Several non-residential reentry centers operated by GEO Reentry Services recently hosted or will host winter transition ceremonies to honor the hard work of participants who’ve completed GEO Reentry’s reentry programs, which incorporate intensive cognitive behavioral treatment, life skills and more.
The centers that have or will host transition ceremonies include:
Shasta County Day Reporting Center on Thursday, Jan. 18 at Holiday Inn Redding, 1900 Hilltop Dr., Redding, in California. (The DRC is located at 1415 Court St. in Redding, California.)
Covington Day Reporting Center on Friday, Dec. 8 at Church of King, 22205 Little Creek Road, in Mandeville, Louisiana. Two guests representing the center’s community partners spoke at the event, including Renee Ridgley, education coordinator at St. Tammany Parish Hospital Parenting Center, and Ann Kungel, owner of Next Chapters LLC. Officials from the 22nd Judicial District Court were also in attendance. (The DRC is located at 19374 N. Third St. in Covington, Louisiana.)
Napa County Community Corrections Service Center on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at Napa County Office of Education, 2121 Imola Ave., in Napa, California. Chief Probation Officer Mary Butler and Public Defender Ronald H. Abernethy spoke at the event. (The CCSC is located at 1125 Third St. in Napa, California.)
Stockton Day Reporting Center on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at Hilton Stockton, 2323 Grand Canal Blvd., in Stockton, California. Robert Mosqueda, a graduate of the DRC and a current University of the Pacific student pursuing a master’s degree in social work, spoke at the event. (The DRC is located at 1003 West Mathews Road, in French Camp, California.)
Lycoming County Reentry Service Center on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at Community Theatre League, 100 W. Third St., in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. An open house of the center followed the ceremony. (The RSC Center is located at 330 Pine St., in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.)
Ventura Adult Reporting and Resource Center on Thursday, Nov. 2 at Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Road, in Ventura, California. Chief Probation Officer Mark Varela provided words of encouragement, and during the ceremony, graduates released balloons to represent a release of their pasts and a look forward to their futures.
For program graduates, the ceremonies follow months of regular reporting to the reentry centers, evidence-based cognitive behavioral treatment and training and monitoring for substance abuse. To graduate, participants must report consistently with probation or parole officers and GEO Reentry staff, maintain sobriety and complete cognitive behavioral classes and groups designed to address criminal behavior. Many programs work closely with participants as they near completion of the programs to learn and implement employment search strategies that result in high employment rates for those who complete the programs.
General group meetings and classes include substance abuse education and treatment, adult basic education, life skills development, parenting; domestic violence prevention, anger management, employment skills building and career development counseling and relapse prevention aftercare.
Read more about GEO Reentry’s approach to non-residential reentry.