Camden County opens new reentry release center to support people as they leave jail, return to the community

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A new center in Camden aims to help people leaving jail and returning to the community by connecting them with supportive services like housing, transportation and medical care.

The Camden County Department of Corrections’ Reentry Release Center, which opened Thursday, provides a dedicated space where people can work with peer specialists, pretrial officers and experts from local community organizations to plan out their next steps.

County corrections leaders and community members who advocate on behalf of justice-involved youth and adults said they hope the new office gives people a better chance of rebuilding their lives and reducing risks of rearrest or reincarceration.

“Success is possible. Change is possible. With the structure, it makes it even more possible,” said Prince Alvarado, program director of Project Connect, a youth and family reentry community program.

Camden County Correctional Facility has an average daily population of about 800, according to jail leaders. While incarcerated, people can access medication treatment for substance use disorders, behavioral health care, job training and other services.

However, once they leave, it can be difficult to maintain that treatment, find employment or secure stable housing, said Sharon Bean, jail population manager.

“For many, release day is not the end. It is the beginning of a myriad of challenges,” she said.

It can also be a vulnerable time for people managing a substance use disorder and put them at a higher risk of relapse and overdose, especially if they’re struggling with multiple needs.

“Sometimes, it’s not their first priority. Housing might be their first priority, not medication-assisted treatment,” Bean said.

The jail does provide some reentry services before someone’s release. Those efforts so far have helped people access outpatient substance use treatment programs, primary health care appointments, new identification documents and other credentials, transitional housing, and job placements.

But there was no formal place for people to return to and meet with peer specialists for additional support and follow-up guidance once they left the building, said Victoria Nicolosi, director of reentry release services.

“My team would meet with somebody and then be troubleshooting barriers outside on the bench,” or try to solve problems and coordinate a complex array of services over the phone, she said. “Just very unrealistic for success, sometimes.”

The new center now provides a brick-and-mortar “secure space” with set business hours where people can dependably find peer specialists for help, Nicolosi said.

“So, we encourage individuals to come back and still access services from the team,” she said.

The center, which was created with $450,000 of federal money, is located next to the Camden County Correctional Facility in the former space occupied by the Camden County ID Program, run by the county’s Sheriff’s Office, which is now at City Hall.

The county started renovating the vacated space last July to turn it into a space that felt more welcoming and comfortable for people just leaving jail, Bean said.

The Reentry Release Center is bright and airy and decorated with art made by people who are currently or formerly incarcerated there.

Desks and computer monitors fill the main area of the front office, with spaces for peer specialists and pretrial offices to meet and work with people leaving the jail. Down a hallway, there’s a lounge for people to relax and grab a bite to eat, as well as showers.

“You underestimate sometimes how much a shower can change your whole mood or what you’re doing,” Nicolosi said.

The back of the office is divided into private meeting rooms and a conference space where community organizations can hold office hours, or reentry staff can hold workshops and trainings.