A Wednesday presentation highlighted the success of the Cayuga County Jail’s Reentry Program.
Sheriff Brian Schenck and Heather Petrus MS, LMHC with Cayuga Counseling Services spoke about their efforts to reduce recidivism rates among incarcerated individuals during a presentation to the Cayuga County Legislature’s Judicial & Public Safety.
Thanks to a $750,000 Bureau of Justice Assistance grant from the US Department of Justice, the sheriff’s office and Cayuga Counseling have been able to create and implement evidence-based programming to identify and address the needs of incarcerated individuals to keep them from being sent back to jail. This includes partnering with other agencies and community groups to assist individuals with their transition back into society by providing them with services such as mental health and substance abuse treatment, housing services, and vocational training.
The grant allowed for the hiring of four full-time employees for Cayuga Counseling to assist in the transitions – one program director, two care managers, and one therapist. The care managers are able to continue working with individuals even after they leave the jail.
Grant funding for the three-year cycle was awarded in Fiscal Year 2021 with a one-year cost extension. The office and Cayuga Counseling are applying for additional grants to continue and expand the program.
While more time and data are necessary to provide a full picture of the project’s efficacy, Sheriff Schenck proclaimed the program a success.
“I think it’s going to take another cycle or two before we really have good data to see where we compare, but seeing what I’ve seen anecdotally I think that we are having a lot of success.”
As of July, when data was last due to the DOJ, 306 individuals voluntarily enrolled in the program.
