Re - Entry Services
Under the leadership of P. David Soares, the Office of the Albany County District Attorney seeks to develop a model which links government, businesses, social services, law enforcement and community groups integrating drug policy, alternatives to incarceration and re-entry in Albany County.
There are some 700 individuals under parole supervision in Albany County at any given time, two-thirds of whom are within the Albany City limits. There are approximately 75 blocks in the Arbor Hill, Park South and South End neighborhoods of the City of Albany. These blocks are predominantly minority, predominantly poor, and have the highest concentration of part 1 index crimes and the highest concentration of parolees and probationers in the county. These blocks have limited support services and also suffer from the highest rates of juvenile delinquency and PINS (persons in need of supervision). The Office of the Albany County District Attorney has primary jurisdiction and is responsible for prosecuting individuals who re-offend.
The re-entry process must include a forum for returning offenders to interact with representatives of the community and to acknowledge any harm they might have caused. The process must also focus on developing the competency of both the offender and the community to maximize the potential of the offender’s successful reintegration. The re-entry process must, to the greatest extent possible, build, strengthen and repair relationships between the offender, his or her family, neighbors, communities of faith and the community at large.
Under programs that the DA's Office supports, such as the ROOTS initiaitive, re-entering individuals are referred to governmental, non-governmental and community-based organizations that provide them with individualized needs assessments, housing, job training, job placement, family support, education, health care, mental health and substance abuse treatment and counseling. Collectively, these stakeholders and the services they provide will help individuals resist the temptation to return to, or continue, a life of crime in order to become contributing members of society.
Learn More About our "Clean Slate: Restoration" Re-Entry Program Here