HARRISBURG — GEO Reentry Services, Dauphin County Probation and Pennsylvania State Parole officials hosted a ceremony for individuals on probation and parole who have successfully completed an intensive reentry program at the Dauphin County Reentry Service Center. The fall graduation ceremony was held at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg.
Dauphin County Judge William T. Tully was the keynote speaker, and more than 50 graduates, along with friends, family, program staff and others attended. To mark 10 years of operating the RSC, GEO Reentry hosted an open house at the facility after the graduation.
The Dauphin County Probation Department and the Pennsylvania State Parole Board refer individuals on probation or parole for services at the Dauphin County RSC. At the center, GEO Reentry 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.
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.
Jacqueline Schap, who is a program manager with GEO Reentry Services, said the individuals come from different backgrounds and offenses committed. However, she said graduation from the program highlights a commitment to a fresh start.
The fall graduation celebration follows months of regular reporting to the reentry center, intensive treatment and training, and substance abuse testing. The program also helps build a good ground for reentry, with GED courses, driver’s license registrations and workforce development. After succeeding in these steps, the individuals are celebrated with a graduation ceremony.
Program managers said there have been changes with the reentry program over the years, including adding anger management courses, parenting courses and expanding services. The purpose of the program has remained the same over the past decade, which Schap said is to reduce re-offenses and get someone the help they need. “We all deserve a second chance, and everyone is capable of change,” she said.
“Not everybody who comes to our services, or even goes to jail for that matter, is necessarily a ‘bad person,’” Schap said. “There’s just some certain circumstances that they may need help with.”
Excerpts of this blog are reprinted from WGAL in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania