ODRC - Northeast Ohio Community Alternative Program (NEOCAP)

ODRC - Northeast Ohio Community Alternative Program (NEOCAP) basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 330-675-2669

The inmates housed at NEOCAP located at 411 Pine Ave SE in Warren, OH are placed according to their custody level (determined by a number of factors including the past criminal history and the length of their sentence). There are ample educational and vocational training programs for all inmates, especially ones that show a willingness to learn new things that will prepare them for a better life when they are released. The mission is to promote and prepare the offender to leave in better shape than when they arrived, giving them the best chance to never come back and thus lower the state's recidivism rate.

House Model - Upon entering the facility the resident is assigned to the Red House, Blue House, or White House. All female residents are in the Red House. The male residents are assigned to either the blue or white house. Each house has a team of program staff which consists of case managers, treatment specialists, and a program specialist. These treatment teams coordinate and corroborate their efforts to deliver all case management, group and individual treatment services to the residents assigned to their house.

The House case managers assist the residents in developing a case plan with goals and objectives that address their identified criminogenic needs. The resident immediately starts to work toward achieving his/her goals and objectives in his/her case plan. Goals that cannot be obtained in the four (4) to six (6) months of residency will become part of the resident’s release plans which are forwarded to the Probation department in the resident’s aftercare plan/termination summary. The probation officer will enforce, monitor and supervise compliance with the release plans.

Timeline and Activities

There are four (4) phase levels that the residents progress through during the four (4) to six (6) month program. A resident is in Phase 1 (Orientation) for approximately the first 30 days of his/her residency. The focus during Phase 1 is on completing an accurate assessment of the resident’s needs and using that assessment to build a comprehensive case plan. Additionally, the focus is on enhancing the resident’s motivation for treatment and familiarizing the resident with the cognitive behavioral treatment modality. During Phase 1, the resident’s movement is restricted to the facility with the only exception being a medical emergency.

Phase 2 of the program is earned through appropriate effort and overall good behavior and lasts for approximately 30 days.

Phase 3 is earned through consistent good behavior and effort overall and also lasts approximately 30 days. During phases 2 and 3 of the program, the resident spends the majority of his/her time attending treatment groups and his/her movement in the community is limited to program related activities and community service projects.

Phase 4 of the program is also earned through consistent, good overall effort in the program and it is the time in which the resident works to prepare for successful reintegration back into his/her home community. Some activities during this phase include but are not limited to: obtaining employment, participating in work release, securing housing, attending community support group meetings (AA/NA) and spending time with family on approved leave passes that must be earned through good behavior.

Group Counseling - Groups are developed to be comprehensive in nature and address the total range of the offender’s criminogenic needs. Each of the groups addresses major criminogenic areas and uses a curriculum that is evidence-based and proven to reduce criminal behavior in the adult offender population. Cognitive-behavioral methods are applied in all group activities and group size is kept small (10-12) to ensure that there is ample time for all residents to participate, practice the skills and receive feedback.

Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions Criminogenic Needs: Orientation Group - This entry-level pre-treatment group meets five (5) times per week for a minimum of two (2) weeks and focuses on orientating the incoming resident to the rules, regulations, and behavioral expectations of the program. Additionally, group time is spent on motivating the resident for treatment; introducing the new resident to the cognitive-behavioral treatment modality concepts and principles; and gives him/her the foundation of this treatment approach. The resident completes the first five (5) lessons of the Thinking for a Change program – Basic Social Skills – during this Orientation group with the goal being that he/she will be prepared to effectively participate in all cognitive-behavioral criminogenic treatment curriculum.

Thinking for a Change (T4C) (Lessons 6-25) - Is an integrated approach to changing offender behavior, developed by Barry Glick, Jack Bush, and Juliana Taymans in cooperation with the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) that uses a combination of approaches to increase an offender’s awareness of themselves and others. It integrates cognitive restructuring, social skills, and problem solving. The program begins by teaching offenders an introspective process for examining their ways of thinking and their feelings, beliefs, and attitudes. The process is reinforced throughout the program. Social-skills training is provided as an alternative to antisocial behaviors. The program culminates by integrating the skills offenders have learned into steps for problem solving. Problem solving becomes the central approach offenders learn that enables them to work through difficult situations without engaging in criminal behavior.