State and local officials today announced a partnership that will help offenders with drug and alcohol programs successfully transition from prison to their community.
“Drug and alcohol addiction and abuse are barriers for many offenders to successfully complete parole and turn their lives around,” Parole Board Chairman Michael Potteiger said. “This partnership with Dauphin County continues the emphasis on meaningful re-entry efforts under the leadership of Gov. Tom Corbett to decrease the number of offenders who return to the criminal justice system.”
The partnership is a court-based re-entry program with the PA Board of Probation and Parole, Dauphin County Court, and Dauphin County Commissioners to decrease recidivism, increase public safety and reduce correctional costs.
The re-entry program provides intensive supervision and oversight to higher-risk offenders with a history of substance abuse and it does so in a unique way by having a parole board member and a County Common Pleas Court judge meet with the offender on a monthly basis in the courtroom. The first session will be held on Feb. 13.
The program includes a case management team to provide individually tailored continuity of services for each parolee, maximizing their ability to succeed in the community. To be eligible, offenders must have been convicted in and returning to Dauphin County and have at least 18 months of parole supervision remaining on their sentence.