Why Should Delaware Care?Work-release programs are widely seen as effective tools for helping people transition back into society after incarceration and reducing recidivism. After Delaware officials consolidated these programs, citing rising maintenance costs at an aging facility in Wilmington and a declining population, the move has drawn criticism from advocates and some lawmakers, who say the transition to the Smyrna facility has created new barriers to employment and reentry.
A month after state officials shut down Wilmington’s only prison work release program, the transition to a Smyrna substance abuse treatment center has garnered mixed reactions from lawmakers and inmates.
On Tuesday, the Senate Corrections & Public Safety Committee held a hearing to understand the current state of the program. During the meeting, officials from the Department of Corrections gave updates, calling the transition from the former Plummer Center to the Community Corrections Treatment Center in Smyrna “successful.”…