Reentry Strategic Planning

Reentry Strategic Planning

Mission

To reduce recidivism and jail overcrowding and increase public safety through the use of cost effective and efficient reentry initiatives. 


Background

The development of the County of Berks Reentry Strategic Plan was funded through a grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). The funding was part of Pennsylvania’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative in collaboration with the Council of State Government. The County of Berks hired facilitators from the University of Cincinnati’s Corrections Institute (UCCI) to assist the Reentry Sub Committee (RSC) of the Berks County Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB) in the development of the County of Berks Reentry Strategic Plan.  Stakeholders from throughout the county and state criminal justice and corrections systems were invited to participate with the Reentry Sub Committee (RSC) in the planning. The group met with the facilitators from UCCI throughout 2015-2016 to 

  1. develop consensus on principles of effective interventions as it pertains to community reentry 
  2. develop a charter based on core principals of effective correctional programs (See Appendix 1) 
  3. analyze the current state of reentry in Berks County, and 
  4. to develop a four year strategic plan. This reentry strategic plan is to be part of the county’s Criminal Justice Advisory Board’s Strategic Plan. 


Core Strategic Goals

Assess, develop, and maintain a systems approach to programming and reentry.

Purpose:

  1. Serve as the Steering Committee for the oversight and integration of the working groups in support of the reentry strategic plan objectives.
  2. Establish and monitor the development and implementation of the plan in an integrated manner.
  3. To oversee the progress of any workgroups established for specific planning and implementation of any portion of this plan.
  4. To report progress to the Berks County CJAB and serve as a liaison between the Reentry Senior Ream and the Berks County CJAB.

Utilize evidence-based practices and interventions to assess risks and needs and provide effective, complementary case planning and treatment programs across all levels of supervision.

Purpose:  Ensure that the service array for reentry is consistent with principles of effective corrections interventions.

Expand external resources available to reentry.

Purpose:  To continually assess, coordinate, plan, obtain and manage resources needed for implementation of the plan.

Build staff member capacity to launch and maintain evidence based reentry programming and initiatives.

Purpose:  Provide assistance to the reentry system of care for the development of a competent workforce necessary for actualizing the mission of the board and supporting this strategic plan.