instruction classes at the jail to ensure all kitchen workers obtain their certification. CKP returned to the facility in May and 38 individuals have earned their ServSafe certificates. Earning this certification while incarcerated makes it easier for individuals to obtain employment in the food industry post release.
Job Services Continue to Expand The Re-Entry Center held a week-long Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting training class in January. Thirteen individuals participated in this training and earned certification, which qualifies them to work for companies that renovate older homes to bring them into compliance with current EPA standards. Certification in these skills, along with the lead and asbestos removal classes previously offered, open many opportunities to work in the construction and renovation industry where there remains a great need for this trained workforce. The jail has also partnered with Community Kitchens of Pittsburgh (CKP) to resume ServSafe it significantly cuts down on the opportunity for consumption of the drug by someone for whom it is not intended. The jail began Buprenorphine (Suboxone, Subutex, and Sublocade) induction in December, allowing individuals with OUD to begin treatment at the jail without having had a prescription prior to incarceration. Providers with Allegheny Health Network (AHN) assess patients to determine whether they may benefit from MAT. The jail began its MAT program in 2016 and continues to offer several types of medication for OUD, including buprenorphine, naltrexone, and methadone. The addition of induction was the result of a months-long process and extensive work with community partners including the County Department of Human Services (DHS), West Penn Hospital, Tadiso, and AHN’s RIVER Clinic.
Staff Undergoes Additional Training A total of 605 jail staff members underwent additional training in Verbal De-Escalation and Interpersonal Communication through the first half of 2023. This training reinforces the mandatory instruction that all frontline staff, including correctional officers, undergo during job training. Training has included mental health first aid, suicide prevention and mental health disorders, CPR and first aid, interpersonal communication, professionalism and ethics, drug awareness, and legal aspects of corrections, among others. Once initially trained, additional classes, including recertification for CPR and first aid, are offered on a rotating basis.
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