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