Preparing People to Return Home
According to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance, reentry is not a specific program, but rather a process that begins when an individual is incarcerated (pre-release) and ends with their reintegration in the community (post-release). A foundation of good reentry is collaboration; working together to achieve a common goal that is difficult or impossible to reach without the assistance of another. Good reentry is good for everyone; it leads to safer communities, fewer victims of crime, relief for taxpayers, and improved quality of life for returning citizens.
Since 2011, PCCD has encouraged the creation of County Reentry Coalitions. These coalitions are comprised of local stakeholders including government agencies, non-profit service providers, and people with lived expertise that meet regularly to identify the complex needs of returning citizens, assess reentry practices, identify service gaps, and develop policies, procedures, and projects to improve outcomes for returning citizens. To guide this work, County Reentry Coalitions develop reentry strategic plans. PCCD awards grants to assist in the reentry strategic planning process.
PCCD’s Reentry Coordinator acts as a liaison with County Reentry Coalitions and other groups vested in finding solutions to break down silos, remove barriers, tailor services to meet the individual needs of returning citizens, and reduce recidivism.
To assist County Reentry Coalitions throughout Pennsylvania and ensure consistency across coalitions, PCCD established Reentry Coalition Minimum Operating Standards in 2020 with four areas of focus: Membership, Bylaws (view sample Bylaws) Reentry Strategic Planning, and Recidivism Data Collection. To certify compliance with the Reentry Coalition Minimum Operating Standards, County Reentry Coalitions should contact the PCCD Reentry Coordinator.
PCCD also partners with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General to convene the Pennsylvania Reentry Council (PARC). PARC was established in 2017 by Governor Wolf and then Attorney General Shapiro to coordinate Pennsylvania’s reentry efforts at the state level. PARC’s mission is to make communities safer by reducing recidivism and victimization through the successful reintegration of returning citizens by supporting the efforts of County Reentry Coalitions and other federal, state, and local reentry focused organizations. Please visit the PARC website to learn more.
Contact us
- Angi Crater, PCCD Reentry Coordinator
- Email: acrater@pa.gov
- Phone: 717-265-8456