Roseland, NJ, Jan 26 - The Casper Re-Entry Center (CRC) will add a new tool to its already diverse list of reentry services through a partnership with the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. Staring on February 22, the new Work Readiness program will prepare CEC residents for successful reentry through classes concerning budgeting, resume preparation, interviewing skills, and networking.

“I am very excited about his partnership with the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. These workforce classes will compliment the extensive programming the residents already receive at CRC and I look forward to great results,” said Lisa Graham, Director of the Casper Re-Entry Center.

The program will be a thirteen week course for third phase residents of CRC. Prior to graduation from the program a job fair will be held at CRC for Natrona County employers where residents can apply and interview for employment.

“I look forward to the job fair as it will be a great way to connect CEC residents to local employers. As these residents gain meaningful employment they will have taken a large step on the road to their successful reentry,” said Jim Piro, Deputy Director at the Casper Re-Entry Center.

The Casper Re-entry Center is CEC’s 400-bed residential reentry center that opened in February 2005. CRC provides residential treatment services to two distinct populations. The first is a 200-bed community corrections and work-release program that provides residential and non-residential services to adult male and female offenders referred by the Wyoming Department of Corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The Casper Re-Entry Center also houses a 100-bed medium secure Therapeutic Community (TC) program called Casper Hall. This program provides a treatment milieu that motivates and assists offenders in achieving meaningful goals. Peer influence is an important component of the program. Residents interact with peers through a variety of group processes used to help individual learn and assimilate social norms and develop more effective social skills.

Most recently, CEC opened a new Drug Court program at CRC. The Drug Court program participants are currently referred from the Natrona County Drug Court and receive services including in-patient treatment, employment services, and aftercare services. These services are designed to treat methamphetamine abuse which is a major problem in most western states, including Wyoming.