Thresholds in Delaware County, Inc., established in 1977, is a nonprofit with the mission of reducing recidivism in Delaware County’s correctional facilities through the delivery of a six-step decision-making training program. Thresholds in Delaware County, Inc. operates at the State Correctional Institute (SCI) Chester, and the G.W. Hill County Correctional Facility.
Thresholds consists of an entirely voluntary eight-member Board of Directors, voluntary teachers, and two (2) prison Coordinators. Our sole financial need is to provide our Coordinators with a salary for their invaluable time, efforts, and experience in recruiting and training teachers, recruiting clients who are incarcerated, and navigating the complex corrections system to accommodate our program. Our monthly expenses to support our two (2) Coordinators are equal to what it costs Delaware taxpayers to incarcerate one prisoner.
In an average year, Thresholds achieves the following:
· 8 Female Teachers are Trained at SCI Chester
· 10 Female Teachers are Trained at G.W. Hill
· 3 Male Teachers are Trained SCI Chester
· 7 Male Teachers are Trained at G.W. Hill
· 26 Female Inmates at G.W. Hill are Educated, and 18 Graduated
· 38 Male Inmates at G.W. Hill are Educated, and 23 Graduated
· 67 Male Inmates at SCI Chester are Educated, and 54 Graduated
· On Average, we Conducted 6 cycles of 7-week training sessions at both GWH and SCI
Independent studies, such as the Grant Duwe report, “The importance of the company you keep: The effectiveness of social support interventions for prisoners”, have shown that programs such as Thresholds can reduce recidivism by as much as 25% and improve an inmate’s chances of returning to society as responsible citizens. Our own internal study, over a three-year period, showed that 80% of those inmates who graduated our program did not recidivate in the eighteen (18) months following graduation. In doing that, we better the community by reducing crime (by reducing the likelihood of repeat offenders), and provide individuals with good decision-making skills, thus improving their lives and those around them, and subsequently reducing the tax burden on citizens.
Our model is based on forgiveness & reconciliation of an individual’s past mistakes. Our volunteers take seriously their responsibility to care for others by improving their lives, and our efforts are focused solely on our small community.
Please be advised that volunteers for G.W. Hill must complete a background investigation for the county and volunteers for SCI Chester must complete a background investigation at the State level.
We sincerely appreciate your support.