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‘Friend of the Corrections Department Award’ Given to Probation Program Initiative

"Through this partnership, our staff has developed a better understanding of the basic needs of probationers and the role they play in their supervision, and our probationers have benefited by access to the food bank, clothing, community service, or involvement in the GED program. Clearly Westbay Community Action wants to make a difference in the community and with our population and shares our vision for effective prisoner reentry. I am honored to be able to recognize your valued partnership with this award."

Ashbel T. Wall, II, Director
Rhode Island Department of Corrections

Westbay Community Action Probation Project

In collaboration with the Kent County Adult Probation Office, Westbay's Family Resources Unit, headed by Paul Salera, has created a groundbreaking initiative in Rhode Island to reduce recidivism, by helping individuals on probation receive the tools they need to change the direction of their lives. 

This unique partnership offers participants a second chance, by helping them set goals and establish a plan of action to achieve these goals, and lead meaningful and productive lives that contribute to their communities.

The release program developed about a year after Kent County Probation was inspired to ask Westbay to participate in monthly mandatory forums for new probationers in 2008. By August 2009, the initiative was underway, having been developed to resolve many of the issues brought to Director Salera’s attention during the forums.

Westbay is the only Community Action Program (CAP) currently working with this population, and has the key advantage of being located in the courthouse – ‘probation central’, staffed by a vocational coordinator and a program manager of intake, ensuring that probationers receive essential receive essential support services right after sentencing to probation and before leaving the courthouse.

Probationers receive referrals for LiHEAP (Low-Income Heating and Energy Program), Rental Assistance, Food Assistance, Medical, and other basic needs.

The premise of the program: providing practical transition tools and guidance at the time of discharge to sentencing (in addition to ongoing parole supervision), will minimize recidivism, is based on prison release studies that have shown probationers are most vulnerable to parole violations within the first three months of discharge.

At any given time there are at least 1,600 people on probation in Kent County. Westbay’s goal is to assist about 400 individuals, or 25% of the probationers, with case management and basic needs, and another 200 individuals, with vocational counseling, each year.

Westbay’s Probation Program admits anyone who discloses to his or her Probation Officer (PO) they are in need of assistance to overcome barriers in either obtaining a full-time job or school enrollment, which are requirements of probation.

In the few months since the program started, 128 of the 1,600 probationers received basic needs services and referrals. Another 90 received vocational counseling, including creating resumes, job searching, and referrals to GED and ESL programs. As of March 1,  2010, 20 of these 90 probationers obtained jobs with Westbay’s assistance.

The Probation Project is funded by a combination of 2009 Stimulus Funds, made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA); and Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), a program that provides States and Native Americans, with funds to lessen poverty in their communities.


For more information about this release initiative, please call or email Program Manager Katie Melone, at 401-822-0724 or kmelone@westbaycap.org, or Vocational Coordinator Lea Spinelli, at 401-732-4660 x148 or lspinelli@westbaycap.org.