The Luzerne County Reentry Service Center was recently featured in a great profile by the Times-Leader, which provided background on the center for readers and profiled a participant, Bryan, who has been able to stay sober and find his own apartment since reporting to the center.
The center, run by GEO Reentry Services, provides intensive treatment and training to offenders at risk of recidivating, encouraging their successful reentry into their communities. The center typically supervises about 100 participants at a time in a 6-month program that includes cognitive behavioral therapy designed to change criminal behavior and training courses designed to give participants the life skills they need to get ahead.
As detailed in the article, actuarial assessments have found that when offenders start the program, they have an 86 percent chance of recidivating, but once they have graduated that percentage is reduced by 42.2 percent.
The article also delves into the evidence-based methods used by the center to help participants, including group role-playing sessions. In the sessions, participants practice how to deal with everyday situations like drivers cutting them off to coworkers taking advantage of them on the job.
Participants are also able to access, through the center, help with employment, housing, finances, veteran assistance and any other issues they struggle with upon release.
Bryan, the participant Times-Leader profiled, credits the center with helping him to stay sober. He became involved with drugs after falling into a depression stemming from his military career which had ended with his discharge for drinking.
“They don’t give up on you here,” Bryan told the paper. “That’s the great thing.”
GEO Reentry operates several day reporting centers in Pennsylvania as well as many more throughout the United States. Read more about our approach here.