A recent article appearing in The Allentown Morning Call suggests a community “Reentry Day” effort led by Montgomery Bar Association may be a viable model for other counties facing high recidivism rates to consider. Participating attorney Aaron Kostyk elaborates on our county bar association’s recent landmark outreach effort.

Montgomery Bar Association with help from its Leadership Academy, Bar Foundation and community partners took a momentous first step in working to address systemic issues faced by residents reentering our communities following incarceration. MBA’s first Reentry Day was held at Montgomery County Intermediate Unit’s Conference Center in Norristown on June 28, and brought together a wide array of service providers, non-profits, attorney-members and volunteers to develop a model for helping this vulnerable population. Those who attended had access to centrally located information and resources from over two dozen support organizations, in addition to the services of a free on-site identification clinic, employment clinic, and expungement clinic – all run by organizing attorneys and community volunteers. 

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The idea and structure for Montgomery Bar Association’s Reentry Day grew from a reentry simulation exercise staged by Montgomery County’s Office of the Public Defender and the MBA’s Leadership Academy just one month earlier as part of Montgomery Bar Foundation’s annual Access to Justice Summit. Here, a wide range of participants, including County officials, judges, MBA members, and nonprofit leaders had a chance to experience real-world challenges of people reentering society following incarceration. This eye-opening experience illustrated just how difficult it can be to maintain employment, comply with court supervision, and meet your familial and financial obligations when necessities like transportation and housing are out of reach. 

With the Bar Foundation’s Access to Justice Summit as a blueprint, MBA’s 2019 Leadership Academy was challenged with creating a model program that would harness the resources of the Bar Association, Bar Foundation, County government, and non-profit leaders, and taking action to execute a live program within just six weeks. Since three of the most pressing challenges identified at the prior month’s Summit were obtaining identification, finding gainful employment, and getting eligible convictions expunged from their records, on-site clinics were organized by MBA Leadership Academy participants to directly address these needs. 

Tonya Lupinacci, Esq. organized and launched the program with a fantastic lineup of event speakers, which included Montgomery County Commissioner Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, Chief Public Defender Dean Beer, and First Assistant District Attorney Edward F. McCann, Jr. Concluding the brief series of presentations was Mr. Vernon Steed who provided an inspiring message of hope and support through an autobiographical account of his own reentry experience, following over three decades of incarceration. 

Matthew Brittenburg, Esq., along with Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania, worked to address one of the most pressing issues people face when leaving incarceration — obtaining an identification or birth certificate. The overwhelming success and demand for this identification restoration service showed the dire need for such a basic service in the reentry population. Often, people struggle to overcome this first step which makes reentry completely overwhelming. Volunteer attorneys, paralegals, notaries, and both the MBA and MBF demonstrated how the local legal community can rise to help people overcome this challenge.  

Christopher Sperring, Esq. and Christopher Mandrachia, Esq. organized local employers, including J.P. Mascaro and Sons and Shoprite, to conduct on-site interviews and provide guidance on obtaining employment and interviewing for jobs. In fact, a few on site interviews resulted in job offers on the spot showing the value of bringing these services straight to the community. Arize, Career Link, and Manna on Main Street provided valuable guidance throughout the planning process and were fantastic and informative resources for Reentry Day. 

Leslie Jones, Esq. of the Public Defender’s Office [along with article author Aaron Kostyk, Esq.] provided expungement services and advice so people could remove hindrances to employment and exercise their right to remove information regarding charges which did not result in conviction. Zachary Sivertsen, Esq., Anita Davis, Esq. and Donna Marcus, Esq. worked with non-profit leaders to bring together social service providers to provide resources and information. It was truly inspiring to see the sheer number of providers who care so deeply about helping those citizens of Montgomery County who most need it. 

Rachel Becker, Esq. organized and put to good use the numerous generous donations made by individuals and event sponsors. Andrew Knox, Esq. along with MBA staff put together promotional materials to get the word out and reach people who benefited from the clinical services and information provided. Patrice Turenne, Esq. spoke with volunteers, non-profit leaders, and participants, to help the Leadership Academy members develop a plan to replicate and improve this valuable service. 

Montgomery Bar Association’s Reentry Day was the culmination of a tremendous amount of support and organizational effort and would not have been possible without our sponsors, Penn Community Bank, Montgomery Bar Foundation, MontcoWorks NOW, and The TASA Group. Reentry Day would not have been as impactful or successful without the generous donations and assistance from Barbara Smith, Esq., Jennifer Gayle, Esq.. In addition to our sponsors, nearly fifty volunteers, including members of the Robert E. Slota, Jr. Summer 1L Diversity Program, all expertly organized by Jennifer Franks, Esq., and under the tutelage of the MBA Leadership Academy’s Nancy Walsh. With the ongoing collaboration of the MBA, MBF, County Government, non-profit leaders, and community members, Montgomery County can serve as a model for how we can all work together to assist our neighbors in reintegrating into society with compassion, dignity, and respect. 

To read more go to mcall.com

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