Pennsylvania DOC Executive Deputy Secretary Shirley Moore Smeal recently spoke to graduates of Berks Connections/Pretrial Services' Rebuilding Reentrants and Reading (R3) graduation.
Offering words of support and encouragement Moore Smeal addressed 15 participants – nine who are on state parole and six on county parole. In addition, to Moore Smeal three previous graduates addressed the group. Also attending were Commissioner Christian Leinbach, Commissioner Kevin Barnhardt, COO Dan Fogarty, Common Pleas Judge Theresa Johnson and Rob Reed, who is executive deputy attorney general for public engagement.
BCPS/BerksConnections is a 501c-3 non-profit agency that assists individuals and families involved in the Berks County Criminal Justice System. It helps individuals and their families involved in the Berks County Criminal Justice System to successfully reenter the community and provides outreach to their families and children and mentoring/fellowship programs at the Berks County Jail.
Rebuilding Reentrants and Reading (R3), began on October 2, 2017. R3, funded by a U.S. Department of Labor Reentry Projects grant, is an eight-week training that includes evening classroom instruction at Reading Muhlenberg Career & Technology Center (RMCTC), hands-on learning which occurs on site at Habitat for Humanity Berks County (HFHBC) properties and their woodshop, and an employment-focused cognitive curriculum delivered by BCPS staff. R3 site supervisors are responsible for transporting program participants to varied educational and work locations, overseeing the work performed and communicating participants' progress to case managers. Case managers provide job search assistance and work with individuals for one year following their graduation from the training. Participants also have the support of a mentor throughout their participation in the program. This comprehensive training program in the construction trades will allow returning citizens to give back to the community while obtaining marketable skills.
According to BerksConnections, graduates are experiencing much success – more than 80% are stably employed and 96% have not returned to jail or prison.
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