TARRANT COUNTY RISE PROGRAM
About Reaching Independence through Self-Empowerment (RISE) Program
The mission of the Tarrant County RISE Program is:
To identify vulnerable women with extensive histories of prostitution or prostitution-related offenses, expedite them through the criminal justice system and help them achieve abstinence from all mood altering substances, mental stability, permanent housing and educational/work opportunities that provide them with the legal means to maintain a healthy, productive lifestyle.
The vision of the RISE program is that every woman reaches her full potential and lives a healthy, productive, drug free and non-criminal lifestyle.
What are the Goals and Admission Criteria of the RISE Program?
According to the RISE Program website, the RISE program seeks to identify women who have a history of experiencing significant trauma in their past which has contributed to their involvement in the criminal justice system. This involvement commonly results in charges of prostitution, controlled substance violations and theft. With consent of an participant’s criminal defense attorney, the RISE Program staff reached out to the prospective participant. The RISE Program then evaluates the prospects through use of validated assessment instruments and a clinical interview.
The ultimate goal is to identify individuals who possess the greatest likelihood of achieving positive lifestyle change through participation in counseling and treatment. If selected, the person is offered admission. If the person chooses to participate, she will enter a plea of guilty and receive a probated or deferred sentence with the requirement that she enter and successfully complete the RISE program. An individual treatment program is designed to meet the individual’s needs.
Who monitors the RISE Program participants?
The RISE Program is monitored by a case manager for each participant. The participants receive additional support, including mental health, medical, mentorship, housing, job training, education, life skills, and more. The participants report to court twice a month where they appear before the judge and give an account of their progress. The length of the RISE Program varies for each participant, depending on the needs of the individual. A person who has many prior convictions can expect to be in the program two or more years.
However, instead of prison, the RISE Program offers a path to stable housing, steady income and a successful lifestyle. As this is a success-oriented program, we recognize there will be some amount of noncompliance with program requirements. If the treatment team believes the individual is continuing to make strong overall progress, and continues an attitude compatible with program goals, the program is willing to work through these issues. However, there are limits, and individuals who are persistently noncompliant have been and will be terminated and sent back to the originating court for further proceedings.
It is the mission of the RISE program is to remove participants from the criminal justice system and restore them to a crime-free, substance abuse-free, and mentally stable lifestyle. It is critical to the mission that the participants desire this change and are willing to make the sacrifice necessary to achieve and sustain it.
For more information about the RISE Program, contact Britannia “Brit” Broostrom at (817) 531-5605.
RISE Program Defense Attorneys | Tarrant County Criminal Defense
If someone you know has a pending criminal case in Tarrant County and you think they might be a good candidate for the RISE Program, please contact our Tarrant County criminal defense team today. We offer FREE consultations at our offices in Fort Worth, Keller, and Grapevine. Call us at (817) 993-9249.
