At a Tuesday morning breakfast hosted by Justice & Mercy, a nonprofit dedicated to justice system reform, four local criminal justice and community outreach leaders discussed the possibility of Lancaster County adopting a new mentoring program for individuals recently released from prison. The program, proposed by Justice & Mercy, would supplement existing reentry services with a personal, relational element.
The panel consisted of Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman; Lancaster County Adult Probation & Parole Services Director Mark Wilson; Lancaster CareerLink Executive Director Scott Sheely; and Lancaster County Council of Churches Executive Director Scott Fischer.
“I think this is a fantastic idea,” Stedman said during the discussion, “As far as figuring out how to work it all out, I don’t know.”
Prior to the panel discussion Justice & Mercy Legislative Director Jean Bickmire presented a case for the approach, which would match participating ex-convicts with a personal mentor from the moment they are released. Qualified mentors would be recruited through community networks and trained for a minimum of ten hours regarding the local reentry system. Mentors would meet with their clients for no less than three hours each week for about 18 months, providing regular reports to the court system.
“We believe in having relationships,” Bickmire asserted, “And relationships take a lot of time and effort.”
Prior to their release, inmates would be provided the option of being assigned a mentor. The program, Bickmire noted, will be limited to prisoners convicted of “type 2” non-violent crimes who have been through the system 2-4 times and would generally be considered employable.
Stedman acknowledged the value such an approach, asserting that ex-convicts who avoid recidivism often do so with the help of “a family of some sort”—someone who provides personal support and reminds the individual of their potential impact on the surrounding community. Noting that a core goal of the criminal justice system is to avoid repeat offenses, Stedman said that “If a mentor system can keep them out of the prison, then everyone wins.”
Sheely asserted that a personal, emotional connection is “the missing link to the system as it is now.”
Wilson, speaking from direct experience with parole services, noted that a common failure in the reentry process occurs when inmates are released over the weekend, when there are no parole officers available to immediately follow up. Sometimes, Wilson said, his office misses its only chance to connect with some of these individuals. Available mentors could be arranged to correct such a lapse, Wilson noted.
Also at the meeting, Felix Perez a local ex-convict currently studying under PA CareerLink’s local “Ready2Work” program, spoke about the obstacles he faces in seeking to re-enter the workforce. According to Perez, his greatest challenge has been a general reluctance among employers to hire someone with a prison record.
Sheely noted that certain past offenses can block access to working in certain fields. The health care industry in particular carries a long list of disqualifying offenses, Sheely said. Beyond those restrictions, Sheely added, some businesses may want to avoid insurance risks by passing over ex-convict applications.
Sometimes it can feel like a huge hurdle to climb over, but when we all get together and talk about our common goals…to have safer communities and to sincerely rehabilitate/help those who seek it and want it…it is amazing how possible it seems. Together – we can do so much towards reaching this goal. Let’s not give up!