By Joshua Byers
The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
EBENSBURG, Pa. — Katie Urban, reintegration services program manager for Goodwill of the Southern Alleghenies, said at Wednesday’s Cambria County Prison Board meeting that the reentry program has a 0% recidivism rate.
The statistic was sandwiched between other data points as Urban read her report, including that the program had received 124 referrals as of July and that 26 participants were engaged in pre-release classes.
Cambria County Prison Warden Kurt Wolford interpreted the number as proof that hard work pays off and that most people can be helped.
“I’m over-the-moon excited about it,” he said. “That shows there’s people incarcerated that want to break the cycle, and sometimes they just need the tools to break it.”
The prison began working with Goodwill’s reentry program in October.
Before then, Wolford said, there were some classes, and the facility collaborated with the Cambria County probation office, but there was no dedicated program to help people reintegrate with society.
In the past nine months, dozens of birth certificates and Social Security card applications were submitted on behalf of inmates; nine home plans were completed; and one military veteran received their ribbons and medals, as well as their DD-214 form, which is the document issued upon a service member’s retirement, separation or discharge from active duty.
Additionally, 17 participants were released, four enrolled to earn their General Educational Development diplomas, five gained employment, 13 took part in substance use treatments, and just two were re-incarcerated for probation violations, Urban said.
Wolford said what the prison offers to inmates on the verge of exiting the lockup is not a handout. With the help of people such as Urban, Chief Deputy Warden Megan Bursky and others, they are taught how to reacclimate to society, he said.
The point of corrections is not to lock someone up and throw away the key, Wolford added.
“That doesn’t fix anything,” he said.
That’s why he has made it a point to establish and reestablish programs that help inmates, such as the incarcerated parent visiting program.
Wolford told the prison board Wednesday that he recently met with Cambria County Children & Youth Services Administrator Melissa Raho to discuss final implementation of that program.
Incarcerated parents will be allowed to visit with their children without barriers, if they meet strict criteria, once the program is up and running.
© 2026 The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.). Visit www.tribune-democrat.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
