s attention the challenge with
resident' s arriving without the appropriate documentation required to attain employment. In addition,
recognizing the dilemma in the situation, HOPE VILLAGE, INC. has donated money to the Chevy Chase
Presbyterian Church to offset the expenses of the program.
CIC Recommendation: Identify existing quality community service providers and welcome their services for
Hope Village residents and offer space at Hope Village.
Hope Village Response: HOPE VILLAGE, INC. does not have unlimited space and is not required to provide
permanent space to anyone or any entity. Otherwise, BOP would have had to confirm with HOPE VILLAGE,
INC. that such space was available and negotiate a reasonable rate for such space. With its limited space, HOPE
VILLAGE, INC. is already providing space for use by volunteers who come on-site to provide services to
residents. Again, this is a penal institution where safety and security of all residents and staff must be
paramount. Hope Village cannot throw its doors open to the public. All volunteers must receive clearance from
the BOP to provide services to the residents.
CIC Recommendation: Our research indicates that counseling is one component of successful reentry. A DC
community service provider who has education, experience and certification in providing counseling services
should be utilized to provide counseling services to Hope Village residents.
Hope Village Response: To clarify for the CIC, Hope Village is not required by contract to provide substance
abuse treatment programs, but rather relapse prevention activities. As noted before, BOP contracts directly with
Renaissance Treatment Center in Capital Heights, MD and Behavioral Health Services at the Washington
Hospital Center to provide drug treatment services to residents at Hope Village. HOPE VILLAGE, INC. has
licensed and certified drug counselors who maintain their annual Continuing Education Units who provide a 1
hour, weekly relapse prevention program and daily or as needed counseling to residents. HOPE VILLAGE,
INC.'s social workers are not contractually required to provide mental health counseling; they conduct postmeetings where they assist residents in reestablishing family ties, including hosting meetings with family
members on-site.
ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
CIC Observations: Phinis Jones, who was introduced to the CIC as the Hope Village Community Relations
Advisory Board representative, is also the founder, board member, and registered agent of the CHCTDC. When
the CIC called Hope Village on April 22, 2013 in an attempt to contact Mr. Jones, the receptionist indicated that
Mr. Jones was a contract worker for Hope Village. Jeannett Henry, Esq., who is the General Counsel for Hope
Village, is also Chair of the Board of CHCTDC. (source: www.chctdc.org)
Hope Village Response: It is unclear why CIC feels a need to identify Mr. Jones' and Ms. Henry's affiliation
with CHCTDC, unless CIC is trying to suggest something untoward. As CIC noted in a previous observation,
HOPE VILLAGE, INC. is not required to provide a GED program. The fact that HOPE VILLAGE, INC. has
developed partners in the community willing to provide such additional, well needed services to residents should

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be commended rather than noted with unflattering suggestion. Since this notation serves no purpose, we ask that
it be deleted.
EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE
Information from Other Sources: Hope Village lacks job readiness resources, for example there is no assistance
from staff in putting together a resume or access to thumb drives.
Hope Village Response: It is false that HOPE VILLAGE, INC. lacks job readiness resources and provides little
to no help with job assistance. HOPE VILLAGE, INC. meets contractual requirements in this area and also
utilizes partners in the community. Residents are required to prepare a resume in the penal institution before they
come to HOPE VILLAGE, INC. However, since this is often not done, HOPE VILLAGE, INC. vocational
counselors assist with this effort, and residents can also obtain assistance from the Good Hope Career Center,
One Stop Career Center, the workplace literacy program operated by CHCTDC on site and the DC Office of
Returning Citizens.
Information from Other Sources: Hope Village has inhibited residents’ ability to find and sustain employment
due to the lack of flexibility on procedural restrictions. Specifically, staff do not assist residents who need a
pass for an interview or work related event on short notice. It is very difficult to get a pass for an employment
related activity on the weekend for the following Monday morning. Also, residents cannot go to work or to an
interview when they are placed on no movement
Hope Village Response: HOPE VILLAGE, INC. is fully supportive of residents gaining and keeping
employment. HOPE VILLAGE, INC. supervisors work on weekends and can approve pass on short notice, upon
proper verifications. A resident seeking a pass on a weekend to attend an employment related activity the
following Monday morning may encounter some difficulties if the HOPE VILLAGE, INC. supervisor is unable
to verify the particulars of the activity because the business entity is closed for the weekend. Residents are
placed on no movement because of violation of BOP prohibited acts, and in these circumstances cannot leave
the facility in accordance with BOP policy.
Information from Other Sources: Residents often show up late to work because Hope Village does not release
them on time.
Hope Village Response: because of the premium placed on resident accountability, HOPE VILLAGE, INC. staff
has to track the travel time for all residents leaving the facility, including for work. For residents going to work,
they are released from the facility with reasonable travel time, so there should be no reason in HOPE VILLAGE,
INC.'s control why a resident would arrive at work late.
HOPE VILLAGE STAFF
PWS: Minimum qualifications for the specialized social worker should be a person with a Master’s Degree in
the field of social work and a minimum of two years experience working in a transitional services program
(source: document review).
Hope Village Response: While the PWS lists a Master's Degree as the minimum qualifications for a social
worker, BOP has waived this requirement and allowed HOPE VILLAGE, INC. to recruit for this position at the
Bachelor's level because this position does not conduct formal mental health treatment but serves only as a
referral source to qualified providers, conduct host meetings, and facilitate the transitional journaling groups as
required by the BOP PWS. This change in educational requirement has not negatively impacted the delivery of
services to residents.
Information from Hope Village staff: The vocational counselor provides tokens for travel to indigent residents.

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Vocational counselors make the determination as to which residents are indigent and receive tokens for travel.
Hope Village Response: The vocational counselor does not make the decision about resident indigence and who
should receive tokens. This decision is made by the Hope Village Program Review Team
Information from Other Sources: The vocational staff is not trained to and lacks experience in employment
assistance
Hope Village Response: It is false that HOPE VILLAGE, INC. vocational counselors are not trained and lack
experience in employment assistance. HOPE VILLAGE, INC. voc. counselors are all approved by BOP to work
on the contracts and with the residents. Two vocational counselors, the CEO and one paid consultant have
successfully completed BOP's Offender Employment Specialist Training Program. Indeed, more than 50% of
HOPE VILLAGE, INC. staff have between 5-25 years of experience in the field of residential reentry. Hope
Village's training program has become a leader in the industry by direction of the board of directors and the
CEO of Hope Village. Our facility has invested company profits to engage in a comprehensive professional
development program that is conducted monthly. The program also includes a monthly training newsletter,
which is required for all staff to complete. The training program includes the following departments at Hope
Village: Case Management, Charge of Quarters, Vocational Counselors, Security, Social Workers, Food
Service, and Maintenance Departments. In addition, Hope Village staff attends outside training symposiums to
expand their field of expertise. As previously noted, Hope Village certified drug counselors also receive
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) which are paid for directly by Hope Village as an employee benefit. This
comprehensive training program far exceeds the BOP PWS as well as the ACA standards.
CIC Observation: On the day of the onsite inspection the CIC interviewed a social worker, vocational
counselor, case manager, drug counselor, program coordinator, and program director. All of the interviews
took place in the presence of the Hope Village attorney.
Hope Village Response: It is unclear the necessity of mentioning that CIC staff spoke to Hope Village staff in
the presence of Hope Village's attorney. It leaves the false impression that CIC was somehow inhibited in its
information gathering because of the attorney's presence. Other than being present, the attorney did not
otherwise participate. The attorney did not interject, request clarification of any question, direct any staff
response, or spoke with staff while the CIC conducted its information gathering at the end of the day. Therefore,
we request that you delete reference to the attorney's presence or clarify that her presence did not impede the
CIC's ability to gather information from staff.
Information from Other Sources: The CIC recommends that Hope Village hire individuals with education,
training, experience, and expertise in the field of job placement as social workers, case managers, vocation
counselors, and drug abuse counselors.
Hope Village Response: All HOPE VILLAGE, INC. staff are highly qualified for the positions they hold, and
they have been approved by the BOP.
TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE
Information from Other Sources: Residents are not receiving sufficient tokens for transportation to and from
Hope Village. This transportation is viewed as necessary to search for jobs, obtain identification, travel to
mental and medical health care visits, and go to work before their first paycheck is received (source: community
service providers and current and former Hope Village residents).
Hope Village Response: It is false that residents are not receiving sufficient tokens. Indigent residents receive
tokens in the quantity required to travel to approved off-site locations, including for work. and residents sign a
logbook to acknowledge receipt of tokens. HOPE VILLAGE, INCS has never received a grievance from a

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resident complaining about not receiving a token for travel or being unable to make necessary off-site travel
because of a lack of tokens. Moreover, there is precedent that Hope Village subsidizes travel outside of indigent
cases previously identified.
CIC Recommendations: Indigence should be determined based on widely accepted national definitions of
“indigent,” not subjective inference from gifts from family or friends. The facility can use the Dept. of Health
and Human Services federal poverty guidelines or a widely accepted percentage multiple of this guideline as a
more objective measure of indigence.
Additionally, we recommend Hope Village allow travel for non-job purposes that faciliate sucessful reetnry, to
see family, interact with community, get counseling, and further facilitate reentry into the community they are
returning to.
Hope Village Response: The CIC's recommendation of using the HHS federal poverty guideline would result in
all residents being declared indigent, even some who are employed. Under such a definition, residents would
never start making financially sound decisions or learn financial responsibility. The example HOPE VILLAGE,
INC. staff used with CIC about residents receiving gifts from family or friends is a teachable moment for
residents who have family and friends bring them expensive clothing to wear at the facility rather than the
resident, as a show of financial responsibility, ask the family member or friend to buy the item of lesser value
and give the resident some money. When the residents return to their communities, they will be challenged daily
to make decisions about purchasing items of lesser value so they can have some money left for other necessities.
lt should be noted that HOPE VILLAGE, INC.'s determination of indigence is not made in a vacuum, but in
accordance with BOP guidelines.
GRIEVANCE PROCESS
Information from Other Sources: Hope Village lacks a legitimate process by which residents can file grievances.
Grievances are not taken seriously, ignored or even given to the individual they are complaining about
Bureau Response: The Bureau is committed to ensuring that RRC residents can present grievances without
altercation, interference, or delay, and that all grievances are investigated without fear of retaliation.
Hope Village Response: HOPE VILLAGE, INC. takes resident grievances seriously and follows BOP and ACA
national industry standards.
DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE
Hope Village staff: Hope Village procedure dictates that the resident’s supervisor must call Hope Village 2 ½
hours ahead of time if a resident will be returning to Hope Village late from an employment obligation (source:
Hope Village staff).
Hope Village Response: There is no set rule of 2-1/2 hours for supervisor to call ahead for approval if resident
returning late from employment. The lead-time is dependent on how far from HOPE VILLAGE, INC. the
resident works and the commute time. The call ahead must be in sufficient time that if the request is not
approved, the resident can still leave his employment and return to HOPE VILLAGE, INC. by the required
reporting time. These measures are necessary for resident accountability in a correctional environment and to
promote public safety.
Information from Other Sources: Often the bus may run late due to traffic and residents have no access to
phones because they are not allowed to have cell phones. It is therefore difficult to contact Hope Village if a
resident is running late. There is no flexibility in return time for residents, even for legitimate reasons such as
traffic or medical care. Additionally, the hearing process does not take into account circumstances residents
cannot control

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Hope Village Response: Residents are not allowed to have cell phones because this is prohibited by DC law in a
penal institution. If residents return to HOPE VILLAGE, INC. late and this is due to traffic, accident, or any
other incident causing delay with public transportation, HOPE VILLAGE, INC. staff will verify this information
with Metro. Similar verification is done for new arrivals who travel by Greyhound or other bus service from outof-state to get to HOPE VILLAGE, INC. and arrive beyond their scheduled arrival time. Upon verification of
the reason for a late return or arrival to HOPE VILLAGE, INC., the resident is not sanctioned. Thus, these
uncontrollable factors are always taken into consideration in the hearing process.
Information from Other Sources: Residents did not receive hearings before being sent to the Virginia Regional
Jails
Hope Village Response: Residents who were ultimately sent to Virginia Regional Jails may not have received
hearings at HOPE VILLAGE, INC. before being sent because in circumstances where a resident submits a
positive urine sample or poses an immediate threat to self or others, BOP arranges for a quick transfer of the
resident from HOPE VILLAGE, INC. to jail where HOPE VILLAGE, INC. violation paperwork will be
forwarded and the resident will receive a hearing at the jail.
Any resident sent to Virginia Regional Jails for violations must have failed to provide any legitimate reason for
returning late to HOPE VILLAGE, INC. or HOPE VILLAGE, INC. staff could not verify any representations
the resident made. HOPE VILLAGE, INC. has to balance accountability and public safety at all times, and
follows the policies and procedures implemented by the BOP as well as the national industry ACA standards.
Information from Other Sources: Often the bus may run late due to traffic and residents have no access to
phones because they are not allowed to have cell phones. It is therefore difficult to contact Hope Village if a
resident is running late. There is no flexibility in return time for residents, even for legitimate reasons such as
traffic or medical care. Additionally, the hearing process does not take into account circumstances residents
cannot control.
Hope Village Response: HOPE VILLAGE, INC is a penal institution. If residents return to HOPE VILLAGE,
INC. late and this is due to traffic, accident, or any other incident causing delay with public transportation,
HOPE VILLAGE, INC. staff will verify this information with Metro. Similar verification is done for new
arrivals who travel by Greyhound or other bus service from out-of-state to get to HOPE VILLAGE, INC. and
arrive beyond their scheduled arrival time. Upon verification of the reason for a late return or arrival to HOPE
VILLAGE, INC., the resident is not sanctioned. Thus, these uncontrollable factors are always taken into
consideration in the hearing process.
CIC Recommendation: Bureau policy is to put inmates on escape after two hours and residents are expected to
call when they are running late. Residents, however, are not allowed to have cell phones and, it is therefore,
difficult to contact Hope Village. The CIC recommends a review of this hearing process to ensure the hearings
are fair and residents are provided with a true opportunity to defend alleged violations. This review should
include random file reviews of incident reports, observations of notification of alleged violations and
procedures, and hearing observations by Bureau staff not regularly assigned to the facility
Bureau response: All escape incident reports are reviewed by a specifically trained Bureau staff member, the
Discipline Hearing Officer (DHO). The DHO ensures the hearings are fair and residents are provided with an
opportunity to present a defense. Further, inmates are made aware of appeal procedures.
Hope Village Response: HOPE VILLAGE, INC. staff makes a diligent effort to conduct fair hearings, but
residents cannot expect to be exonerated if they fail to provide proof of reasons for returning to HOPE
VILLAGE, INC. late or fail to provide HOPE VILLAGE, INC. staff with sufficient information to enable useful
investigation. There is no benefit to HOPE VILLAGE, INC. for recommending that a resident has violated

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HOPE VILLAGE, INC. and/or BOP rules without justification.
MENTAL HEALTH
Information from Other Source: Hope Village residents who are on “no movement” status are unable to keep
scheduled treatment appointments nor are they able to use the phone to reschedule.
Bureau Response: Restriction from work, required mental and medical health appointments, and religious
activities is not allowed by Bureau policy as a disciplinary sanction. Request a notation be included that this type
of sanction is not permitted under Bureau policy and the Bureau investigates any allegations it receives.
Hope Village response: HOPE VILLAGE, INC. staff does not interfere or impede residents from receiving
medical and/or mental health treatment, even where the resident is on no movement. Resident health is always a
priority, and it would be foolhardy of HOPE VILLAGE, INC. to do otherwise because the risks could be
catastrophic.
Information from Other Source: Currently, Hope Village staff sends residents to their local Social Security
offices to apply for benefits. Most SSI/SSDI applications that are filed without assistance are rejected, resulting
in significant delays. The application process is daunting even for someone without a psychiatric disability.
Hope Village staff should receive training about how to assist residents with filing for benefits so that the
residents are less likely to face a two-year appeal process.
Bureau Response: Due to the complexity of laws and regulations surrounding these types of benefits, it is not a
reasonable expectation for RRC staff who are non-subject matter experts to assist in this process beyond
referring inmates to the Social Security office and ensuring they have the resources to make these appointments.
When available, RRCs may facilitate coordination with community agencies that have expertise with the
application process to assist residents. Recommend revision to reflect that Hope Village staff refer residents to
the local Social Security office as their representatives are best qualified to assist residents in the application
process.
CIC Recommendation: Hope Village staff receive additional training: in recognizing the differences between
symptoms of mental health and disciplinary issues.
Bureau Response: Hope Village staff would benefit from additional training in recognizing the differences
between symptoms of mental health and disciplinary issues the Bureau would welcome the opportunity to
partner in such training. Request this be included in the recommendation.
RELIGIOUS SERVICES
CIC Recommendation: Residents have indicated they are being denied passes to attend a religious service of
their choice, specifically Allen Chapel AME, and Hope Village has informed residents they can go to another
place of worship instead.
Hope Village Response: Allen Chapel AME is the closest AME church, so residents are allowed to attend Allen
Chapel AME during limited movement and afterwards.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
CIC Recommendation: Transparency and Community Partners
Hope Village Response: Hope Village has developed a comprehensive community relations plan that includes

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networking of community partners throughout the District of Columbia to provide varied services to residents in
the areas of job search, training and placement; mental and medical services; education, and housing.
Representatives from these community partners, including attorneys, parole/probation officers, Court Services
and Offender Supervision Agency, Unity Health Care, University Legal Services, D.C. Department of Mental
Health, and D.C. Central Kitchen, routinely visit with residents at the Hope Village facility where we provide
space for these visits.
One of the primary goals of a Residential Reentry Center (RRC) is to assist residents' reintegration into the
community. This goal would become meaningless if the residents are confined to the Hope Village grounds. It is
imperative that residents learn how to access resources, live, work and travel in the community to which they
will return; otherwise recidivism is highly probable. The programming Hope Village provides its residents inhouse fully meets contract requirements and is provided by highly qualified staff who also meet BOP
requirements and who have 5-25 years of experience in RRCs and/or correctional settings. Hope Village's years
of professional work experience in the RRC field set us apart from other vendors. Our daily management of our
Operations is "hands on" with the CEO having an office on the facilities grounds. On-site programming is
complemented by services of partners in the community. So the CIC's concerns about residents not receiving
"effective" programming is misplaced and not supported by fact
Perhaps the CIC is unaware of the history of DC residents' resistance to placement of RRCs in their community.
During those years of community resistance, Hope Village worked tirelessly to garner community support by
showing how this collaboration could be a win-win for the community and the returning residents. As a result of
the solid relationships and partnerships developed over past 25 years, Hope Village continues to enjoy wide
community support- In addition to the advisory board, Hope Village does outreach to the community by
participating in events such as clean-ups, sponsorship and donations to various community organizations, a
$10,000.00 donation to a Ward 8 Senior Citizen Facility, donations of confiscated cell phones to Superior Court
of the District of Columbia Crime Victims Compensation Program, donations of computers to Ward 8 after-care
programs, schools supplies to needy kids as well as provide support letters to community organization for grants
to assist with the DC returning citizens.
After recently sharing with the community that Hope Village was reaccredited by the American Correctional
Association, Hope Village received recognition and letters of support from across the community, including
from Citizens Advisory Board of the Metropolitan Police Department - 71), Emmanuel Baptist Church,
Reintegrating Alternatives Personal Program, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8B, and Allen Chapel
African Methodist Episcopal Church.
While Hope Village recognizes there are groups that may want to come into the facility to do programming,
which the dc seems to be pushing, Hope Village is contractually required to provide certain services to the
residents, and these services are non-delegable. Moreover, since Hope Village is regarded as a penal facility
under law resident accountability and public safety are at a premium. Therefore, anyone coming to the Hope
Village facility to provide services has to be fully screened and pass a background investigation conducted and
approved by the BOP. There is no waiver or end-run around this process. All representatives of Congress
Heights Community Training & Development Corporation ("CHCTDC") had to go through this process before
being allowed to provide volunteer literacy classes. Hope Village even has to get BOP approval when a member
of the United States Congress requests information or a site visit. (PWS, p.4). Given these imperatives, the CIC's
recommendation of regular "open houses" is shortsighted, does not comport with sound correctional judgment,
and fails to balance adequately accountability and public safety.
CIC Recommendation: Additional Employment and Educational Assistance
Hope Village Response: Hope Village staff is well trained to meet BOP's requirement to provide employment
and educational assistance to residents. On-site services are buttressed by community resources. All residents

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currently have access to computers to conduct job searched within walking distance of Hope Village are two
partners for employment-related services - Good Hope Career Center on Alabama Avenue, SE and the One Stop
Career Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE. In addition, residents who participate in the literacy
program provided by Congress Heights Community have access to computers the organization brings on-site
for this program. Hope Village’s contracts with the BOP do not provide for computers or staff to monitor such
use. Therefore, the CIC's recommendation that Hope Village "invest" in computers and staff to "supervise" such
use will have budget implications for the BOP at a time when all federal agencies are under sequestration and
required to make deep cuts.
CIC Recommendation: Bureau Oversight of Hope Village
Bureau Response: The CIC was made aware of the issues concerning the release of information to CIC, which
were unrelated to any perceived oversight issues between the BOP and Hope Village. There were many factors
which affected the release of information. Given that the information requested was in regard to a contract
facility, a legal review of the request was required to ensure contractual and Freedom of Information Act
requirements were met. Additionally, and most significantly, a large portion of the requested information was
deemed proprietary in nature by Hope Village’s legal counsel, and as such, the Bureau could not release the
information unilaterally. The information could only be released with the consent of Hope Village, and the BOP
worked with both the dc and Hope Village to arrange for access to the information. The appropriate release of
information to a third party is completely separate from the Bureau's oversight of Hope village, and to draw a
conclusion that the delay in releasing information relates to inadequate oversight is inappropriate. The
appropriate release of information to a third party is completely separate from the Bureau's oversight of Hope
Village, and to draw a conclusion that the delay in releasing information relates to inadequate oversight is
without merit.
The Bureau has a comprehensive approach to contract oversight which is driven by the Federal Acquisition
Regulations, as well as Bureau policies and practices. Additionally, significant staff resources are dedicated to
contract facility oversight nationwide to include the Bureau's Administration Division which is responsible for
contract administration, and Correctional Programs Division which is responsible for policy and program
development, and field staff throughout the Bureau's six regions who provide daily oversight of the facilities
through on-site and remote monitoring. Self-reporting as required by the Performance Work Statement (PWS) is
a small portion of the oversight activities by the Bureau at Hope Village.
Bureau Response: Hope Village is placed in a position of having to respond to this alone": Any concerns of this
nature brought to the attention of Bureau staff by inmates, Hope Village staff, concerned citizens, or other
agencies are investigated and appropriate action is taken if needed. The Bureau has many avenues by which the
public can address concerns directly to the agency. One example is the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council’s
(CJCC) Public Safety Meetings wherein a Bureau staff member is present to address any presented concerns.
Hope Village has not raised a concern regarding having to explain Bureau contractual requirements to RRC
residents, and the Bureau is available to assist Hope Village staff in addressing issues upon request.
Hope Village Response: The BOP's oversight of Hope Village is not limited to or largely dependent on selfassessments. Rather BOP conducts a full monitoring inspection and review of Hope Village annually and issues
a report, the most recent in February 5 - 8, 2013. The full monitoring report covers the following six areas: (1)
inmate accountability, (2) inmate programming, (3) community relations, (4) Site validity and suitability, (5)
RRC personnel staff, and (6) communications and responsiveness with BOP. In addition to full monitoring
inspections, the BOP also conducts pre-occupancy visits to assess whether the RRC is ready to begin
performance, interim monitoring inspections, unannounced on-site examination, and contractor evaluations
rating the RRC's performance at the end of each 1 2-month performance period. For seven (7) years BOP's

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contract oversight specialist has been making weekly visits to Hope Village.
CIC Observation: Some community members have raised concerns about issues that are actually Bureau
requirements (e.g. subsistence payments and prohibition of cell phones).
Hope Village Response: The community's "concerns" about subsistence payments and prohibition of cell phones
appear to continue despite their knowledge that subsistence payments are required by BOP and cell phone
prohibition is based on DC law. For all employed residents, Hope Village is contractually required and
Congressionally mandated to collect 25% of the resident's gross earnings for which Hope Village has to account
to the BOP, and these payments are used to offset part of BOP's contract payment to Hope Village. This
requirement is part of the financial responsibility taught to residents because when they return to the community,
they will likely have to pay for housing, such costs sometimes accounting for almost half of income. The
community should be supporting this effort rather than resisting it.

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Exhibit B
Documents available for CIC review at Hope Village on November 30, 2013
•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Federal Bureau of Prisons Contractor Evaluations (CEF’S) for BOP Contract
DJB200821-2AA
Federal Bureau of Prisons Contractor Evaluations (CEF’S) for BOP Contract
DJB200898-2FJ
Hope Village Self-Assessment Reports for BOP Contracts DJB200821-2AA
and DJB200898-2FJ for performance periods July 1 2012-September 30, 2012; April 1,
2013-June 30,2013; January 1, 2012-March 31, 2012; October 1, 20122-December 21,
2011
American Correctional Association (ACA) reaccreditation audit report dated August 6-8,
2012
American Correctional Association (ACA) Standards Compliance Book for Adult
Community Residential Service (Fourth Edition)
Hope Village Operations Manuel (Policy and Procedure)
Hope Village Employee Job Descriptions
Hope Village Mission Statement
Hope Village Volunteer Manuel
Hope Village Community Resource Manuel
Hope Village Health Awareness for Correctional Personnel
Hope Village Emergency Response Plans
Hope Village Employee Handbook; Hope Village Employee Orientation Information
Hope Village BOP Resident Handbook
Hope Village DC Department of Corrections Resident Handbook
Hope Village Food Service Menus
Hope Village “2012 Thanksgiving Day” Holiday Meal Resident Comments
Audit of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Contracting for Management of Residents Reentry
Center by the Officer of the Inspector General (OIG)
Hope Village Employee 2012 Individual Training Records
Copy of Hope Village Resident Programs being conducted on the day of the inspection
Copy of Letters received by Hope Village

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Exhibit C
Documents available for CIC review at Hope Village on April 4, 2013
• ACA Accreditation Report dated January 28, 2013
• Bureau Contractor Evaluation Forms:
o November 1, 2011 through October 31, 2012;
o November 1, 2010 through October 31, 2011;
o November 1, 2009 through October 31, 2010
• Hope Village Self-Assessment Quarterly Reports for:
o July 1, 2011 through September 30, 2011;
o October 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011
o January 1, 2012 through March 31, 2012
o April 1, 2012 through June 30, 2012
o July 1, 2012 through September 30, 2012
• Job Descriptions
• HVRCC Resident Handbook - Bureau version
• HVRCC Resident Handbook – DC Department of Corrections version
• Volunteer Manual
• Standards of Employee Conduct
• Employee Disciplinary Action
• Employee Grievance Procedure
• Community Resource Binder – including fliers and copies from PDS Community
Resource Guide for resident resources for clothing, education, employment, housing,
ID, medical and support
• Community Resource Binder 2 – Dividers in binder for child support enforcement,
clothing, medical care, adult education and literacy, housing, mental health &
substance abuse, reentry services, social services, social security assistance, and
miscellaneous. Out of the ten categories of service providers, five are from 2004,
2005 and 2008, and two categories contain no service providers.
• Facility Operations Manual 2011 through 2012 – comprehensive binder of about a
thousand pages, written procedures of the facility’s operations