U.N.I.T.Y Connector › Resources › Pennsylvania Reentry
35 government-verified organizations across 8 PA counties — reentry services, workforce development, transitional housing, substance abuse treatment, legal aid, and employment support.
Pennsylvania runs through my veins. I grew up with its reentry system — Camden sits on its border, and I've been walking with brothers and sisters crossing that river into Philly and Chester County for thirty years. Pennsylvania has real resources, real organizations doing God's work. But the system is big, the counties are spread wide, and nobody hands you the map when you walk out. This guide does what the system won't — it puts the right doors in front of you, organized by where you land.
Pennsylvania's reentry ecosystem is anchored by two major metros — Philadelphia in the east and Pittsburgh in the west — but the suburban counties between them carry serious weight. Chester, Montgomery, and Delaware County each have organized reentry coalitions and verified service providers. If you're coming home to Southeastern PA and landing outside the city, don't assume you're on your own. The suburban network is real.
PA CareerLink® is the statewide workforce development backbone — every county has a location, and returning citizens are specifically eligible for WIOA Adult services that can fund job training at no cost to you. Call or walk in before you do anything else on the employment side. The PA Department of Corrections also maintains formal reentry partnerships with many of the organizations listed here — reach out to your DOC reentry coordinator before your release date to activate those connections while you're still inside.
Legal aid matters more than most people realize. Pennsylvania has a criminal records expungement process — the Clean Slate Act of 2018 provides automatic sealing for many offenses, but getting it right often requires legal support. Contact your county legal aid organization for free help navigating expungement, housing denials based on criminal history, and other civil legal barriers that follow you home.
Pennsylvania Statewide
These programs operate statewide and should be your first contacts regardless of which county you're releasing to. PA DOC's reentry office, PA CareerLink®, PA 211, and PA DHS are the entry points that unlock county-level services. Start here before you walk out the door.
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections — Reentry Services
Reentry • State Agency
The PA DOC maintains formal reentry programming and partner organization networks for individuals releasing from Pennsylvania state correctional institutions. Contact your facility's reentry coordinator before your release date to activate pre-arranged housing referrals, benefits enrollment, and community partner connections. The reentry coordinator is your inside contact — use them.
PA CareerLink® — Workforce Development
Employment • WIOA Services
PA CareerLink® is Pennsylvania's statewide workforce development network with locations in every county. Returning citizens are specifically eligible for WIOA Adult program services — including funded job training, career assessment, resume support, and job placement. Walk in to your county's CareerLink center at intake and tell them your situation. The funding is there; you just have to ask for it.
PA 211 — Social Services Hub
Navigation • State Resource
Pennsylvania's state-funded social services directory and referral line. Dial 2-1-1 or visit pa211.org. Connects returning citizens to housing, food assistance, healthcare, substance abuse treatment, legal aid, and community services statewide. The PA 211 reentry directory is the most comprehensive publicly available listing of services by county — your starting point for anything not in this guide.
PA Department of Labor & Industry — Reentry Resources
Employment • State Agency
PA L&I administers statewide workforce programs and WIOA funding that powers CareerLink centers across all 67 counties. The Department maintains specific reentry workforce resources and coordination with the PA DOC for pre-release employment preparation. If you're navigating occupational licensing with a record, PA L&I is also the agency for licensing barrier questions.
PA Department of Human Services (PA DHS)
Benefits • State Agency
Oversees Medicaid, SNAP, CHIP, behavioral health services, and substance abuse treatment statewide. If you lost benefits during incarceration, PA DHS is where reinstatement begins. Pennsylvania's COMPASS benefits portal allows returning citizens to apply online for multiple benefit programs in a single application. Don't wait — apply day one for Medicaid if you have any health needs, including medication-assisted treatment.
Philadelphia has the most concentrated reentry services network in Pennsylvania. Seven verified organizations cover reentry case management, women-specific services, employment, faith-based support, and nutrition. The City of Philadelphia's Office of Reentry Partnerships (ORP) is the municipal coordination hub — they know where every door is. The Center for Returning Citizens and Impact Services are your first stops for structured post-release case management.
The Center for Returning Citizens (TCRC)
Reentry • Case ManagementOne of Philadelphia's premier reentry organizations — providing comprehensive case management, supportive services, and reentry navigation for returning citizens. Located in Center City, TCRC serves as a hub for post-release case planning, benefits connection, housing navigation, and peer support. Verified through PA 211 Directory. If you're landing in Philadelphia, TCRC is the first call after your immediate housing and meals are secured.
Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project (YSRP)
Reentry • Justice Reform • Youth ServicesPhiladelphia-based reentry and justice reform organization focused on young people — particularly those sentenced as adults — and their families. YSRP provides legal representation, reentry support, policy advocacy, and systems navigation for youth and young adults coming home from incarceration. Verified through PA 211 Directory and Google Maps. If you or someone you know was sentenced as a juvenile or young adult and is navigating reentry, YSRP has specialized resources other organizations don't.
CAMP — Center for Abuse & Prevention
Reentry • Case Management • MentorshipPhiladelphia-based reentry organization providing ex-offender support, digital literacy training, mental health services, GED support, and case management. CAMP's reentry program takes a whole-person approach — addressing not just housing and employment but the digital, educational, and mental health gaps that create reentry failure. Verified through PA 211 Directory and organization website.
Why Not Prosper
Reentry • Women-Focused • EmpowermentWomen-focused reentry and empowerment organization in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood. Why Not Prosper provides reentry services, economic empowerment programming, and community support specifically designed for women coming home from incarceration. Verified through PA 211 Directory. Women navigating reentry face a different set of barriers — especially around housing and family reunification — and Why Not Prosper is built for exactly that reality.
Sisters Returning Home
Reentry • Women-Focused • Transitional ServicesWomen-focused reentry and transitional services organization in Philadelphia's Germantown/Mount Airy area. Sisters Returning Home provides transitional support, reentry services, and community for women coming home. Verified through PA 211 and BBB Eastern Pennsylvania. Two women-focused organizations within blocks of each other in Germantown — if you're a woman releasing to Philadelphia, this corridor has the most concentrated women's reentry network in the region.
Impact Services Corporation
Reentry • Employment • Job Training • HousingComprehensive workforce development and housing services organization in Philadelphia's Kensington/Port Richmond area. Impact Services provides job training, employment placement, housing assistance, and reentry support. Verified through PA 211 Directory. Impact Services is particularly strong on the employment side — their workforce programs include sector-specific training for industries with real hiring pipelines for people with records.
Broad Street Ministries
Reentry • Meal Services • Case Management • HousingFaith-based social services organization in Center City Philadelphia providing case management, reentry services, transitional housing assistance, meal services, and personal care. A formal entry point in the PA 211 ReEntry Preparation Guide. Broad Street Ministries is one of the few faith-based organizations in Philadelphia running serious structural reentry case management alongside their hospitality mission — not just food and prayer, but real navigation support.
Pittsburgh's reentry network is anchored by eight verified organizations. Reimagine Reentry's MC3 pre-apprenticeship program and Renewal, Inc. are the standouts for people serious about workforce development. Partner4Work is the regional workforce board — they're the funding source behind many of the job training programs in this county. If you're releasing to Pittsburgh, these organizations represent the most organized reentry infrastructure in Western Pennsylvania.
Reimagine Reentry
Reentry • Pre-Apprenticeship • Workforce DevelopmentPittsburgh-based reentry organization running the MC3 pre-apprenticeship program — a 6-week employment preparation program leading into construction and skilled trades pathways. Three-year ongoing support structure after program completion. Verified through Google Maps and organization website. If you want a real skilled trades career path with union pipeline potential, MC3 is one of the best structured programs in Western PA for returning citizens.
Renewal, Inc.
Reentry • Recovery Support • EmploymentPittsburgh-based reentry organization providing reentry services, recovery support, and employment assistance for returning citizens. Verified through BBB and Google Maps. Renewal operates at the intersection of reentry and recovery — critical for people navigating both simultaneously, which is the reality for a significant portion of the returning citizen population in Allegheny County.
Geo Reentry Services — Pittsburgh
Reentry • Employment • Case ManagementReentry employment and case management services in Pittsburgh's Oakland/Shadyside area. Verified through Google Maps and organization directory. GEO Reentry provides structured post-release case management and employment support — a formal reentry services provider operating in multiple Pennsylvania markets including the Chester County location listed separately in this guide.
Mon Valley Initiative (MVI)
Workforce Development • Financial Coaching • ReentryWorkforce development, financial coaching, and reentry services organization in Homestead — coordinates the Southwestern PA Reentry Coalition. Verified through county directory and organization website. MVI is the connective tissue for the Southwestern PA reentry network — if you need to find specific organizations or services in the Pittsburgh metro area that aren't listed here, MVI's coalition work means they know who else is out there.
Partner4Work
Workforce Development • Job Training • ReentryGreater Pittsburgh's regional workforce development board — the funding and coordination hub for workforce programs across Allegheny County. Partner4Work administers WIOA funding, oversees job training programs, and coordinates employer partnerships specifically for disconnected workers including returning citizens. Verified through county workforce board and organization website. If you're trying to access WIOA job training funding in the Pittsburgh area, the money flows through Partner4Work — they can connect you to the right program.
Foundation of HOPE
Reentry • Support Services • Community ResourcesPittsburgh-based reentry support services organization providing community resources and support for returning citizens in the North Side area. Verified through BBB and Google Maps. Foundation of HOPE operates as a community anchor for reentry support — wraparound services and community connection alongside direct program support.
AJAPO — Acculturation for Justice, Access, and Peace Outreach
Community Development • Justice Reform • Reentry SupportPittsburgh-based community development and justice reform organization in the Hill District providing reentry support, community development services, and justice advocacy. Verified through Google Maps and organization website. AJAPO works at the intersection of community development and justice reform — particularly for immigrant and refugee communities navigating the criminal justice system, which creates a unique barrier set that most reentry organizations aren't equipped to address.
Neighborhood Allies
Community Development • Economic Empowerment • Reentry SupportPittsburgh-based community development and economic empowerment organization providing reentry support alongside broader community investment work. Verified through BBB and organization directory. Neighborhood Allies connects reentry support to neighborhood stabilization — their economic empowerment work creates pathways that are rooted in community rather than individual case management alone.
Chester County — the western suburb bridging Philadelphia and Delaware County — has six verified reentry and workforce organizations. This county's network spans reentry case management, workforce development, transitional housing, recovery support, and county human services. Chester County OIC and Chester County Futures anchor the workforce development side. Home of the Sparrow handles transitional housing. If you're releasing to Chester County, you have more resources here than most people know.
Geo Reentry Service — Chester
Reentry • Employment • Case ManagementReentry employment and case management services in Chester, PA — part of the same GEO Reentry network operating in Pittsburgh. Provides structured post-release services including employment placement, case management, and community reintegration support. Verified through Google Maps and Chester County Human Services directory.
Chester County OIC (Opportunities Industrialization Center)
Workforce Development • Training • ReentryLong-standing workforce development and job training organization in Coatesville serving Chester County residents including returning citizens. Chester County OIC provides occupational skills training, employment placement, and career development services. Verified through BBB Eastern Pennsylvania and county directory. The OIC network has been doing real workforce development in under-resourced communities for decades — not a temporary grant program.
Chester County Futures
Workforce Development • Training • EmploymentWorkforce development and training organization in Coatesville focused on creating economic opportunity for Chester County residents. Verified through county directory and BBB. Chester County Futures complements the OIC's training programs with additional employment pathways and workforce development services for the Coatesville corridor — an area where concentrated need meets concentrated resources.
Chester County Human Services
County Services • Reentry Resources • Case ManagementChester County's official human services department — the county government entry point for reentry resources, case management referrals, and social services. Verified through official county government website (.gov). If you don't know where to start in Chester County, Chester County Human Services is the county's coordinating body that can point you to the right door for your specific needs.
Home of the Sparrow
Transitional Housing • Supportive Services • RecoveryTransitional housing and supportive services organization in Exton providing housing placement and recovery support for women and families. Verified through Google Maps and BBB. Home of the Sparrow fills a critical gap in Chester County — transitional housing with integrated supportive services for women in recovery or navigating reentry, a population that often has the fewest housing options available to them.
North Star of Chester County
Behavioral Health • Recovery Support • ReentryBehavioral health and recovery support organization in West Chester serving Chester County residents navigating substance use disorder and reentry. Verified through BBB Eastern Pennsylvania. North Star provides recovery support services that complement clinical treatment — peer recovery coaches, recovery housing navigation, and community connection for people in early recovery during the high-risk period after release.
Montgomery County — northwest of Philadelphia — has five verified organizations anchored by the Montgomery County Reentry Initiative (MCRI), one of the most organized county-level reentry coalitions in Southeastern Pennsylvania. WorkSource Montgomery is embedded inside the county correctional facility for pre-release employment prep. Gaudenzia's extensive treatment network covers the substance use disorder side. If you're releasing to "Montco," the infrastructure is here — use it.
Montgomery County Reentry Initiative (MCRI)
Reentry Coordination • Coalition • Resource DevelopmentThe organized reentry coalition for Montgomery County — coordinating resources, service providers, and county government to support returning citizens across the county. MCRI is the go-to coordination hub for the Montco reentry network. Verified through official county website and organization directory. MCRI can help you navigate the full landscape of services in Montgomery County, including resources not listed in this guide.
WorkSource Montgomery
Workforce Development • Pre-Release Career Training • Job PlacementMontgomery County's workforce development provider embedded inside the county correctional facility — providing pre-release career training, employment preparation, and job placement services for people before they walk out the door. Verified through county directory and organization website. Pre-release employment prep is the gold standard in reentry — WorkSource Montgomery's inside presence means you don't have to build from zero on day one.
Family Services of Montgomery County
Reentry • Family Support • Parenting ProgramsMontgomery County-based family services organization providing reentry support, family counseling, and the Parenting Inside Out evidence-based reentry program. Verified through county government and organization website. Family reunification is one of the most powerful protective factors in successful reentry — and one of the areas most organizations overlook. Family Services addresses the family system, not just the individual.
Gaudenzia
Substance Use Disorder Treatment • Recovery • ReentryPennsylvania's largest substance use disorder treatment provider — with multiple Montgomery County locations and a statewide network. Gaudenzia provides residential treatment, outpatient programs, recovery housing, and reentry services across Pennsylvania. Verified through county reentry coalition and organization directory. Gaudenzia's scale means they have capacity when smaller providers don't — if you need treatment fast and other options are full, Gaudenzia is a strong backup call.
MVHO — Supportive Housing & Reentry
Housing-Focused Case Management • Legal Services • ReentryMontgomery County-based supportive housing and reentry organization providing housing-focused case management, legal services, and reentry support. Verified through county reentry initiative and organization website. MVHO's housing-first approach recognizes that stable housing is the foundation everything else is built on — they work the housing problem directly alongside case management rather than treating it as a prerequisite someone else handles.
Delaware County — directly south of Philadelphia and west of Chester — has four verified organizations. The Delaware County Reentry Project (DCRP) is the county's formal reentry coordination organization, serving people releasing from the George W. Hill Correctional Facility. The county's public defender office runs a diversion and reentry unit. Community Action Agency of Delaware County covers broader social services needs. This is not Delaware the state — this is the Pennsylvania county, and the resources are distinct.
Delaware County Reentry Project (DCRP)
Pre-Release & Post-Release Services • Case ManagementThe formal county reentry coordination organization for Delaware County — providing pre-release and post-release services, case management, and coordination for individuals releasing from the George W. Hill Correctional Facility. Verified through official county government and PHMC partner listing. If you're coming out of George W. Hill, DCRP is the organization most embedded in your release pathway — their pre-release connection is the fastest on-ramp to post-release services in Delco.
Diversion & Reentry Unit — Delaware County Public Defenders
Reentry Services • Legal Support • Diversion ProgramsOfficial Delaware County public defender office unit providing reentry services, legal support, and diversion program access. Verified through official county government (.gov). This is a government-run reentry and diversion unit — if you have active legal matters in Delaware County alongside reentry needs, this office addresses both simultaneously. The combination of legal representation and reentry navigation in a single unit is unusual and valuable.
Community Action Agency of Delaware County
Social Services • Housing Assistance • Reentry ResourcesDelaware County's community action agency providing social services, housing assistance, and reentry resources. Verified through BBB and county directory. Community Action Agencies are federally designated anti-poverty organizations — they have mandated access to a range of federal program funding streams that other nonprofits don't. If you need energy assistance, emergency food, housing stabilization, or benefits navigation in Delaware County, CAADC can move through multiple systems at once.
Catholic Social Services — Delaware County
Family Services • Reentry Support • Case ManagementCatholic Social Services' Delaware County office in Chester providing family services, reentry support, and case management. Verified through BBB and county directory. CSS serves all people regardless of faith background — their Delaware County location covers family counseling, reentry case management, and social services navigation for returning citizens in the Chester area specifically.
Pennsylvania's central corridor — Lancaster, Berks (Reading), and York — represents a significant population of returning citizens who are often underserved compared to the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh metros. Five verified organizations across these three counties offer reentry coordination, workforce development, pre-apprenticeship programs, and support services. If you're landing in Central PA, these are your anchors.
Lancaster County Reentry Management Organization (RMO)
Reentry Coordination • Coalition Leadership • ResourcesThe county reentry coordination coalition for Lancaster County — leading the Lancaster County Reentry Coalition and managing post-release resource coordination for returning citizens. Formally partnered with the PA Department of Corrections. Verified through PA DOC and county directory. If you're releasing to Lancaster County, the RMO is the county's organized system entry point — they know the full local landscape.
Lancaster County OIC (Opportunities Industrialization Center)
Workforce Development • Job Training • Reentry ServicesWorkforce development and job training organization serving Lancaster County residents including returning citizens. Verified through county workforce development board directory. The OIC network is among the oldest workforce development organizations in the country — built specifically to serve people locked out of mainstream employment pipelines, which is exactly the situation returning citizens face in Lancaster County's labor market.
Berks Connections/Pretrial Services (BCPS)
Pretrial Services • Reentry Programs • Workforce DevelopmentOfficial Berks County courthouse department providing pretrial services, reentry programs, workforce development, housing support, and mentoring. Verified through official county government (.gov). BCPS runs both pre- and post-release reentry programming directly out of the courthouse — one of the most integrated county-government reentry programs in the state, covering pretrial diversion, post-release support, and workforce development under one roof.
Connections Work (Berks County Prison Society)
Workforce Development • Pre-Apprenticeship • Reentry ServicesBerks County-based reentry workforce development organization running the Reentry Works program, R3 pre-apprenticeship, and Pardon Project — three distinct pathways for returning citizens. Verified through organization website and county directory. Connections Work's combination of workforce pathways — including the Pardon Project specifically for criminal record remediation — makes them one of the most comprehensive reentry workforce organizations in Central PA.
York County Reentry Opportunity Center
Reentry • Employment Services • ResourcesYork County's dedicated reentry resource center providing employment services, reentry navigation, and community resources for returning citizens. Verified through county directory, active 2026. York County has a growing returning citizen population with fewer organized services than Philadelphia or Pittsburgh — the Reentry Opportunity Center is the county's designated focal point for post-release support. If you're in York, start here.
Save these numbers. The right call at the right time changes everything.
U.N.I.T.Y Connector was built by someone who came home and had to figure this out from scratch. We've been pushing through these doors since 1996 — in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. If you're stuck, confused, or facing barriers that won't move — reach out. We know these systems, we know these counties, and we know how to push the right doors open.