Capital Region Ex-Offenders Support Coalition (CRESC)
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First Chance Trust Fund Coming Soon?

6/22/2017

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(PA DOC) At a press conference held in the Capitol Rotunda on June 21, 2017, a bipartisan group of state senators unveiled legislation to establish a public charitable trust to help children of incarcerated loved ones and reverse the direction of prison-bound youth in Pennsylvania.

Senate Bill 790, authored by state Sens. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia, Montgomery), Pat Browne (R-Lehigh), Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Richard Alloway (R-Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, York), would create the “First Chance Trust Fund,” which would be used to create scholarships and provide grants to programs that benefit children of incarcerated loved ones and children facing challenges.

The trust fund would be administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and would be funded by private, tax‐deductible donations and a 1 percent surcharge on vendors that have a contract with the Department of Corrections exceeding $5 million. Other Pennsylvania agencies would also have the option to include a similar provision in their contracts. It would not require the use of taxpayer dollars.

The lawmakers, along with Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel, highlighted the importance of this legislation during a news conference today at the state Capitol.

"This legislation will give organizations the ability to provide children who face challenges with more educational opportunities to help them stay in school, give them a sense of stability and belonging, and protect them from going down the wrong path," said Sen. Hughes, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. "It's a wise investment that will help children, families, and the community."

“I am pleased to join my colleagues in introducing this important initiative aimed at providing our young people most at risk of dropping out of school or ending up incarcerated with scholarships and resources that may otherwise not be available to them in an effort to help ensure that they succeed both in school and later in life,” said Sen. Browne, Republican chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Initially, the trust fund is anticipated to generate $500,000 to $1 million on an annual basis.  The fund would be targeted to regions that have statistically higher high school dropout rates and risks of incarceration.

The fund, which would be the first of its kind in the country, will enable youth who are predisposed to the criminal justice system to access programs they need to complete school and become healthy and productive members of society.

“Children deserve a chance to grow and thrive and dream about what the future holds,” said Costa the Senate Democratic Leader. “These programs – programs that recognize the potential that lives within each child, each family and each community are evidence of the opportunity we have to make a difference. When we invest in our kids and focus on their future, everyone wins.”

“I am very pleased to join with Governor Wolf, Secretary Wetzel, and fellow legislators to take this major step in providing at-risk youth with the tools that they need to succeed,” Sen. Alloway said.  “This trust fund, which is unique in the nation, will provide targeted grants and scholarships at no cost to taxpayers.  This program will be a model for states across the country and I am excited to play a part in assisting our neediest of youth.”

Children continue to enter the justice system at alarming rates. Additionally, there are more than 81,000 Pennsylvania children with a parent in a prison, and approximately 65 percent of Pennsylvania state inmates have at least one child, according to the Department of Corrections. 

The absence -- which some psychologists have compared to the death of a parent -- through the formative years can have deleterious effects on a child. Dealing with the emotional, social and economic consequences of that loss can trigger behavioral problems, lead to trouble in school and the possibility of dropping out and continuing the cycle of crime.

“This legislation will be a game-changer for the many children with parents in Pennsylvania prisons,” said Secretary Wetzel. “We know that not finishing school is very often the first step in the downward spiral that leads to incarceration. We need to ensure that these vulnerable children instead have a ‘first chance’ to get the education, programs and support they need for success.”

Representatives and students from two organizations that work with at-risk children participated in the news conference and highlighted the benefits of investing in programs that are providing children with a “first chance.”

POPS (Pain of the Prison System) the Club, located at Steelton-Highspire High School, offers students who have been impacted by the pain of the prison system — those with incarcerated loved ones and those who have been incarcerated themselves — with community and emotional support, as well as opportunities to publish the writings and artwork they create through the club.

"Any initiative that places an emphasis on our youth is critical to the future success of our world.  Programs such as POPS shed a light on incarceration and the struggles associated with children and families when a loved one goes to prison,” said POPS art teacher Jennifer Morrison. “POPS breaks the stigma and gives children an opportunity to heal, learn and grow from the experience through creative writing and visual arts. By creating ways to fund programs like this we can ensure that students who may face a hardship do not become defined by their circumstances." 

Amachi Pittsburgh provides children impacted by incarceration and children facing challenges with a different path by establishing the consistent presence of loving, caring mentors. The initiative partners with secular and faith-based organizations working together to provide mentoring to children. 

“Tens of thousands of young people in Pennsylvania will go to bed tonight while one of their parents goes to bed in prison.  And many are worried whether they will also end up behind bars in the future,” said Anna Hollis, executive director of Amachi Pittsburgh. “This groundbreaking legislation provides an innovative vehicle for children impacted by parental incarceration to have a viable first chance at a bright future, and for that, Amachi Pittsburgh commends Secretary Wetzel and our bipartisan state senators for advancing such a monumental effort."
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#ChildrenOfIncarceratedParents

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Reentry Spotlight: Shining Light Thrift Shop

6/21/2017

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Shining Light Thrift Shop is a ministry of the Cathedral Parish of St. Patrick.  We established in 1992 nearly 25 years ago to provide clothing and basic needs to individuals referred by non-profit agencies in the tri-county area.  We now have 44 agencies that send us residents to clothe.  We serve those reentering society after prison; residents of shelters; people referred from local churches; domestic violence victims; fire victims and more.  We try our best to meet their needs during the six months they are on our programs, but that depends on what is donated from the community.  We are always happy for groups who will do drives for us for items such as underwear, socks, gloves, hats, belts, etc.  Shining Light is open Wed to Sat from 10 to 4:30.  We are located at 1310 N. 3rd St. across from the Broad St. Market.  We have a drop off spot on Susquehanna St. behind our thrift shop. For more information contact Gail Kline, Manager, at 234-2436.
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MLK Leadership Development Institute Will Hold Graduation

6/20/2017

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(PennLive) The Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Development Institute of Greater Harrisburg will hold graduation for its 2017 class at 5 p.m. June 25 at St. Paul Baptist Church, 1201 N. 17th St., Harrisburg.

Speaker will be Brenda Alton, founder and CEO of BMA Ministries.

Music will be provided by the Interdenominational Ministers Conference Citywide Mass Choir with appearances by minister Danny Fordham and soloist Diane Wilson-Bedford.

Worship leader will be Echoes of Glory gospel radio host C.T. Hailey.

The mission of the MLK Leadership Institute is, "To prepare and empower individuals committed to exercising creative leadership to improve conditions in the Greater Harrisburg community."

The 2017 graduates are:

Dr. Warren Anderson is the chief inclusion and diversity officer and Title IX coordinator for HACC. Anderson also is a trainer and presenter on topics including college access, recruitment, retention, diversity/inclusion, Title IX and student engagement. He has a bachelor's degree in liberal studies from Mansfield University, a master's degree in multicultural education and urban transformation from Eastern University, and a doctorate in higher education from Widener University.

Leslie Avila is a sociology student at Penn State Harrisburg. She has a meditation and yoga club.

Vladimir Beaufils was a firefighter with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Civil Service and BLM and is a disabled Vietnam War veteran. He founded Sound Community Solutions to provide life coaching, consulting, training, facilitating, motivational speaking and grant writing. He was director of the Communities That Care program in Harrisburg for more than six years then left that position to serve as director of the South Central PA Workforce Investment Board Youth Council. 

Myra Blackwell is a sales consultant with TRC Interactive. She has more than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry selling e-learning training programs to C-level executives of banks and credit unions. She has a bachelor's degree in speech communications from Old Dominion University. She is chairwoman of the scholarship committee of Bethel AME Church, which annual organizes a college prep workshop for the Harrisburg community. She also is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Cathy M. Hall is the senior assistant to Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse. She has a bachelor's degree in speech communications and a master's degree in public administration from Shippensburg University.

Destini Hodges is an administrative technician for the safety and security department at HACC and was elected to Harrisburg City Council in 2016. She has a bachelor's degree in political science from Penn State Harrisburg and a certificate in paralegal studies from HACC. She previously served on Harrisburg School Board. She is a member of the YWCA Junior Board and is a ruling elder at Capital Presbyterian Church and serves the Presbyterian Church as a Diversity Coordinator for Presbyterian Women of Carlisle and a member of the Advisory Committee for Women's Concerns through the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Janet Jones is the director of specialized services for Gaudenzia. She has a master's degree in human service from Lincoln University. She created a youth program called Positive Image.

State Rep. Patty Kim represents the 103rd District in the House of Representatives. She previously served on Harrisburg City Council for seven years. She has a degree in communications from Boston College.

John Langel Sr. is employed by Servpro Hershey. He has been involved with Special Olympics for more than 25 years and is certified in 14 sports. He has participated in the Gideon ministry for 25 years and has a passion for prison ministry, which he has been doing for 16 years in Perry County. He is a member of Susquehanna Icebreakers Toastmasters Club.

DeShawn Lewis is the director for the Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities for the state Department of General Services. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Harrisburg Alumnae Chapter and serves as chairwoman of the social action committee. She also is a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and has served as facilitator for Family to Family classes. She is also a member of the Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

Samia Malik is an American Muslim woman and a social/racial justice activist. She has served on boards including the ACLU and currently serves on the board of the YWCA. She is from India where she attended a Catholic university. She has lived here for more than 40 years.

Gedeon Mudacumura is a professor of public administration at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, and a part-time lecturer at Penn State Harrisburg where he earned his Ph.D. in Public Administration. He previously worked for the Pennsylvania State Treasury and the government of Rwanda, his native land. He is president of the Interdisciplinary Action Research Centers, a consortium of academics and practitioners dedicated to reducing vulnerability through in-depth research and assessment of successful re-entry efforts with vulnerable populations.  

Captain Gabriel Olivera oversees the criminal investigation division of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. He is a trained negotiator for the Dauphin County Crisis Response Team, previous chairman of the Dauphin County Gang Task Force and a previous member of the Dauphin County Human Trafficking Task Force. He has been involved with the Boy Scouts for more than17 years and has held the position of scoutmaster for 13 years. He has mentored 19 Eagle Scouts.

Darrel J. Reinford is the executive director of Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area, a partnership of churches in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties. He has a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va., and previously worked for Paxton Ministries in Harrisburg.  He is a volunteer with the Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness. 

Michael Walsh is the deputy secretary for administration for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. He previously was director of policy and communications for Sen. Allen Kukovich and a deputy secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Education. He is a graduate of St. Vincent College and has a master's degree in public management from the H. John Heinz III School at Carnegie Mellon University. He is the immediate past president of Historic Harrisburg Association, a board member of the Martin Luther King Day of Service Committee, a board member of the US Green Building Council Central PA chapter, and is a founding board member of the Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County.

Terri Washington recently retired as director for IT Program Management at Aetna. She has received her basic certification as an associate chaplain for PinnacleHealth and is working on her advance certification. She is in training to become a certified recovery specialist through the Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Services. She is an author of four novels and her fifth novel will be released later this year. She has attended Queens College in Charlotte, N.C., Lebanon Valley College and HACC.
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The event is open to the public. An offering will be accepted.

Congratulations to CRESC Board Member Vladimir Beaufils!

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HACC's STEP Academy

6/20/2017

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Set Goals.  Take Action.
Expect Success.  Put In The Work.
HACC's STEP Academy is a program geared to prepare and steer participants to be successful and ready for the workforce.  The STEP Academy is designed to educate, empower and encourage participants to take the next step toward increasing their readiness for the world of work.  The STEP Academy focuses on confidence building, self-esteem, employment readiness preparation and other strategies to assist individuals to get prepared internally and externally for today's workforce.

This four week training will prepare underemployed and unemployed workers with the tools needed to be successful in today’s work environment and address the “essential skills” needed to perform today’s jobs. This four week training will empower students to convert the conceptual understanding of soft skills into everyday practice on the job. Some areas to be addressed during this training include: communication skills; teamwork and collaboration; adaptability; problem solving; critical observation; and conflict resolution.

The students participate in a rigorous four week session.  Once the participant completes the training, they go on to their choice of vocational training such as Warehouse / Logistics, Welding or CNC.  Participants can earn various certificates in these fields, while at the same time, learning valuable skills.  Upon completion, HACC works with employment partners in placing participants for employment.
Classes enrolling today!  For enrollment information, contact 717 780 2383.
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Decarcerate Delegation from Harrisburg Tours Pike County Prison

6/19/2017

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On June 16, 2017, a group from Harrisburg toured Pike County Prison, the "cleanest" prison in Pennsylvania! This should be the model prison that all wardens in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania tour and see the high moral of employees and excellent working relationship between staff and inmates.
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The delegation consisted of members from Friends Over Fences, AFSCME Council 13 Retirees, Harrisburg Region Central Labor Council, Pennsylvania Prison Society, Capital Region Ex-Offenders Support Coalition, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), Greater Harrisburg Area Branch NAACP and the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons Advisory Council.
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Reentry Spotlight: Tri-County OIC

6/16/2017

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Tri-County OIC

Supporting the ex-offender community for over 50 years.
OIC Adult Learning Center welcomes adult re-entry citizens into its program. For over 50 years, Tri-County OIC has served those with the most barriers to employment, education and training. Located at 500 Maclay Street in Harrisburg, OIC support ex-offenders by providing critical academic work readiness, high school equivalency test preparation, transition support services, and career pathway counseling.

Services for Employers
  • Soft skills work readiness training for ex-offenders
  • Workplace literacy
  • Integrated Education and Training
Services for Ex-offenders
  • Adult education remedial classes
  • High school equivalency test preparation
  • Career pathway counseling
  • Portable credential training
Services for the community
  • Site based academic service delivery
  • Information and resource sharing
All services and classes are free. For more information, visit our website at www.tricountyoic.org. Students can register and inquire for services online at www.tricountyoic.org or by calling 717-238-7318. Ask for Alfred Sloan. Your ex-offender support service expert.
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Credit & Banking Basics Seminar Held For Ex-Offenders

6/16/2017

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On Friday, 6/16/2017, Becky MacDicken with the PA Department of Banking and Securities offered a free seminar to ex-offenders residing at the Harrisburg Community Corrections Center.  The seminar focused on credit reports and credit scores, as well as some basic banking concepts.  MacDicken also provided answers to questions ex-offenders had regarding credit and banking.  To conclude the seminar, Tricia Heisey with Belco Community Credit Union's Business Development / Financial Education Department spoke to participants about the benefits of joining a credit union.
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June 2017 CRESC Featured Speaker Recap

6/15/2017

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The featured speaker during CRESC’s June 2017 meeting was Aaron Geedey.  Geedey functions as an ASCRA, or Assessment, Sanctioning Community and Resource Agent, for the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole.  Geedey shared that, as an ASCRA, he runs a variety of evidence-based groups including CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) Life Skills, AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs), VP (Violence Prevention), financial awareness and employment.  One of Geedey's primary focuses is engaging with the community through networking, attending coalition meetings and identifying resources in the community that support successful ex-offender reentry.  ASCRA's are also trained in, and frequently use, Motivational Interviewing and EPICS (Effective Practices in Community Support) in their interactions with ex-offenders.  More information about the PA Board of Probation and Parole can be found here.  CRESC would like to thank Mr. Geedey for spending the afternoon with us!
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Reentry Spotlight: The RASE Project

6/9/2017

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The RASE Project is a 501 (c) 3, non-profit, charitable organization. RASE is a Recovery Community Organization, which means that it is comprised entirely of staff and volunteers from the Recovery Community and it exists to serve the Recovery Community. Recovery Community is defined as: any person in, or seeking recovery, their families, close friends and other loved ones. The RASE Project stands for Recovery, Advocacy, Service and Empowerment, and exists to reduce the stigma associated with the disease of addiction as well as offering support in the process of recovery. Our mission is to assist all those individuals affected by substance use issues, problems and concerns by fostering progress, enriching lives, and ultimately enhancing the recovery process.

We offer multiple programs that all work closely with the criminal justice system. In particular, we have full-time Recovery Specialists that work hand in hand with Dauphin County’s Drug Court Program. Participants in the Recovery Specialist Program are paired with a Recovery Specialist who works side by side with them as peer support and a recovery coach. We offer recovery service planning unique to our agency. The RSP facilitates change and instills hope. We are dedicated to helping others build self-esteem, increase good decision making skills, re-build families and empower participants to become productive and active members of society. The RASE Project believes that every individual is unique and special and deserves the opportunity to recover. Referrals for the RSP go directly to our Lebanon office. For more information on the RSP or to schedule an intake please call 717-277-7400.

In addition to the RSP, RASE offers residential services for men and women. This transitional housing program includes individuals in the criminal justice system. We ask for a minimum commitment of 6 months so these individuals can recreate their lives free from active addiction. Each house has its own Residential Coordinator. RASE House programming is designed to assist each resident achieve the following objectives: sustained recovery, permanent full-time employment, understanding and possession of bank accounts, and the necessary skills needed to navigate through life successfully. RASE House encourages the residents to reach these objectives by utilizing the following tools: daily 12-Step meeting attendance, weekly Recovery 101 groups, weekly Life Skills classes, appropriate referral to necessary ancillary services, recovery plan development, house meetings, supervision and weekly contacts. We believe that it is essential for the residents at RASE House to examine all aspects of their lives and to replace old negative behaviors with new positive ones to achieve ongoing recovery and success. For more information on The Harrisburg RASE House please call 717-232-8535, for the Carlisle RASE House call 717-249-6499 and for the Lancaster RASE House call 717-295-3080. Please note that the Harrisburg and Carlisle RASE Houses are for women and Lancaster is for men.

For more information about The RASE Project, visit their website at 
http://www.raseproject.org/
CRESC thanks The RASE Project for their tireless efforts to support recovery throughout ex-offender reentry into the community!
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Dauphin County Probation Services 2016 Annual Report

6/6/2017

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From Chadwick J. Libby, Director, Dauphin County Probation Services:
"We are pleased to announce the Probation Services 2016 Annual Report is now available for viewing on the Dauphin County Website. Please be advised before you print it that copies will be made available for distribution upon request. Please see the link below to view via the internet."
Click here to see the report
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