Carbon County is building the framework to implement its re-entry program at the prison.

On Thursday, the county commissioners received notice that Carbon was successful in securing a $10,000 grant through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for evidence-based practices for re-entry enhancements.When the county applied for the grant in April, Richmond Parsons, chief adult probation officer, said that the money would help the county create a connection between the probation office and prison. Currently, no communication between those two systems exists.The grant will cover the purchase of software that would allow the correction facility to see adult probation data and to input risk assessments into the adult probation system.It will also cover purchasing the software that would allow the adult probation office to see correctional facility data within their offender management system and a cognitive behavioral program that addresses the criminogenic need of criminal attitudes.Until now, the two systems ran separately, creating a gap in providing the best game plan for people moving through the criminal justice system.The new programs will now help both departments formulate what issues exist, identify targets and launch the behavioral program at the prison to help find ways to reduce recidivism.In related matters, the commissioners also approved an agreement with Blue Mountain Health System to continue to provide psychiatric services at the correctional facility.The agreement is for two years and will provide psychiatric services up to four hours per week.The costs for the psychiatrist coverage is $170 per hour and $125 per hour for a physician assistant, plus mileage if not using telemedicine.