The Reentry Center is an ex-offender reentry program providing non-traditional case management services to returning citizens in Palm Beach County. These services include Job Readiness Training, Educational Assistance, Transportation Assistance, Mental Health Assistance, Substance Abuse Treatment, Restoration of Civil Rights, Identification Assistance, Transitional Housing, and other support services as needed. Opening its doors in February 2007 with the goal of “empowering communities through restoration,” the Reentry Center has provided essential social services to over 1400 residents. The program focuses on promoting community growth and alleviating the burden of recidivism on the Riviera Beach Community in particular and Palm Beach County at large.
On September 19, 2017, Palm Beach County was one of five sites nationally to receive the Innovative Reentry Initiatives (IRI) Grant from the Department of Justice in the amount of $850,000. The purpose of the grant funds is to support jurisdictions in the development and implementation of comprehensive and collaborative strategies that address the challenges encountered by individuals reentering communities from incarceration, thereby increasing public safety and reducing recidivism. The funds further enhance existing county reentry services by providing resources for On-The-Job Training programs and cognitive-based interventions for reentry clients. Through partnerships with community providers, local and state correctional facilities, the grant aims to provide more employment opportunities to formerly incarcerated men and women while improving public safety countywide.
On April 4, 2018, the City Council of Riviera Beach approved an interlocal agreement between the Board of County Commissioners, (Palm Beach County) and the City of Riviera Beach, accepting funding in the amount of $173,689 to provide for The Reentry Center’s On-The-Job Training Program for the continuation of reentry services. In an effort to serve more clients, the County’s Public Safety Department seeks to amend the original scope of services from forty (40) participants to serve fifty (50) participants and increase funding by $47,165 for a new total of $220,854. Additionally, there have been amendments to the standard contractual language, and modifications have been made to reflect those changes.