By Erin James
York Dispatch
YORK COUNTY, Pa. — An unexpected decision by officials at the state Department of Corrections means Crispus Attucks won’t receive funding to open a “day reporting center” at 506 S. George St. for York County residents recently released from prison.
Crispus Attucks planned to offer job training, addiction recovery support, basic computer training, Internet access, resume building, classes on anger management and more services to men and women referred to the center by their parole and probation officers. It was going to be called the Re-Entry Project.
The York City nonprofit hosted a breakfast meeting Nov. 8 with community leaders to announce the project, which Crispus Attucks designed in response to a solicitation of ideas from the corrections department. The state indicated an interest in funding promising programs, in exchange for the ability to monitor their success.
At the Nov. 8 meeting, members of the nonprofit disclosed they were waiting for a final “notice to proceed” from the corrections department. But, they said, Crispus Attucks and the department had agreed on a contract. Work to ready the building at 506 S. George St. was under way, and staff had been hired to administer the program.
A corrections department official even showed up and shared words of praise for Crispus Attucks’ proposal.
Nevertheless, last week, Crispus Attucks received word that it would not be granted a notice to proceed, said Raquel Lilly, a programs manager.
She described the news as “heartbreaking.”
Full story: Department of Corrections says no to York program for released inmates