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Community and Law Enforcement Resources Together (ComALERT)

A reentry program for parolees transitioning from incarceration back into Brooklyn, NY who need substance use disorder treatment services

Community and Law Enforcement Resources Together (ComALERT) is a reentry program for parolees that was developed and implemented by a collaboration of organizations led by the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, New York. Its goals are to reduce recidivism among individuals who need substance use treatment as they transition out of prison into the Brooklyn community by providing paid employment, housing, and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services. 

Participants typically spend 3-6 months in SUD treatment. In addition to treatment, ComALERT participants are also referred to the “Ready, Willing, & Able” (RWA) program, which provides both transitional employment opportunities and housing, vocational training, and mutual aid meetings, as well as courses on financial management and other life skills over a 9-month period.

The New York Division of Parole may refer potential program participants to ComALERT upon release from prison. The program assigns a social worker to each parolee to help them comply with the program’s mandatory outpatient SUD treatment and employment requirements.  

The program was associated with lower rates of rearrest and reconvictions among ComALERT participants compared to controls.

Continuum of Care
Treatment
Recovery
Type of Evidence
Report with evaluation
Response Approach
Comprehensive services
Housing, Education, and Employment
Related Resources
Partnering with Jails to Improve Reentry: A Guidebook for Community-Based Organizations
Reentry Matters: Strategies and Successes of Second Chance Act Grantees
Choice Matters: Housing Models that May Promote Recovery for Individuals and Families Facing Opioid Use Disorder
Interventions for Incarcerated Adults with Opioid Use Disorder in the United States: A Systematic Review with a Focus on Social Determinants of Health
Building Successful Partnerships between Law Enforcement and Public Health Agencies to Address Opioid Use
Ten Standards of Care: Policing and the Opioid Crisis
Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Jails and Prisons: A Planning and Implementation Toolkit
Law Enforcement Pre-Arrest Diversion Resource Guide
The Unprecedented Opioid Epidemic: As Overdoses Become a Leading Cause of Death, Police, Sheriffs, and Health Agencies Must Step Up Their Response
ComALERT.pdf

Evidence of Program Effectiveness

Jacobs and Western (2007) found statistically significant lower rates of rearrest and reconvictions among ComALERT participants compared to a matched group of parolees who did not participate in the program.  No differences between the two groups were found for reincarceration, employment and earnings, co-residence and contact with children, or drug and alcohol use. Detailed findings include:

  • Rearrest - 39.2 percent of Community and Law Enforcement Resource Together (ComALERT) participants were rearrested, compared with 47.6 percent of control group members. This difference was statistically significant
  • Reconviction - After 2 years, 27.8 percent of ComALERT participants had been reconvicted, compared with 34.2 percent of control group participants. This difference was statistically significant
  • Reincarceration - There were no significant differences between groups for any reincarceration
  • Employment and Earning - There were no significant differences between groups in employment and earning
  • Co-Residence and Contact With Children - There were no significant differences between groups in co-residence and contact with children
  • Drug and Alcohol Use - There were no significant differences between groups in drug and alcohol use