Unique County Correctional Program Reaches 100 Participants

20 June 2006

Less than two months after opening, enrollment at the Franklin County Day Reporting Center, an intensive supervision, treatment and training program for criminal offenders released in the county, has reached 100 participants. Funded by Franklin County, the Franklin County DRC is operated by BI Incorporated, the nation's largest provider of technology, treatment and prisoner reentry services for community- based corrections.

The DRC is a progressive response by Franklin County officials to reduce jail overcrowding and change criminal behavior of repeat offenders for the long term. Since opening, the jail has dropped its population to the lowest level in four years.

The center delivers a unique combination of intensive supervision, treatment and training to offenders reentering the community after a period of incarceration and to probationers and paroles referred to the program in lieu of incarceration. Most participants have drug and alcohol issues.

BI closely monitors participants who are directed to the DRC with daily check-ins, sophisticated electronic compliance technologies if necessary, advanced drug testing techniques, computerized data collection and intensive case management. While under supervision, participants receive ongoing treatment to help break cycles of criminal behavior. Specifically, classes focus on:

* Substance abuse education

* Adult basic education and GED prep resources and referrals

* Life skills classes

* Cognitive restructuring classes

* Anger management

* Employment skills building and career development counseling

* Team building

BI's intensive three-phase approach works to stabilize an offender's return to the community while also revamping their values and patterns of behavior and thinking over time. Additionally, the program helps reduce recidivism when compared to traditional offender programs; targets 100 percent employment or full-time school enrollment upon program completion; generates significant savings for taxpayers through lower incarceration costs, and alters the program participants' attitudes and behavior through treatment and training.

Franklin County awarded BI the contract to operate the DRC in January and the center opened in April. The DRC is located at 550 Louden St., Chambersburg, Pa., and is open six days a week.

About BI Incorporated (http://www.bi.com).

Established in 1978, BI Incorporated contracts with more than 1,000 governmental agencies nationwide to provide offender monitoring technology, supervision services treatment services, and reentry programs to adult and juvenile offenders on parole, probation or pretrial release.

Source: prnewswire

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