The leadership of the Blair County Prison Re-entry Coalition this week reaffirmed its dedication to the mission of helping local inmates readjust to society upon their release from jail.

It happened at a sparsely attended meeting, after a member hesitantly suggested a two-month hiatus because vacations, nice weather and a light upcoming agenda were likely to lead to continued sparse attendance during the first two-thirds of summer.

The suggestion led to pushback from temporary Coalition Director Ken Dean, who argued that backing off an organization’s focus in response to perceived lack of interest — even when the lull was expected to be temporary — often led to organizational dissolution.

“My experience has been that if you take time off, it’s the beginning of the end,” Dean said.

People forget to come, lose motivation, “slide away,” he said.

“It’s sending a signal that it’s not important,” he said. “It’s like we’re giving up.”

Another member of the coalition responded to that argument by urging the group to keep going.

Craig Limbert, who had suggested the hiatus, confessed that continuing through the doldrums was actually “where my heart is.”

Given the determination that the group wouldn’t ease up on its effort, what can it do right now to help its constituents — the inmates, Limbert asked.

The coalition started in 2020 and has been active over the last couple of years — but with limited success, although it recently helped a couple of inmates secure housing.

Among major challenges has been establishing contact with inmates prior to their release, due to a lack of staff at the prison, the lack of space in the prison and an apparent inability to convince prison leadership of the importance of laying the groundwork for post-release success before inmates leave.

One coalition member suggested recruiting a local volunteer organization to donate clothing that would be available to inmates when they get out.

Another member suggested focusing on the prison block where sentenced inmates reside, as they all know their release dates and thus are likely to be receptive to potential help on the outside.

Dean suggested starting a program for newly released inmates modeled on the one that provides backpacks full of weekend supplies for area school students in need.

He brought up that idea a few years ago at a meeting of the county’s Criminal Justice Advisory Board, which is chaired by the president judge and includes representatives from all levels of the criminal justice system.

It was received favorably, but nothing came of it at the time, Dean said.

Many inmates leave the prison with nothing but what they’re wearing, he said, noting it would be helpful to provide “simple things, nothing super expensive.”

That could include clean socks and underwear, he stated.

Also toothbrushes, said coalition member Christina Frantz.

Deodorant and soap, Dean added.

“Basic needs,” he said.

Frantz suggested connecting with a volunteer group that might be able to put together such items.

“Anything to help them smooth that transition,” Dean said.

Ideally, it would be best if the prison would agree to store filled backpacks, handing one out to each inmate as the inmate leaves to go into society, Dean said.

Alternatively, perhaps an organization located near the jail could take responsibility for storing the backpacks, he said.

Then inmates could be advised by jail personnel upon leaving that they could go to that organization’s offices to obtain a backpack for themselves, Dean said.

It would be nice to be able to start the coalition’s interactions before inmates leave, but that’s unlikely to happen, Limbert said.

It would be a little bit like the “warm handoffs” sometimes accomplished during drug arrests, when police hand off arrestees to drug rehabilitation facilities, rather than prison, Limbert said.

Except it would be in reverse — with inmates leaving jail in a way that would enable them to more smoothly re-enter society.

There are “a whole plethora” of issues that make pre-release interactions between coalition representatives and inmates unlikely at this point, Dean said.

Part of it may be the governing “justice” ethic in corrections, which contrasts to the empathy ethic common with social workers, according to coalition member John Grove.

There are also worries about the risk of “contraband” entering the prison, Dean said.

“You can’t blame the prison for that,” he said.

Unless the county hires “a whole bunch” of additional staffers at the prison or until it builds its proposed new prison, “it’s not going to happen,” Dean predicted.

There also doesn’t seem to be much interest currently among the inmates themselves, given the lack of response to a recent — and ongoing — effort to survey them on their potential needs upon release, officials said.

“You can lead a horse to water,” Dean said.

It might be helpful if an advocate could work to convince the inmates that it would be in their own interest to cooperate in the survey effort, Dean said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.