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Jail oversight board hears reentry updates: dog-training program, workforce courses and community partnerships
Summary
Program administrators reported progress on New Leash on Life, First Step workforce development and Delco Reentry (PHMC) initiatives; officials said grant funding will sustain New Leash on Life for two years and that workforce and reentry workshops will continue monthly.
Program staff told the Jail Oversight Board on March 12 that several reentry initiatives are active and expanding, including a prison-based dog-training program, ongoing workforce development classes and a community reentry partnership with Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC).
Kelly Shah, the jail’s program administrator for reentry, said New Leash on Life — a six-month career-readiness program in which rescued dogs live and train with incarcerated handlers for 12 weeks followed by paid internships — is in week seven of its current cohort. Shah said grant funding will support New Leash on Life for two years and allow up to 72 participants across six cohorts; future cohorts are expected to have at least 12 participants each.
Shah reported outcomes from workforce programs: the First Step Workforce Development Program, a four-week course delivered by community provider EDSI, marked Cohort 22 completions and began Cohort 23. She said 90 participants have completed First Step to date, with 25 placed in training or employment, and that graduates have an overall recidivism rate of about 8 percent among tracked participants.
Shah described Delco Reentry, a PHMC-administered program that provides individualized reentry planning and peer support both inside the jail and for six months post-release; enrollment is open to Delaware County residents regardless of charge. She said PHMC’s Delco Reentry is a two-year grant-funded initiative and that engagement has been modest given the transient nature of the jail’s population.
Shah also described a new Opiate Workforce Recovery Workshop piloted with the MAT population; the workshop will be offered monthly and includes job-readiness, interviewing, budgeting, and recovery supports, with linkage to community services and benefits such as covered costs for tests and on-the-job training.
Ending: Shah said volunteers, local employers and community partners remain important to scaling reentry services and that the jail will continue to promote upcoming events including a volunteer training and a career/resource fair on April 24.
