About Thresholds
Founded in 1975, Thresholds is
a nonprofit organization that teaches a six-step decision-making
course to interested inmates in Delaware County, PA. Our program
currently operates in two adult prisons:
the George W. Hill Correctional Facility
(GWHCF, was Delaware County Prison) located in Thornton, PA, and the State
Correctional Institution at Chester (SCI-Chester). We
also teach decision making to youth at the Delaware
County Juvenile Detention Center in Lima, PA.
Through the use of a Guide,
trained volunteers from the community teach inmates, or "clients",
how to define situations, set goals, develop
possibilities for reaching their goals, evaluate these,
decide on a course of action, and to stay focused until their
goals are achieved.
Thresholds volunteers usually
meet once a week with a client for period of 7-10 weeks. Each
meeting lasts for a period of one to two hours. During this
time the teacher and client cover the six steps outlined in
the Thresholds Guide (workbook). Further reinforcement of
the material is provided during group sessions, which are
also held once a week. The group sessions include discussion,
videos and role playing. Upon completing the program,
each client is awarded a "Certificate of Achievement".
Thresholds is based on the belief that the image a person holds
of him/herself in relation to society strongly influences his/her
actions. By learning to problem solve and make better decisions,
a person can raise his/her self esteem. For the client, this
enables him or her to be a more productive individual upon returning
to the community.
Thresholds in Delaware County
is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors,and
currently employs paid coordinators
at GWHCF and SCI-Chester, while the program at JDC-Lima is
coordinated by a volunteer staff member.
Thresholds in Delaware County
is also a member of Mid-Atlantic
Thresholds, which serves as an umbrella organization for
Thresholds chapters in our region. Our Thresholds chapters
exist in Delaware County, Chester County, PA;
Lancaster County, PA; in the
State of Delaware, and the
cities of Atlanta, GA, and Poughkeepsie, NY.
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Notes
Some of the techniques
used by Thresholds
teachers "steal" from the history of good ideas.
A favorite "OK we
understand that," from client inmates is this one from Albert
Einstein, put in street language:
"If you always do
what you've always done, your always get what you always got."
That adage succinctly
points to the need for changes in thinking or behavior. Don't
go back to the old vacant lot to meet the friends who
got you into trouble.
________
The quote attributed to
Einstein reads:
"Insanity: doing the
same thing over and over again and expecting different
results."
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