Hoffman Hall Holds College Student Achievement Ceremony

West Caldwell, NJ March 26 -

A report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) found that in the 2009–10 academic year 6 percent of the total incarcerated population in the United States were enrolled in vocational or academic postsecondary education programs. IHEP’s report also found that thirteen high-enrollment states—those that enrolled more than 1,000 incarcerated students—accounted for 86 percent of all incarcerated postsecondary students in prison systems.

A recent partnership between Hoffman Hall, a 400-bed residential reentry center that provides rehabilitative services to offenders referred from the Philadelphia Prison System, and the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) is attempting to address the need for post-secondary educational opportunities for offenders. On February 20, 2015, the facility held a College Student Achievement Ceremony for the initial group of offenders that were recognized through the partnership with CCP, called the “Reach College Program.” The program provides college level classes through the CCP’s Reentry Support Project, an initiative from the institution’s Fox Rothschild Center for Law and Society. Classes for academic credit are provided to offenders residing at Hoffman Hall as well as Philadelphia Prison System (PPS) facilities.

"I am very proud of these men for taking this initiative. I am also very thankful to our partners in this great program—the Philadelphia Prison System and the Community College of Philadelphia. Hoffman Hall is an excellent service provider and I look forward to continuing to offer our residents quality reentry treatment services and innovative opportunities such as this program,” said Darrell Gregory, Director of Hoffman Hall.

Present for the achievement ceremony at Hoffman Hall were faculty from CCP, PPS staff, CEC staff and alumni, as well as family members of the students and criminal justice leaders from across the region. The Reentry Support Project was founded in 2010 by Community College of Philadelphia Assistant Professor of English, Tara J. Timberman, who began providing education classes to offenders from the Philadelphia Prison System. Through the support of PPS, Ms. Timberman then expanded the program to Hoffman Hall. The mission of the Reentry Support Project is to assist Community College of Philadelphia students with criminal records with overcoming barriers to higher education and community reintegration success.

“I believed that Hoffman Hall’s therapeutic community model and highly engaged administration, counselors, and staff could support the kind of learning environment in which students could thrive. I was thrilled when the institution agreed to welcome the Reach program,” said Ms. Timberman.

Ms. Timberman recruited prospective students at Hoffman Hall for two months and identified ten students to participate in the program. The ten men registered for classes including English 131: Acting I for 3 credits and JUS 101: Introduction to Justice for 3 credits. College faculty taught the classes in the evenings at Hoffman Hall over a ten week academic semester.

During the Student Achievement Ceremony, students remarked that they couldn’t believe the communication and presentation skills they developed in their acting class, and they were fascinated by the opportunity to learn about the criminal justice system from an academic perspective. Faculty reported that teaching at Hoffman Hall was one of the best instructional experiences they have had, and they were impressed by the institution’s support of the program and the students. The ceremony concluded with words of encouragement from Bruce Stecklair, a former PPS inmate who completed the Reach College Program behind bars and went on to graduate from Community College of Philadelphia with Honors and a degree in Paralegal Studies in 2014.

All Reach College Programs utilize federal Pell grants to pay for students’ education, including their tuition, books, and supplies. Current laws prohibit state and federal inmates from accessing student financial aid, but people incarcerated in county jails can still qualify. Typically, Reach students take 2-3 developmental and/or college-level courses during their first semester that satisfy general education requirements. In addition to classes, Reach students attend life skills workshops facilitated by College staff and community partners, and they have access to academic and reentry support coaches and diverse resources and services that can help them achieve personal, academic, and professional goals. Reach College Program jail students can seamlessly transition to the College after their release, and all Reach students who successfully finish their first semester are entitled to ongoing services from the Reentry Support Project for as long as they remain enrolled at the College. At the conclusion of the Spring 2015 semester, the Reach College Program will have served 185 students and 90% have successfully completed their first College semester, which the Program defines as being eligible for continuing enrollment at CCP. More than 50% of Reach College Program students have enrolled in additional semesters at the College.

Hoffman Hall addresses the reentry needs of each individual offender and utilizes CEC's continuum of care model that is proven to reduce recidivism. The reentry treatment program consists of individual assessments, individual and group counseling, substance abuse treatment, educational services, skills-based trainings, and aftercare/alumni services.

The assessment process at Hoffman Hall uses standardized and actuarially-based instruments to gather information to determine an offender’s current risk factors for public safety concerns and recidivism. The treatment component consists of carefully selected reentry services including individual and group counseling; cognitive-behavioral training; substance abuse treatment; and educational services and life skills training. All of the components are consistent with current scientific and professional literature relevant to correctional populations. The components are delivered in a variety of contexts, including lecture format, classroom instruction, small group sessions, and individual counseling.

CEC begins discharge planning when creating the initial treatment plan. Prior to leaving Hoffman Hall, each offender is provided with information to ensure that his basic needs will be met in the community. CEC has also established an Alumni Association that assists offenders in their transition back into the community.

Community Education Centers, Inc. (CEC) is the leading provider of offender reentry and in-prison treatment services in America, operating in 17 states and the Commonwealth of Bermuda. CEC provides a full range of therapeutic residential and non-residential reentry services with a documented record of reducing recidivism.