When transferred to a Community Corrections Center, your loved one will have the option to have and purchase their own food and/or clothing. However, families are NOT obligated to provide food, clothes, shoes, or any other items to their loved one. The center will provide essential items to each person living there.  

When your loved ones moves to community corrections please keep in mind:

Boundaries are critical to a successful reentry. Without them, there are opportunities for miscommunication, misunderstanding, and missteps. Your loved one will benefit from a clear reentry plan that sets expectations and responsibilities around issues like free time, finances, house rules, and the negative behaviors that caused previous problems. While it may seem uncomfortable to discuss previous failures, it will help promote a successful transition after incarceration. This is a time to be lovingly truthful and not make any assumptions. Details Matter!

• You may find yourself faced with questions like: How much financial help should I give? Should I give money? Should I give rides even if public transportation is available?

• Each situation is unique, and there are no easy answers. But keep in mind:

• Setting boundaries is a form of self-care and helps to create clear guidelines/rules/limits to how you would like to be treated. 

• Setting boundaries helps your loved one identify what they’re responsible for, giving them purpose and leading them into a new life of freedom.

• Don’t do all the work. Even if you have established healthy boundaries, you may be tempted to take over planning for your loved one’s reentry, but don’t. If the motivation to succeed doesn’t come from inside, external motivation will only carry a person so far. 

• Doing things for your loved one, while kind, doesn’t respect their ability to make personal choices, and it doesn’t promote personal growth and responsibility. Accomplishing something for ourselves through hard work and determination will always feel good..

Many folks develop a reentry plan before their release, which includes information like where they will work, how they will get there, and where they will live. Be sure your loved one has a solid plan before agreeing to help. If possible, request that your loved one and their reentry person/team join you in a meeting to go through the plan together, so everyone is on the same page.

Clothing

Your loved one will also be given state issued clothing when at community corrections. They will have the option to wear “street” clothes and shoes but anything in addition to state issued clothing must be self-purchased.

Here is a link to the full list of what your loved one will be issued: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19EShIJAhhKWGK0BkvmX9fx1kr5mLHLXM/view?usp=share_link

Food

Your loved one will be permitted to have personal food items (self- purchased) at Community Corrections Centers. However, NO supplements, protein powder/drinks, spices/seasonings, and family or party sized items are allowed. Food items should be of non-refrigerated and non-frozen variety. Facilities prefer an item be eaten in its entirety once opened to avoid spoilage or attracting insects/rodents.

Food items will be limited in size and/or quantity. For example: 

• 1 resealable bag/box of cereal that is no more than 30 ounces.

• 2 bags of candy that are no more than 25 ounces each. 

• 2 resealable bags of instant coffee. 

• 1 resealable container of instant creamer that is no more than 16 ounces. 

For a more detailed list of food guidelines: