Carbon County’s police chiefs have announced their support for a proposal that would create a reentry services center in the county; however, the board of commissioners say questions remain regarding the long-term funding ability for the program.

During the county commissioners’ meeting last week, the board acknowledged a letter from the Carbon County Chiefs of Police Association regarding the county adult probation office’s proposal to establish a reentry services center in a county facility in Jim Thorpe.

The letter was signed by Jim Thorpe Chief Joseph Schatz, president of the association; Palmerton Chief Timothy Kromer, vice president/secretary; and Sheriff Daniel Zeigler, treasurer.

“The role of law enforcement agencies is not only to arrest and apprehend individuals for crimes that they may commit, but also to look at alternatives that help them improve their circumstances and imagine a different future for themselves,” the association wrote. “The last thing that any law enforcement agency wants is to constantly see the same individuals we term as ‘frequent flyers’ continually entering and reentering our system.”

The association met with the adult probation department to discuss the matter and stated that the services the center would provide “would be a benefit to our county and provide opportunities that don’t currently exist” and help reduce recidivism, enhance case management services, provide cognitive behavior therapy, job training, parent/life skills classes, anger management services and more.

“We view all of these services as critical to achieving the goal of reducing recidivism,” the letter states, adding that while there are some services offered to help these individuals, “none of them provide what a reentry services center would provide.”

The commissioners said that there have been several meetings regarding this proposal, which they had voted down in November due to additional questions.

“We’re still looking into it,” commissioners’ Chairman Mike Sofranko said. “I think the issue comes down to how it fits into Exhibit E (of the opioid settlement), how the service would be provided and the cost of the service.

“I think the commissioners closed the door on that at that time because there were other things we needed to address.”

Sofranko said that while they are open to discussion, it comes down to looking at both the short-term and long-term financial effects that the county will incur.

“I know it’s like, ‘Well, take it off of the opioid money,’ but there are guidelines in the opioid money that we’re just going to have to review,” he said.

The board said that there was no time frame on when or if this matter will come up for another vote at this time.

In November, the commissioners voted against hiring Geo Reentry Services LLC of Boca Raton, Florida, for a contract that would cost approximately $1,097,300 over three years. The company proposal would have created the service center.

At that meeting, Dr. Janene Holter, chief adult probation officer, said that her department figured out how to pay half the cost, which the county asked her to find.

The commissioners told Holter and other representatives for the proposal that there were questions about if opioid funds from the settlement could be used for this since it would help people with more than just opioid addiction. The settlement funds requires projects to focus solely on opioid-related solutions.

The commissioners also voiced other concerns, including overlapping services with the Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug & Alcohol Commission and the office space that would be needed for the center.