Prison adds mental health counseling program

Participation by inmates expected to increase

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The Blair County Prison has added mental health counseling to its voluntary programs for inmates.

Representatives from the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Blair County started this month to provide group counseling at the prison, as included in a report provided Thursday to the county prison board.

The same report showed NAMI's program had attracted 10 female and 17 male inmates so far.

Participation is expected to increase, Deputy Warden Shaun Edmundson told the prison board members, with opportunities available for individual assistance. He added that there is no cost to the county or the participating inmates.

Commissioner Bruce Erb said he expects NAMI's involvement at the prison will be helpful to the county's Re-Entry Coalition, a group that works with local agencies to identify housing, job and educational resources for inmates getting close to release dates.

Edmundson said NAMI personnel are also available to provide assistance to inmates living in halfway houses.

County Controller A.C. Stickel, who is serving this year as president of the Pennsylvania State Association of Elected County Officials, told the prison board that he and other association members recently met with legislators who seem to be recognizing the burden falling upon county prisons to increase mental health services.

"I felt like we were getting a good reception," Stickel said.

Participation in other programs at the prison showed 30 women and 11 men currently enrolled in pre-release programs for drug and alcohol use prevention.

May's participation in the prison's parenting program showed three women and 25 men.

The prison's GED preparation program currently has three women and 10 men, the report showed.

Additional reports showed the prison currently housing 328 inmates, which included 271 men and 43 women.

While the prison reported releasing 164 inmates between April 11 and May 11, it admitted 163 new inmates.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.