Two participant graduations in Pennsylvania this month highlighted the power of recognizing participants at reentry center programs for their hard work and commitment to changing their lives in a positive manner. These events are uplifting for participants, their families and friends, key stakeholders in the local criminal system and program staff, and they deliver positive reinforcement in a public manner that adds motivation for participants to continue successful decision making in the community.

On June 7, the Cambria County Reentry Service Center hosted a celebrated graduation for 50 participants. The event was held at the new reentry center and attended by almost 70 stakeholders, graduates, family and friends. The keynote speaker was District Justice and former County Warden John Prebish, who was instrumental in starting the Cambria reentry program 12 years ago as the county sought to reduce jail crowding and focus on reducing recidivism.  A program alumnus – an individual from the program’s first graduation more than a decade ago – returned to deliver inspirational remarks also. The event was attended by all county judges and their board of commissioners. 

To see a video and news coverage of the Cambria graduation, click here.

Under the guidance of the Cambria County Probation Department, the Cambria County RSC opened in 2012. The RSC provides a structured combination of cognitive behavioral treatment, training, case management and community connections to help individuals on probation to break the cycle of recidivism. A 2023 data report found the participant criminal risk score was lowered by 24% from when they entered the program to successfully completion. Of the 334 individuals who were served at the center that year, there was an almost 300% increase in participant employment gains by program completion. 

Luzerne County Graduation

On June 11, the Luzerne County Reentry Service Center also hosted a graduation, and this time nearly 60 participants were on hand to mark successful completion of this intensive reentry program curriculum. The event was held at the Luzerne County Courthouse Rotunda in the middle of the day, and more than 100 stakeholders, graduates, family, and friends attended. The keynote speaker was President Judge Michael Vough, and County Director of Corrections Jim Wilbur also spoke to the graduates to congratulate them on their success. In a special tribute, a former program graduate and new GEO Reentry Assistant Case Manager read out the graduate’s names as they received their certificates of completion.

As non-residential reentry centers, these programs provide evidence-based treatment, training and supervision to individuals referred by Cambria County, Luzerne County or the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, including cognitive behavioral therapy and substance abuse treatment, empowering them to take charge of their lives and become productive members of society.

Many thanks to the GEO Reentry program managers and staff at the Cambria and Luzerne reentry programs for organizing and delivering inspiring graduations.

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GEO Reentry Services and Dauphin County Probation hosted a transition ceremony – aka graduation –for individuals on probation who have successfully completed an intensive reentry program at the Dauphin County Reentry Service Center. To mark the seriousness of the participants accomplishments, the graduation was held in Harrisburg at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex Main Rotunda.

The event’s keynote speakers include Honorable President Judge John Cherry, Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick, and a representative from Dauphin County Probation.

The ceremony was attended by program participants, their family members, program staff and local probation officers and corrections officials. During the ceremony, graduates shared their experiences, and most credited the GEO Reentry team for being supportive during the duration of their time in the RSC. The celebration follows months of regular reporting to the RSC, intensive treatment and training, and substance abuse testing.

ABC News was there to capture the inspiring graduation event.

“It’s everybody’s job to help somebody who’s a returning citizen and help the mission of reentry and this program does exactly that, so it’s a benefit to the community, it’s a benefit to enhance public safety, it’s a benefit to rehabilitate the folks that are involved with this program and see them be productive,” said John Hogan GEO Reentry Area Manager.

The Dauphin County RSC provides a structured combination of evidence-based cognitive behavioral treatment, life skills training, case management, workforce development, and community connections designed to change criminal thinking.

For more than a decade, GEO Reentry has operated the RSC for the Dauphin County Probation Department. A 2022 report found the program is having a positive effect on participants. The report assessed data points for 132 participants who entered the program in calendar year 2022, finding more than 1,000 drug tests administered and only 16 percent positives, and employment gains of 110 percent for discharged participants. Importantly, when assessing a sample 34 program participants during this year, there was a 36 percent risk reduction as measured by the LSI-R, an industry tool for assessing risks and needs.

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GEO Reentry Services and the Lycoming County Probation Department in Williamsport, Penn., hosted a transition celebration for more than 100 individuals on probation who this month graduated from the Lycoming Reentry Service Center, an innovative non-residential day reporting program. Many graduates had work commitments, but 30 attended the event to receive certificates of completion and mark this next step in their reentry journey. The event was held at Lycoming College to accommodate the audience of 100, including judges, commissioners, the Lycoming College Criminal Justice chairperson, probation officials, program staff, family and friends who turned out to mark this milestone with graduates.

Lycoming County Commissioner Rick Mirabito and Deputy Chief Probation Officer John Stahl delivered keynote remarks to the graduates. Program alumni and four graduates also addressed the audience to share their powerful takeaways from participating in the reentry program. Program Manager Nicole English served as the event emcee. “The GEO Reentry team, under Nicole’s leadership, organized a great event,” said John Hogan, GEO Reentry Area Manager.

The Lycoming County RSC was opened in 2014 by county officials to help alleviate jail overcrowding and tackle chronic recidivism. The center, operated by GEO Reentry, provides a structured combination of cognitive behavioral treatment, training and case management designed to change criminal thinking and reduce recidivism. Participants are required to take part in a multi-phase program that includes classes designed to improve communication skills, teach problem solving and conflict resolution, and develop parenting and employment skills. GEO Reentry operates several reentry programs in Pennsylvania.

A 2021 outcomes report released in 2022 highlighted that the county’s reentry program, through assessing participant risks and needs and matching treatment and training to the person’s situation, was able to reduce the risk of recidivism significantly.

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Reprinted from the Williamsport Sun Gazette

GEO Reentry Services opened its doors Thursday to provide a glimpse at the expansive programs that give people convicted of crimes the tools they need to be successful upon release.

The open house was meant to inform about the comprehensive efforts to reduce recidivism and fight the stigma attached to reentry.

“There are many that may be unfamiliar with what we do,” Nicole English, program manager, said. “We want the general public to be aware of the resources that we provide for people on parole and probation, but also for the community.”

GEO is a nationwide organization that has six facilities in Pennsylvania. Lycoming County partnered with GEO in 2014.

“We’re here to provide resources for people on probation or parole,” English said.

Most participants that are in a program at GEO get referral by the courts. A program could be an average of six to nine months to complete and each participant does regular check-ins and progresses through until graduation.

Elizabeth Harvey is a graduate from the program and is now an assistant case manager. “We give them what they need to be successful,” Harvey said. “That can often include drug and alcohol counseling, GED or college resources. We want to get them motivated to change.”

Harvey said the services they offer are wide-ranging and can include things like anger management, employment connections, and trauma therapy.

“There’s a general stigma surrounding someone who is on probation or parole,” Harvey said. “But we want to show them and others that they have a lot more to offer.”

Lycoming County’s GEO facility averages about 80 participants at any given time, but they will be expanding their services with a juvenile program.

“There’s a big lack of detention centers for juveniles in this situation,” Nick Henning, reentry coordinator, said.

As a reentry coordinator, Henning prepares inmates for release by getting them started in the reentry process they will continue once in the program. He said that helping many of these juveniles while they are young will greatly reduce recidivism rates.

“Like she [Harvey] said, there’s a stigma for anyone in cuffs,” Henning said. “And a lot of times these people are working full-time, they have families to take care of, they’re doing everything they can.”

At the event Thursday, each employee at the facility was available to discuss what they do, what their mission is, and was eager to walk anyone through the process of a program.

“We just wanted people to see what we’re doing here,” English said. “We are working everyday for a good outcome for these individuals.”

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HARRISBURG — GEO Reentry Services has released an outcomes report for the Dauphin County Reentry Service Center. For more than a decade, GEO Reentry has operated the RSC for the Dauphin County Probation Department. This report assesses data points for 132 participants who entered the program in calendar year 2022. It finds very positive attendance rates, more than 1,000 drug tests administered and only 16% positives, and employment gains of 110% for discharged participants. Importantly, when assessing a sample 34 program participants during this year, there was a 36% risk reduction as measured by the LSI-R.

Opened in early 2014, the Dauphin County RSC is one of several locations opened throughout Pennsylvania by GEO Reentry as part of a state initiative to reduce recidivism and the high cost of incarceration. The Dauphin County RSC provides a structured combination of evidence-based cognitive behavioral treatment, life skills training, case management, workforce development, and community connections designed to change criminal thinking.

Read the Report →

About GEO Reentry Services (www.georeentry.com)
GEO Reentry Services operates non-residential programs such as day reporting centers, in-prison treatment services, and residential reentry centers for federal, state and local correctional agencies. By combining research-based treatment and counseling services for individuals on parole, probation, pretrial, or incarcerated, GEO Reentry assists community correctional agencies with important public safety efforts.

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WILKES-BARRE — GEO Reentry Services has released an outcomes report for the Luzerne County Reentry Service Center. Since 2010, GEO Reentry has operated the RSC for the probation department. This report assesses data points for 140 participants who entered the program in calendar year 2022. It finds very positive engagement results, including an 87% accountability check-in rate, lower substance abuse rates, 54% employment gains, and positive program discharges. Of importance, when assessing 70 successful program completions during this year, there was a 41% risk reduction as measured by the LSI-R.

Located at 125 N. Wilkes Barre Boulevard, the Luzerne County Reentry Service Center opened in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 2010 to help alleviate prison overcrowding at Luzerne County Correctional Facility and tackle chronic recidivism in the county.

As a non-residential reentry center, the program provides evidence-based treatment, training and supervision to individuals referred by Luzerne County or the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, including cognitive behavioral therapy and substance abuse treatment, empowering them to take charge of their lives and become productive members of society.

Read the Report →

About GEO Reentry Services (www.georeentry.com)
GEO Reentry Services operates non-residential programs such as day reporting centers, in-prison treatment services, and residential reentry centers for federal, state and local correctional agencies. By combining research-based treatment and counseling services for individuals on parole, probation, pretrial, or incarcerated, GEO Reentry assists community correctional agencies with important public safety efforts.

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EBENSBURG — GEO Reentry Services has released an outcomes report for the Cambria County Reentry Service Center. For more than a decade, GEO Reentry has operated the RSC for the Cambria County Probation Department. This report assesses data points for 259 participants who entered the program in calendar year 2022. It finds very positive engagement results, including a 96% accountability check-in rate, lower substance abuse rates, significant employment gains, and positive program discharges. Of note, when assessing 63 successful program completions during this year, there was a 28% risk reduction as measured by the LSI-R.

Under the guidance of the Cambria County Probation Department, the Cambria County RSC opened in 2012. The RSC provides a structured combination of cognitive behavioral treatment, training, case management and community connections to help probationers break the cycle of recidivism. The program has made an impact on reducing jail crowding and criminal risk among participants, with a reduction in criminal risk as assessed by an industry assessment system, Level of Service Inventory-Revised. In addition, employment rates among participants while they were in the program has doubled.

Read the Report →

About GEO Reentry Services (www.georeentry.com)
GEO Reentry Services operates non-residential programs such as day reporting centers, in-prison treatment services, and residential reentry centers for federal, state and local correctional agencies. By combining research-based treatment and counseling services for individuals on parole, probation, pretrial, or incarcerated, GEO Reentry assists community correctional agencies with important public safety efforts.

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What: Luzerne County Reentry Service Center Transition

Who: Probationers completing the program

When: Thursday, August 5 at 11 a.m.

Where: Luzerne County Courthouse Rotunda
200 N. River Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702

Families and probation officials will be on hand at the event to mark participants’ successful completion of the program. Participants will pick up their certificates of completion, and lunch will be provided.

Due to the pandemic, GEO Reentry Services delivered innovative programming options that included a variety of technology-based options, along with in-person intensive treatment and training, ongoing drug and alcohol testing, all to help prepare participants for successful community reentry.

Located at 125 N. Wilkes Barre Boulevard, the Luzerne County Reentry Service Center opened in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 2010 to help alleviate prison overcrowding at Luzerne County Correctional Facility and tackle chronic recidivism in the county.

The non-residential reentry center provides evidence-based treatment, training and supervision to individuals referred by Luzerne County or the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, including cognitive behavioral therapy and substance abuse treatment, empowering them to take charge of their lives and become productive members of society.

For additional information about the upcoming transition ceremony or to learn more about the Luzerne County RSC, contact Program Manager Stacey Velez at (570) 208-4858.

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The Cambria County Reentry Service Center in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania recently hosted a summer transition celebration to honor 38 probationers who successfully completed the center’s intensive evidence-based reentry program.

GEO Reentry Services runs the Cambria County RSC, a non-residential reentry center, on behalf of Cambria County Probation Services. Daily operations are supervised by RSC Program Manager Julie Boring and center staff.

About 30 guests — including Cambria County Commissioner Scott Hunt, President Judge Norman Krumenacker and Judge Timothy Kiniry of the Cambria County Court of Common Pleas, local probation officials and participants’ families — attended the June 25 transition ceremony at an offsite location to watch participants receive their certificates of completion.

Cambria County District Attorney Gregory Neugebauer served as the event’s keynote speaker, and County RSC Director Toni White, Judge Tamara Bernstein, and RSC Graduate DeMarko Sutter also made remarks. All present followed local COVID-19 health and safety guidelines including masks and social distancing.

Most of the graduating participants had completed a modified version of the program consisting of months of online and in-person classes at the RSC, intensive treatment and training, and ongoing testing for drug and alcohol use, all designed to prepare participants for eventual reentry into their communities as productive citizens.

Even during the pandemic, conducting graduation events has remained as important as ever for GEO Reentry reporting centers in Pennsylvania, since for program participants, being recognized for their accomplishments continues to serve as a motivator for success once they leave the RSC.

The Cambria County Reentry Service Center, located at 499 Manor Drive in Ebensburg, opened in 2012 to alleviate prison overcrowding and tackle recidivism. Since then, Pennsylvania corrections officials have attempted to reshape reentry programs using evidence-based programming like that used at the RSC. GEO Reentry Services delivers cognitive behavioral treatment to help participants’ break the cycle of criminality, and participants focus on improving communication skills, problem solving, decision making, anger management, employment readiness training and more.

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National Recovery Month is a national observance held each fall to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with mental and substance use disorders to live healthy and rewarding lives. Now in its 31st year, Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those living in recovery. The effort is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This year the theme was Join the Voices for Recovery: Celebrating Connections.

The staff at Luzerne County Reentry service Center celebrated National Recovery Month with an event that included sporting National Recovery Month t-shirts, and making coffee and cookies available to all who entered the facility that day.

“We are honored to celebrate National Recovery Month, to acknowledge the services we provide that give individuals a chance to understand the value of a positive lifestyle,” said Stacey Velez, Program Manager. “Although it is a small token, participants were pleased to know their progress does not go unnoticed. At the Luzerne County RSC, we are proud of the work we have done to help participants end a life of substance misuse and criminal behaviors.”

Located in Wilkes Barre, Pa., the Luzerne County RSC recently celebrated its 10^th anniversary. The RSC opened to alleviate jail crowding at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility and reduce chronic recidivism rates among adult probationers. The center provides evidence-based treatment, training and supervision for up to 150 individuals at one time. Individuals referred to the center are required to participate in a multi-phase program that includes reporting to the center, treatment and ongoing drug and alcohol testing. During the pandemic, services are also being provided via phone and videoconferences.

A recent drive-through celebration, an adapted format due to the pandemic, was held to mark program completion for more than 50 individuals. The event was covered by the local Fox News affiliate. Check it out here.

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The ADAPPT program has reintroduced its community service element as Pennsylvania’s Stay at Home order enters its next phase of reopening. Now, state regulations allow ADAPPT participants to perform community service off-campus if precautions are taken to ensure a safe and infection-free environment.

From June 13 to July 3, participants and staff at the center run by GEO Reentry Services reported to the pool where their task was to freshen up the facility and surrounding areas. Program participants arrived on-site early in the morning accompanied by staff to engage in cleanup while following CDC, GEO Reentry and Pennsylvania Department of Corrections guidelines for PPE use and safe social distancing.

“Our participants worked hard doing landscape maintenance and cleaning detail, demonstrating nothing less than professional organizational skills,” said ADAPPT Deputy Director Dawn Martin. “For our residents, community service and giving back is a true labor of love. We are so proud of the job they did and the conduct they displayed.”

ADAPPT provides evidence-based programming to individuals referred from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole to address the causes of criminal behavior and reduce recidivism. GEO Reentry residential reentry programs are designed to prepare participants to transition back into society with the necessary skills to support a productive lifestyle.

At ADAPPT, community service activities supplement participants’ cognitive behavioral therapy and skills classes with opportunities to serve less fortunate community members. ADAPPT works in partnership with the City of Reading so program participants can volunteer at city clean-ups, snow removals and local church events.

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Luzerne County’s non-residential reentry center, which is operated by GEO Reentry Services, recently celebrated this important anniversary with an afternoon barbecue to honor those who helped develop and launch the DRC’s reentry program: John Hogan, Area Manager for Pennsylvania non-residential centers; Luzerne County DRC Program Manager Stacey Velez; and Matt Wirtner, Area Manager for New Jersey non-residential centers.

Through a curriculum that employs evidence-based principles, program participants at the DRC work to break the cycle of criminal behavior through individual counseling and group classes, including substance abuse treatment and education, anger management, life skills, parenting skills, academic preparation, Moral Reconation Therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, employment and job search assistance and Community Connections, where participants are linked to local community resources as needed.

In the past decade, the DRC has continued to grow its services and will soon introduce several new programs, increase its staff and expand services to include referrals from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Going forward, pretrial services and treatment court will join Luzerne County DRC’s roster, which, in addition to day reporting services, also includes electronic monitoring for adults and juveniles and an in-jail treatment program.

“We are grateful to Luzerne County for a constructive partnership over the last 20 years and for the last 10 years partnering with the Day Reporting Center,” Hogan said. “Through this valued partnership, GEO Reentry Services has helped hundreds of county residents overcome substance abuse, find employment, restore their lives and reduce the likelihood of recidivism.”

At the August celebration, the center’s staff and co-founders attended a social distancing barbecue in an outdoor tent, where they enjoyed a cake, outdoor games and a “Dundie Awards” presentation, with trophies based on the popular TV show “The Office.”

“It has been a pleasure to partner with a dedicated team within GEO Reentry Services, to provide this programming that has helped so many by giving tools and hope for individuals to make a change and get their lives on track,” Velez said. “It has also been rewarding to watch staff grow and take on new challenges and to promote multiple committed members of our team into new and dynamic positions.”

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Many of these facilities offer good examples of intelligent service modifications that allowed participants to not only continue working toward their treatment goals, but to receive personal support as they did so.

During lockdown, the Monterey County Day Reporting Center was one of many GEO Reentry centers that offered participants remote treatment while its doors were closed. Staff provided daily check-ins, group meetings through videoconferencing, treatment plan work and substance abuse services over the telephone, as well as one-on-one phone meetings with participants’ assigned case managers.

Staff at the Fresno County Day Reporting Center made daily check-in phone calls to keep participants accountable and delivered treatment services via one-on-one calls, group teleconferences and online-based platforms. The results were encouraging; with 16 participants enrolled in April and May, the center’s Engagement and Accountability Check-In rate came out at an impressive 74%.

Throughout the shutdown, the Neptune Community Resource Center in New Jersey operated as a reporting site where local parolees with limited means of travel could see their parole officers locally. The center also invited providers from community organizations to come in during these times so that participants could access much-needed services.

Many of the centers also took immediate action to make sure participants and their families felt personally supported during this difficult time, as many Americans dealt with lack of income due to job loss, unstable housing situations, problems paying for food and in some, cases, the illness itself.

The Covington Day Reporting Center in Louisiana created care packages using donations from the local Target store, which were then dropped off on participants’ porches and doorsteps by staff wearing personal protective equipment to comply with the CDC-recommended social distancing policy.

Staff at the Mendocino County Day Reporting Center developed a “Build-a-Bag” incentive program to reward participants for their dedication to the program despite logistical difficulties during COVID-19. Each time participants checked in, attended a group meeting, took part in ICBT or completed group work, a staff member would place a small, fun item, like sunscreen, stress balls, candy or Gatorade, into that participant’s designated bag.

At the Baton Rouge Day Reporting Center in Louisiana, case managers reached out to felon-friendly businesses every day to find out about new opportunities, submitted job applications on behalf of less computer-literate participants; arranged pick-up for items donated to participants; and mailed GED and jobs materials and information on community resources to participants’ homes.

Some centers also used the lockdown for staff retraining. When the Ventura County Adult Reporting and Resource Center was closed to participants, staff members had the chance to reinforce important skills and develop new ones through weekly webinars and multiple in-house trainings, which focused on Evidence-Based Practices, Motivational Interviewing, Pro-social Modeling, Substance Abuse intervention Cross-Training and more.

Now, as stay-at-home orders ease, many GEO Reentry centers are implementing a phased approach for increasing in-person services. Facilities like the Vineland Community Resource Center in New Jersey have made numerous physical changes to ensure staff and participants’ safety, including affixing yellow Xs to the floors and modifying group rooms to ensure six-feet social distancing. Large plastic guards have been added to desks for use during individual sessions and meetings, and staff have created and hung educational signs with information about preventing COVID-19.

During the lockdown, GEO Reentry non-residential reentry centers nationwide served as essential service providers for participants, a vulnerable population to begin with but especially in a pandemic. At the same time, these centers’ ability to continue their services uninterrupted have helped supervising parole and probation officers with their caseloads and in their efforts to reduce the risk of recidivism.

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GEO Reentry Services is pleased to support our partners at the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) to celebrate Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week, being marked from July 19 through July 25.

Today in America, there are over 5 million adults on community supervision, and most of these individuals are monitored by pretrial, probation, and parole officers. Monitoring may take the form of home contacts, drug testing, making sure the offender attends counseling sessions and helping offenders to find suitable housing and employment. Many officers also supervise offenders using electronic monitoring equipment which requires expert knowledge of newer technologies.

Members of our community are encouraged to join together during Pretrial, Probation, Parole Supervision Week to honor those who work to make our communities a safer place to live. Faced with unprecedented times during the worldwide pandemic, these officers have proven their commitment to their communities by successfully adapting to a new virtual environment. As we navigate through the uncertainties in the future, we are proud to provide innovative programs, tools and solutions that support the officers tasked with providing community public safety. We appreciate all that they do for our communities and would like to say ‘Thank You’!

Get more information about Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week.

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The Council of State Governments recently released a checklist to guide reentry planning during the COVID-19 outbreak, as many communities work to reduce their correctional populations so that staff and incarcerated individuals have adequate room to practice social distancing.

The 21-question “Checklist for Correctional Facilities”, published this month on the CSG’s Justice Center website, was designed to help jails and prisons keep track of the steps of the reentry process, ensuring that both facility employees and non-violent inmates being released to the community stay safe. This means safe from COVID-19, but also having access to essential resources, such as food, shelter, mental health and substance abuse treatment, so they can live in the community with a lower risk of recidivism.

The CSG is a region-based forum that was founded to foster the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy, and the CSG Justice Center develops research-driven strategies to increase public safety and strengthen communities.

The CSG checklist, which was also developed in part by the National Sheriff’s Association, is accompanied by corresponding guidelines to aid staff as they follow each step of the discharge process. Questions cover basic preventative considerations for COVID-19: if the incarcerated person in question has been screened for symptoms, if the facility can test them, if quarantine is possible or required and if PPE will be available upon release.

The next group of questions covers legal discharge considerations, including court-ordered reporting procedures, if the individual’s probation or parole officer has their contact information, and if he or she has a government-issued ID. Questions then turn to reentrants’ basic needs: if the individual has access to a phone, safe lodging and food, and if they have transportation arrangements upon release.

The last questions concern incarcerated individuals’ health and treatment needs, including if they have mental health needs, are a suicide risk, have a substance use disorder, are in withdrawal from drugs or alcohol are required to take prescription medication and have medical coverage.

Importantly, the CSG’s Justice Center guidelines note that aside from the checklist, correctional facilities should continue to monitor and defer to the most recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and to coordinate with community partners, including the courts, the probation department and service providers.

View the CSG’s “Checklist for Correctional Facilities.”

GEO Reentry Services recently developed its own checklist of service continuity, part of the company’s efforts to seamlessly continue reentry services for its government partners, by customizing and modifying current programming to allow for remote learning, case management and engagement in the reentry process. In this way, staff has been able to offer program participants continuous and uninterrupted service and treatment through telephone calls, group tele-conferencing and online platforms.

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In Reading, Pennsylvania, staff at the ADAPPT residential reentry center are engaging with participants in the time of COVID-19 through art therapy exercises that encourage self-expression. At ADAPPT, which provides inpatient and outpatient programming for drug and alcohol treatment, temporary housing and reentry services, participants have been painting cartoons, illustrations and positive, meaningful messages like “Stand Up to Your Addiction and Fight for Your Recovery” on walls throughout the facility.

“One of the things we enjoy most is being able to introduce new ways for reentrants to have a better understanding of their addiction,” said Dawn Martin, Assistant Facility Director at ADAPPT. “Art therapy offers an opportunity for sharing positive expression and establishes a path towards recovery.”

GEO Reentry alumni activities have also continued during the COVID-19 shutdown, albeit in a modified format. After completing GEO Reentry programs, many alumni volunteer as mentors and speakers to share their positive reentry experiences with current participants. Many also continue giving back to the local community, regularly participating in cleanups, fund drives and other charitable efforts.

Members of GEO Reentry’s New Jersey Alumni Services, wearing masks and gloves, recently made a series of food deliveries for the needy in their communities. Alumni Services functions as a local network of former GEO Reentry program participants that offers program alumni access to community resources, prosocial activities and the opportunity to mentor current participants.

On April 23, one alumni group distributed food in Newark and East Orange, and on May 4, another group distributed food in Plainfield at an event organized by the Mount Olive Baptist Church. Juan V. and Darius H., a COVID-19 survivor, were two alumni who volunteered to assist New Jersey Alumni Coordinator Arthur Townes in coordinating food distribution efforts.

“I have been given a second chance more than once, first through reentry treatment and second through recovering from the virus, so I value the message of giving back to others,” said Darius H. “I’m committed to passing on what has been given to me.”

New Jersey Alumni Services has also continued to hold its regularly scheduled meetings, albeit in an online format to enforce social distancing. During the remote meetings, alumni offer counsel and support to current and recently released reentrants, sharing information relevant to the reentry process and offering tips on where to get masks, food and emotional support.

Townes, who purchased a personal online account and set up the meeting schedule, said he knew it was essential to keep the weekly meetings going because former participants, along with the rest of the world, are facing trying times right now, both mentally and financially.

“Seeing the loss of jobs and alumni members being cut off from support networks made the need to stay connected apparent while also staying safe at home,” said Townes. “Our digital meetings have been a success, and we have had a great response from members.”

Although the COVID-19 lockdown has been prohibitive when it comes to gathering for group activities, GEO Reentry Services programs have been able to ensure continuity of service, both by modifying existing initiatives and activities and developing new opportunities for participant engagement.

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Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Michael T. Vough said Tuesday no violent criminals will be released from the county prison due to concerns about the coronavirus.

“We’re not opening up the floodgates, the prison doors,” Vough said.

Vough estimated approximately 60 to 70 inmates with low-level misdemeanor offenses have been released, including some incarcerated for nonpayment of child support and minor drug possession.

Those owing child support can’t continue working if they remain incarcerated because the work release program has been suspended due to the pandemic, he said. Releasing them allows them to work to pay off their child support debt, which is not forgiven, the president judge said.

Other released inmates have served sufficient time and met additional conditions to qualify for parole or the reentry program, which means they will continue to be monitored by county parole officers or through the day reporting center, Vough said. Some released inmates also had been lodged on high bails that have been reduced based on a review of their pending charges.

The court initiative to review individual releases requested by attorneys was prompted by the need to proactively address space needs in the county prison system due to the coronavirus, Vough said.

By moving out some low-level offenders, the prison was able to carve out three new spaces: one for existing inmates exhibiting symptoms warranting them to be quarantined and the other two for incoming male and female inmates to remain under observation for up to 14 days to ensure they don’t have high temperatures or other flu-like symptoms before they are released into the general population, according to Vough and the county administration.

“We saw an issue that could be disastrous,” Vough said, referring to a lack of space for those who may be sick, particularly new arrivals. “There are close quarters there, and it’s a difficult situation to have social distancing.”

Judges assigned to these cases individually reviewed each one before releasing an inmate and conducted hearings by videoconferencing in compliance with pandemic protocol, he said.

“A lot of release requests were not approved by judges,” Vough added.

Depending on the offense level and other factors, inmates are lodged at the Water Street prison or nearby minimum offenders building, both in Wilkes-Barre.

County Correctional Services Division Head Mark Rockovich already had stopped inmates visits and restricted outdoor yard time due to the coronavirus.

Temperature readings are now obtained for all employees and inmates entering the prison system in addition to stepped-up monitoring of existing inmate temperatures, Rockovich said. Other precautions have been taken to reduce the unavoidable risk that an infected worker with no symptoms could unknowingly spread the coronavirus to colleagues and inmates, but he said prison correctional officers and other staff don’t have the option to work remotely or close operations.

County Councilman Walter Griffith sent county Manager C. David Pedri an email Tuesday expressing concerns about the releasing of inmates, but he said in a follow-up call he was more reassured after learning court officials are not granting release of violent offenders as requested by some attorneys.

Griffith said the ideal situation for the space concern would be a separate temporary facility to house incoming inmates, similar to the state’s use of the State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Retreat in Newport Township. However, Griffith said that option may be unattainable due to difficulties finding such an available facility with cells and the additional cost to rent and staff it.

The county’s minimal offender building has a dormitory-style setting with no cells and already is housing approximately 145 inmates, officials said. Around 448 inmates are incarcerated at the prison.

Read the original article

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GEO Reentry Services presented a $200 donation to Safe Berks, an organization that provides ongoing support of counseling services that includes victim advocacy for domestic violence and sexual assault, and female participants from the ADAPPT residential reentry center prepared and served the food.

“We’re proud to have Safe Berks as a community partner and to be able to assist with the important services they give to the community,” said ADAPPT director Mike Critchosin. “I’m grateful to [ADAPPT Clinical Supervisor] Dawn Martin, who did a fantastic job making this event a success, and to our reentrants, for being willing to support the efforts of this important organization.”

Each month, ADAPPT participants contribute hundreds of hours of community service to the Reading community, an initiative that serves ADAPPT’s mission to help others and embrace positive change. After the dinner, ADAPPT received a letter of thanks from Safe Berks’ director of development.

“All the participants were excited and honored to have the chance to give back,” said Martin. “It was a humbling experience for everyone. For one participant, the topic really hit home. She shared her personal experience of domestic violence and said giving back has increased her motivation to make a positive change in her life, both for her daughter and for herself.”

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BOCA RATON, Fla. – February 5, 2020 – GEO Care, a division of The GEO Group, has launched a public and intuitive website for individuals returning to communities from incarceration. The website, www.GEOReentryConnect.com, provides access to a nationwide network of resources and helpful tools that can aid individuals transitioning from incarceration or justice-involved individuals already in the community. The site also provides a platform for individuals wishing to share their stories of recovery and successful reintegration as inspiration and motivation for others facing similar challenges.

“This is a unique opportunity for justice-involved individuals, with so much information consolidated at the users’ fingertips,” said Derrick D. Schofield, PhD, Executive Vice President of GEO Care’s Continuum of Care and Reentry Services. “We have an opportunity to continue helping individuals returning to their communities, and those currently in the community, find the information they need to succeed. By bringing this valuable information together within one easy-to-use website, we help simplify a complex network of nationwide resources.”

GEOReentryConnect.com is interactive, user-friendly, and compatible with all desktop, tablet and mobile devices. Website features include the following:

• National Resource Database – highlighting the locations and types of services available, including education, food and shelter, transportation, identification, housing, veteran affairs, substance abuse, family services, healthcare, mental health and legal services
• Jobs and Employment section – provides resume and cover letter templates and samples, links to job search websites and temporary employment agencies, and offers interview tips and second-chance employment opportunities
• Education and Vocational section – offering high school equivalency exam information and links to post-secondary educational institutions, financial aid and vocational training programs
• Success Story page – a moderated platform that offers visitors an opportunity to share their challenges, successes and motivational stories
• Reentry Checklist – includes the necessary steps one must take upon release as they begin and navigate their reentry journey
• Interactive tools and downloadable content that can be easily shared

GEO Care operates residential, non-residential and in-custody treatment programs for adults and youth rooted in evidence-based practices designed to change criminal behavior. Participants at all these programs are being guided to the new website to find resources to support their needs. The site is available also to any individual seeking local resources.

About GEO Care

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Photos courtesy of Times Leader news.

Luzerne County Reentry Service Center in an event called a Transition Celebration. To commemorate the seriousness of the accomplishment of these individuals, the event was held at the Luzerne County Courthouse Rotunda and the keynote speaker was Mark Rockovich, Luzerne County Prison Director of Correctional Services.

The local paper, the Times-Leader, attended also. Read the Times-Leader news article.

Luzerne Reentry Service Center staff, county officials, program alumni, graduates and their families attended the ceremony to share stories and celebrate the participants completing the intensive reentry program. Transition ceremonies are an important milestone for graduates and offer community members an opportunity to recognize and celebrate participants’ hard work. In addition to the keynote speaker, some graduates shared remarks on their experience in the center.

Rockovich told the audience that he firmly believes in the program, saying it’s brought down recidivism rates in the county and cut costs. Since opening in 2010, Luzerne County Reentry Service Center has hosted 13 transition ceremonies.

Located at 125 N. Wilkes-Barre Blvd., Suite 4 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa, the RSC opened to alleviate jail crowding at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility and reduce chronic recidivism rates among adult probationers. The center provides evidence-based treatment, training, and supervision for up to 150 individuals at one time. Individuals referred to the center are required to participate in a multi-phase program that includes regular reporting to the center, intensive treatment and ongoing drug and alcohol testing.

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The ceremony was held at the DRC facility in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The keynote speaker was Oscar S., a former participant and returning alumnus who made progress through the program six months prior. He now leads a positive lifestyle in the community.

The GEO Reentry Services program at the RSC recognizes the importance of acknowledging progress as participants advance through it. Program Director Kim Reichenbach reinforces the program by including two unique features that help emphasize positive change and provide a sense of accomplishment for each participant.

A Moral Reconation Therapy tree is set up with participants’ names added on leaves, which are pinned at the bottom at the start of the program. The leaves are moved up the tree as they advance through the program. Upon graduation, the leaf is hung from the ceiling, symbolizing release and freedom.

By graduation, the individuals experience and identify a completed cycle of recovery and the freedom to move forward with the reentry skills learned at the RSC.

Luis R., who graduated and spoke at the ceremony, struggled with addiction, but now has achieved his longest period of sobriety. During his speech, he encouraged others by showing his commitment to recovery while crediting staff and programming at the RSC who helped bring him this far. He stated that the program helped him in acquiring and maintaining a new job and in the ability to reunite with family members.

Transition ceremonies are a celebration for both participants and staff, the latter of which are proud to acknowledge the hard work it takes to prepare individuals for a positive start.

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According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, almost seven of 10 individuals released from prison are rearrested within three years. Involvement in drug use is a key driving factor for this poor outcome. Despite the fact that more than half of inmates in prison meet the diagnosis for substance abuse or dependency, few receive treatment before being released.

These and other key issues are addressed in a recently published article in Federal Probation (Volume 83, Number 2) titled “An Evaluation of an In-prison Therapeutic Community: Treatment Needs and Recidivism” authored by five GEO Care representatives, including Jason B. Boggs, Paul A. Redfield, Kasia A. Kijanczuk, Ralph J. Fretz, and Derrick D. Schofield, and two individuals from Texas Christian University’s Institute of Behavioral Research.

Specifically, the authors analyzed the results of a modified therapeutic community model at the Illinois Department of Corrections’ Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center (SWICC), a 763-bed, male, minimum security facility. The SWICC treatment model “is designed to treat the person as a whole in a peer community setting, supporting participants through treatment phases, which promote increased levels of responsibility,” according to the authors.

Inmates in the treatment regiment are housed away from the prison general population, and participants in the program are directly involved in program delivery, including leading group sessions, monitoring each other for adherence to program rules, and resolving conflicts while working on their own antisocial behaviors.

Importantly, the researchers found a significant difference between those who had participated in the treatment regiment – whether they completed it or not – versus the Illinois recidivism rate. Individuals who completed the curriculum recidivated at a rate of 28.57%; those who completed some of the curriculum recidivated at a rate of 26.67%; and the state’s normal recidivism rate is 43%.

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The county, in conjunction with GEO Reentry Services, honored 48 graduates of the county’s reentry program, a rigorous program for offenders whose crimes stem from drug or alcohol addiction.

Mark Rockovich, director of correctional services for Luzerne County, was the keynote speaker for the graduation.

During his speech, he joked that his first thought when being asked to speak was to come up with an excuse.

“The first thought that came to mind was, ‘How do I get out of this?’”

Rockovich said he firmly believes in the program, saying it’s brought down recidivism rates in the county and cut costs, but still, he was tempted to try to get out of it.

But, he said, it’s this temptation that causes so many problems. He congratulated the graduates for overcoming the excuses.

“I’m pretty sure some of the participants were thinking about their excuses on the first day of the program,” he said. “But the difference between you and the people who didn’t finish the program is that you stopped making excuses.”

The Luzerne County Reentry Service Center, opened in 2010, has held 13 such graduations for program participants who successfully completed a long process of reporting to the center, treatment and ongoing drug and alcohol testing.

Rockovich was already looking ahead to what comes next Tuesday morning.
“There will be choices every day that will shape the way you want to live,” he said. “Some will be very easy, some will be agonizingly painful.”

After Rockovich and two graduating participants in the program spoke, those in attendance were handed their certificate as they were congratulated for taking the first step to getting their life back on track.

Tuesday’s ceremony wrapped up with a brief reception with refreshments, and the graduates enjoyed them beneath the Christmas tree under the courthouse’s rotunda.

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These expenses are regular discussion points in the County Commissioners meetings. In the September 3rd meeting, there was a robust discussion revolving around the hiring of Executive Secretary Ekaterina Ferguson for newly elected Judge Tira. The line item was for $32,670.68. Commissioner Mirabito did not vote in favor, advocating that the position be eliminated and the four judges should share three executive secretaries between them and the President Judge Nancy Butts would have her own secretary. While his proposal was made it good faith, it did not meet best practice. Commissioner Mussare’s research revealed that there was not a single county in the Commonwealth that has judges who share secretaries.

Also at the same meeting a discussion arose (again) over GEO Reentry Services. It was in September of 2014, exactly five years ago, that GEO was contracted as the outsourced agency to reduce prison population. Rather than a simplistic “lock them up” approach to law-offenders, only to see the offenders returning back to prison later, the Lycoming County Adult Probation Department worked with the county judges and district attorney’s office to develop the structure for an alternative to incarceration. It was their efforts that led to outsourcing with GEO Reentry Services.

By all metrics, this program has been extremely successful. The concept is not just monitoring, but through therapy and“ training, it offers life and job skills and thus treats offenders’ “criminal thinking errors.” The program is also licensed under the Department of Health to provide outpatient substance abuse treatment.

After five years of work with Lycoming County, Commissioner Tony Mussare is a firm believer in the program. He has noted that GEO has not just been tremendously successful in their goals, but has also saved the county enormous amounts of money in the process. It has totally eliminated the need and expense of shipping inmates to other counties and at the same time has reduced recidivism.

Scott Metzger, recently retired deputy chief adult probation officer, spoke up at the work session of the County Commissioner Meeting on Tuesday, September 10th, on the impact of GEO which he has worked with first-hand. He has noted that GEO paid about $100,000 to help renovate the county building for their program. In fact, Metzger asserts that GEO has saved $2.4 million in the five years of the program by reducing incarceration both in county and in other counties.

In fact, the county was paying $600,000 annually to other counties to house inmates. Now with open beds in the prison due to GEO, the county is able to outsource the county prison to the US Marshalls which brings in about $33,000/monthly, adding up to $400,000 annually. So, if all these numbers are added up, this program is paying for itself!

But more than money, this program really works to change behavior. This was evidenced at the 10th Bi-Annual Transition Ceremony hosted by GEO Lycoming County Reentry Services Center on Friday, September 6th. It had the feeling of a revival service. Three of the graduates testified of their personal transformation through the program, and one of the alumni shared about her present work situation that she owed to GEO. One of the very enthusiastic graduates said it the best, “This is not a program, it is a family.”

In the past five years, 347 people have graduated through this program, and the recidivism rate is 18 percent. If that sounds high, consider that the national recidivism rate is 67 percent. So, do the math. Think of the cost savings over incarceration, think of the behavioral change and resulting lower recidivism, think of the intangible costs of lower crime to the overall health of the community. Those numbers add up nicely.

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The graduates’ friends and family members as well as a variety of county and GEO Group staff, who provide the service, gathered to cheer them on.

Michael Boughton, reentry program manager, along with county President Judge Nancy L. Butts and others, congratulated each graduate with speeches dedicated to their hard work, determination and perseverance.

“Today is the day to honor the graduates of reentry services,” Boughton said. “To celebrate the accomplishments that these individuals have made. We all should be very proud of the accomplishments that these individuals have made and acknowledge the fact that this has been no easy journey.”

“Success is momentary, it’s not long term. Every day our lives change, every day we need to reevaluate who we are. We aren’t going anywhere, please reach out to us for help,” John Stahl, adult probation deputy chief, said to the graduates.

“I’ve gotten to see you grow and change throughout the weeks and months that I have known you,” Butts said. “It is so gratifying to me to see you appreciate the hard work that you have done.”

Many of the graduates are not only celebrating graduating the program, but also how long they have been sober from drugs and alcohol, like Bruce Drum, who wascelebratingoverayearsober,smiling as he got his certificate.

The guest speakers along with a few graduates not only commended the program and its case managers for connecting the graduates to a better sense of self, but to encourage the audience and commissioners to continue to fund the program.

This reentry program was one of the ideas to combat the influx of inmates, not only in the county but across the state.

“We could change our system up just a little to offer a program we haven’t had before, which is reentry,” Butts added. “I knew that special types of programs like this one would be successful. Our numbers are awesome. I am so grateful that five years later we can say thank you to the commissioners and please consider supporting it for the forever future. Lycoming County is making a difference in people’s lives.”

“If I ever have one hope, it’s that reentry never has to close its doors,” Dalasia Williams, graduate, said. “This program and its staff saved my life.”

“I’m very emotional right now. I have been through this process for the last 20-something years,” Coleen Slocum, graduate, said. “My addiction took me to a place where nothing could help me. I did the reentry program and needless to say, when I got there, I wasn’t feeling it. Nothing could help me. In reentry, it was never about my criminal life, they did not approach me that way. The love, the kindness, the respect. That is one thing reentry has taught me — one day at a time, one step at a time, to look inward. It’s not about what you’re smoking, drinking or shooting, but to deal with self.”

The graduating class was connected through many different past mistakes but the program, along with support from friends and family, will continue to help them through the process.

“Many of them weren’t sure if they could complete it. But the individuals that sit before us today made the decision that the juice was worth the squeeze, to make changes to live positive lives moving forward,” Boughton said. “The support of family and friends in their journey is critical to them achieving their goals and staying on the right path.”

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The best possible outcome following that is that the offender serves their time and becomes rehabilitated during their penal phase to the point where they are worthy of a second chance.

That, too, is as it should be.

The next part of the path is difficult. They need someone to give them that second chance in the form of an employment opportunity.

There is hesitancy among many employers not to hire people with criminal records. That is a natural human tendency, but it can be overcome.

The obstacle becomes even greater when former inmates do not understand how to be a solid job applicant or do not know how to execute the process of job application.

The GEO Group, which manages Lycoming County’s reentry program, has taken a step to make that obstacle less daunting.

The firm has expanded its online services into Lycoming County, connecting re-entrants to job searching tools and assets, such as interview tips, resume and cover letter examples. The website also includes information on high school diploma testing and vocational training programs.

The website includes success stories, geared to motivating reentrants, and works to connect ex-convicts with local resources in their community.

This is an excellent addition to the reentry toolbox.

As much as it is helpful to the former offenders, it is just as helpful to the community.

Every time a person is rehabilitated and is able to re-enter our community as a productive, working member, our community is made safer and our penal system has a burden removed.

Everybody wins.

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James Greer Sr., 57, got out of jail in 2015 after serving time for a drug delivery conviction.

Before he went to jail, Greer said he’d worked at Danskin for 17 years, followed by five years on a trash truck route and eight years working at a hospital in Harrisburg.

“I kept jobs,” he said. “I like to work, but right now my health won’t let me.”

Since his release from jail, which was followed by a serious injury that landed him on disability insurance after an upstairs balcony collapsed onto him, Greer said he’s had a hard time getting back on his feet.

He attended the reentry services fair hoping to get some help.

About two dozen organizations in York County participated in the inaugural Reentry Services Fair, held at the York City campus of Stillmeadow Church of the Nazarene and sponsored by the York County Reentry Coalition.

Tim Barker, first assistant district attorney, said most of the organizations that were at the fair are accessible by phone or online, but the fair allows people to con- nect with several agencies under one roof and maybe learn about resources they might not have known were available.

“There’s just something different about being there in person,” he said.

Reentrants weren’t the only ones who benefited, either.

Amy Chidester, a drug and alcohol assessor with the county’s probation department, said she attended the fair to make sure she was up to date on the all of the services available to her clients.

She said she was surprised to learn that 211, the public hotline that connects callers with health and safety resources, also has an emotional listening support line, which people can call to talk to someone about their feelings and frustrations.

For people in recovery who are also adjusting to life outside of jail, this could be a vital service to help them remain sober by providing a different outlet, Chidester said.

“That’s greatly needed sometimes,” she said. “There’s not always the best family or social support system.”

Chidester is stationed at York County Prison. She said about half of the people she works with end up going home after their release, while the other half go to rehab.

The York County Reentry Coalition held a job fair in June specifically to connect former inmates with employers who were committed to providing second chances, but Thursday’s fair was more broad-based, Barker said.

Eventually, the coalition would like to hold miniature fairs in other parts of the county, Barker said, and he hopes the overall reentry services fair continues annually.

The York County Reentry Coalition is a partnership between the state Department of Corrections, Geo Reentry Services, Pennsylvania CareerLink, the state Board of Probation and Parole, the state Department of Labor and Industry and Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and the workforce development company EDSI.

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“They come out really lost, not knowing which direction that they need to go,” said Cristie DeWitt, site administrator for Pennsylvania CareerLink in York County. “Without having some kind of money, it’s hard to pay their fines, pay their rent, put food on the table, (buy) things for their children.”

To help these men and women get back on their feet, rebuild their lives and reduce recidivism, the York County Reentry Coalition sponsored a Second Chance job fair Wednesday, June 12, at the York County Administrative Center.

About 30 companies sent recruiters to meet with more than 200 people having difficulty finding jobs because of their criminal records.

“If more people were opening doors and stopped looking at your past history, I think it would be a lot better for the inmates that are coming home, who paid their debts to society and are willing to change and not go back to their bad habits,” said Jamar Johnson, a job-seeker at the fair.

Johnson, 43, of York City, was released on parole from prison in 2016 after serving six years for charges related to drugs and possession of a firearm.

His first job out of the gate was at a pizza place. After about six months, Johnson found work loading garbage trucks on a route for a waste management company.

But after the company changed its payroll structure, which resulted in a pay cut for Johnson, the father of five decided to look for something else, which brought him to Wednesday’s job fair.

It hasn’t been easy for him to find other work.

“I’ve never been in trouble since I’ve been home,” he said. “I’m doing positive things, hanging around positive people.”

Johnson said some companies are open to giving former inmates an opportunity, but there are others who only judge them by their past records, so a job fair with employers who want to provide that second chance is very much needed.

“There’s a lot of good guys coming from jails that do want to change (and) don’t want to resort back to that type of lifestyle,” Johnson said.

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The program was supposed to cut down on overcrowding at the Lycoming County Prison.

And that was supposed to save the county money.

Five years in, the facts say the mission is being accomplished.

The cost of the reentry program is not cheap. The county has spent $3,440,505 to have the GEO Group provide reentry and electronic monitoring over the past five years.

The program reportedly has saved the county $3,522,820 in prison-related costs.

So the county has spent $82,315 less than would have been spent without the reentry and electronic monitoring programs, John Stahl, deputy adult probation officer, told the Lycoming County Prison Board recently.

There are 85 people in the reentry program and 312 program graduates over its five-year life.

Beyond the numbers, programming at the reentry center, designed to get people prepared to rehabilitate themselves and becoming productive post-incarceration members of the community, has been altered constantly over the course of the past five years.

More alterations are planned, according to Michael Broughton, reentry program manager.

The program management is looking to develop more programming for females and are examining a facility in California as a model for that.

The additions are necessary because the prison system’s female population continues to cause overcrowding transfers. There were four female inmates housed outside the county in April.

As we have said countless times, this program needs to work, but not just to cut down on prison overcrowding and save money for county taxpayers.

The ultimate dividend is rehabilitated people who do not repeat crimes but do become productive parts of our community.

There is plenty of room for improvement, but so far the mission is being fulfilled.

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To date, it has saved $3,522,820.

That’s $82,315 less than what would have been spent without the reentry and electronic monitoring programs in place, Stahl said.

“In the day of evidence-based practices, those are real figures,” he said. “We’re $82,315 in the right direction.”

As of May 2, there are 85 people in reentry, he said. There are 312 program graduates thus far with the most recent graduation having been held last month. September’s graduation ceremony will double as a 5th anniversary celebration.

“We look nothing like we did in September of 2014,” he said, with respect to programming and number of participants. “I’m proud of that.”

The programming will evolve further in the near future, said Michael Boughten, reentry program manager. A residential facility in California that has developed more programming for females, and GEO are looking to add those programs to its services here, he said.

“We’re in the process of getting our training department around so we can implement that here within our facility,” he said. “That’s something we’ve talked a lot about, due to the recent female population.”

The prison system’s female population continues to cause overcrowding transfers, with April’s population averaging 31 at the prison and 27 at the Pre-Release Center, said Warden Brad Shoemaker. There were four females housed out-of-county over the month.

The total population for April, including those transfers, was 346 — down from 363 in March but up from 338 in April 2018. Year-to-date average is 357, the same as the average for the year of 2018, Shoemaker said.

The next meeting is slated for 8:30 a.m. June 14 in the prison.

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“We’re in the black,” he said.

Electronic monitoring and the reentry program, both implemented by the GEO Group, have cost the county $3,382,172 over nearly five years, but have paid for themselves and then some in terms of bed days saved at the prison, he said.

Stahl reported that, at a recent meeting including other reentry and electronic monitoring programs run by GEO, Lycoming County’s programming attendance records made others “a little jealous.”

“It was nice to see,” he said, adding, “We’re ahead of the game,” in terms of implementing such programs.

Having recently presented at conference in Miami, Florida, on behalf of the Criminal Justice Advisory Board, parole and reentry in front of well over 1,000 of his peers, Stahl said other counties, within Pennsylvania and nationwide, only recently have started programs such as treatment court or don’t have them at all, he said.

“We were able to share our story on a big scale,” he said. “There’s a lot to be proud of.”

On a related note, President Judge Nancy L. Butts congratulated the county’s Criminal Justice Advisory Board, which recently was recognized at the state level for its contributions, efforts and accomplishments over the past year, she said.

“It’s nice to know your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed,” she said.

In other business, the prison population continues to increase, but just barely.

The overall male population dropped to 288 in March from 291 in February and the female population climbed from 60 to 64, with the overall average daily population increasing from 362 to 363. There were 11 overcrowding transfers.

In March of 2018, the average daily population was 352.

The yearly average rests at 361 for now, higher than the average of 357 in both 2018 and 2017, but lower than the averages of 377 and 405 seen in 2016 and 2015 respectively.

Population data is provided via a chart explained at each meeting. The next meeting is slated for 8:30 a.m. May 10 at the courthouse.

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