Sen. Williams Saves Reentry Program

STATE SEN. Anthony Williams, rear, listens as Penna. Prison Society Executive Dir. William M. DiMascio thanks him for delivering grant to save major recidivism program.

A firm believer only highly structured and proven programs can adequately address city’s high rate of incarceration and subsequent reentry for area residents is why State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams (D-W. Phila.) fought for a $50,000 grant for Philly ReNew, an innovative, father-centered effort for ex-offenders pioneered by the Pennsylvania Prison Society.

Williams found state funding had been stripped from the program despite its success rate surpassing 85%. “It doesn’t make sense we have to beg to support these programs,” Williams said. “This grant is more than symbolism. It’s a lifeline. It’s a statement for Philadelphia and the surrounding region. If we don’t pay on the front side, we’ll pay $30,000, $40,000 per person, per year, on the back side.”

The Pennsylvania Prison Society has worked with former offenders for its 225 years of its existence. State funding has withered, a trend this grant may yet reverse, said William DiMascio, executive director of PPS. “It seemed a little bit of penny wise and pound foolish to cut a program that helped so many people get on with their lives,” he added.

Williams presented a ceremonial check to DiMascio and Ann Schwartzman of PPS as he spoke before a group of Philly ReNew participating employers and clients. “The workforce of former offenders I have hired is the hardest-working, most driven group that I have,” said Mark Boyd, CEO of Goodwill Industries of Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia. He has hired hundreds of former prisoners over the last five years, from various programs.

More than 400 men have gone through the Philly ReNew program in its three-year history. Williams stated, “We have a large number of people who are returning from prison. Some 30% of the state’s prison population comes from Philadelphia.”

   Send article as PDF