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 Sharing Our Stake in Maryland's Public Safety | February 2012 |
The Public Safety Stakeholder
 An E-publication of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for our Criminal Justice and Community Partners |
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Did You See Us
In The News?
Recent sightings of our public safety efforts in your local media are updated daily on the DPSCS homepage
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DPSCS Highlights Reentry Efforts
At MD's first Reentry Symposium, held February 28 in Annapolis, DPSCS shared department-wide efforts to improve reentry for the state's offender population. From intake to community supervision, DPSCS is streamlining services for offenders to increase their chance for success upon release. See the full presentation here. |
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DPSCS' mission is to protect the public, our employees and those under our supervision.
Governor Martin O'Malley Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown
DPSCS Secretary Gary D. Maynard |
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 | | Under Salisbury's Safe Streets Initiative a pre-release crew clears debris from an alleyway in 2010 to aid police in mobility when apprehending suspects. Just this month, DPSCS joined Salisbury to announce another Safe Streets effort that aims to prevent crime. |
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 | keeping communities safe |
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Safe Streets Grant Aims to Prevent Crime in Salisbury through Offender Employment
Preventing crime in Salisbury is starting behind the fence, thanks to a portion of the city's Safe Streets grant that will be allocated to a job training program for offenders. The multi-agency effort, announced this month at the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services' (DPSCS) Poplar Hill Pre-Release Unit (PHPRU) in Wicomico County, includes support from the Mayor's Office, the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR), the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce, the Salisbury Police Department, the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention and many others.
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Mediation Program Growing in Pre-Release Setting
As offenders prepare for their return to society after sometimes lengthy sentences, hurdles as simple as expectations of family members they will live with are daunting topics that can stall a potentially successful reentry. Thanks to the organization Community Mediation Maryland, who partners with several DPSCS institutions across the state, many pre-release inmates are finding a way to address these issues prior to leaving the prison gates.
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Patapsco River Valley Benefits from DPSCS Restorative Justice Project
Of all the massive cleanups Public Safety Works (PSW) inmate crews from the Department have undertaken, few if any can top the immediate environmental significance of the one completed recently along---and in--- the Patapsco River southwest of Baltimore.
Two years ago, the Friends of the Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway met with PSW Coordinator John Rowley to explore the possibility of working with DPSCS in the area near the oldest still-in-use curved arch railroad bridge in the nation, the Thomas Viaduct. While work on the immense bridge itself hasn't happened yet, what came out of that meeting has led to a tremendous cleanup beneath it.
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Safe Streets Grant Aims to Prevent Crime in Salisbury Through Offender Employment continued
Eligible and interested offenders from PHPRU, with preference given to those who are from the Salisbury area, will take an Employment Readiness class through DLLR instructors at the institution. Upon completion of the class offenders, in groups of ten, will travel to a training facility provided by the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce for a nine week pre-apprenticeship session in Drywall, Painting and other core construction classes. The apprenticeship phase will be followed by a Workforce Preparedness class at Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc.
"The entire program is aimed at preventing these offenders from returning to their former lives of crime due to lack of sustainable employment," said Eastern Correctional Institution Warden Kathleen Green, who is also responsible for the pre-release program at Poplar Hill. "With less offenders returning to the correctional system we are improving the safety of Salisbury and Maryland."
The first class is expected to start in April, with a graduation for each group after they complete the entire fourteen weeks of programming.
DPSCS case managers and partner organizations will work with graduates to help them find employment upon release, while also tracking their progress. Former participants will also serve as mentors to new groups for additional support.
Learn more about DPSCS efforts to increase workforce development for offenders across the state under the initiatives section of our website.
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Mediation Program Growing in Pre-Release Setting continued
At the Baltimore Pre-Release Unit, which houses close to 200 males, Community Mediations' Reentry Specialist Liza Krohn has seen a growth in the demand for this program - from offenders who hear Krohn's presentation at orientation, to case managers making more and more inmate referrals. Topics can range from employment, housing, personal relationships child care and access to finances. The program is also widely used by offenders in the Baltimore City Detention Center's Addicts Changing Together-Substance Abuse Program  as part of drug treatment and counseling.
Mediation is voluntary on both the inmate's part as well as the person they request a mediation with. Mediators such as Krohn are there to facilitate a productive conversation and help participants brainstorm potential solutions.
"This service is particularly powerful in pre-release situations like BPRU for several reasons. Family and pro-social relationships are crucial to success in reentry. Mediation provides a space where these bonds can be re-established and relationships can be re-built," says Krohn. "Even in cases where participants might say there isn't any conflict, mediation can be a way of feeling more actively connected to their support system."
In a snapshot follow-up done by Community Mediation on participants in the Prison Reentry Mediation Program, 88% of the inmates felt they had more hope for the future as a result of mediation. In addition, 67% of the outside participants reported they believed the inmate was more prepared for their return home.
Acting Facility Administrator Ronald Williams, who has worked with Community Mediation Maryland at BPRU since 2007, observes "Family, friends and mentors come out with a better feeling because they now know that the inmate is actively working on a positive reentry back to the community."
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Patapsco River Valley Benefits from DPSCS Restorative Justice Project continued
A mostly four-man inmate crew from Brockbridge Correctional Facility in Jessup recently completed a river cleanup that included 35,705 pounds of debris, including 708 tires and 250 bags of trash. Walking alongside---and in shallower areas, actually in-the river, inmates completed an impressive cleanup, and in the process drew tremendous praise from the nonprofit they were helping out.
Thanks to DPSCS and Public Safety Works, the Howard and Baltimore County banks of the Patapsco near Elkridge are now a lot cleaner.
Perhaps your area can be next? Contact John Rowley at 301 729-7690 to find out how Public Safety Works can work for your non-profit.
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