What Programs Are Available at LaSalle to Help With Reentry (intake through work release)

LaSalle treats reentry as a start-to-finish process. From booking through release, the facility offers programs and services designed to house, treat, and ultimately return inmates to society. The practical takeaway for families: "reentry" isn't a last-week checklist here. It's something that can begin early and build over time as your loved one moves through the system.

Want to understand what's actually available? Start with the facility handbook. LaSalle provides every detainee with a handbook explaining available programs, facility rules, common procedures, and how to report problems or file complaints. When your loved one has questions about accessing a program or what the process looks like, the handbook is where those details should be spelled out.

Reentry planning at LaSalle starts at intake. The facility assesses programming needs during initial processing, then builds an individualized plan aimed at preparing someone for successful reentry. What your loved one is offered - and expected to work on - is based on their assessed needs, not a one-size-fits-all track.

• ✓ Ask what programming needs were assessed during intake and how that connects to an individualized plan for re-entry
• ✓ Have your loved one check the facility handbook for how programs and services are explained and accessed
• ✓ Use the handbook as a guide for the facility’s procedures for common situations, including how to report problems or file complaints if something isn’t working

One program LaSalle specifically highlights is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The facility presents CBT as a way to address emotional, psychological, and cognitive challenges through behavior modification. Think of it as structured work on how someone responds to situations - building awareness of patterns and practicing different choices - so they have more tools to handle real-world stress after release.

Reentry goes better when people aren't doing it alone. LaSalle highlights family reunification as part of its programming, focusing on strengthening family support networks through regular visitation (both in-person and video), plus family counseling. If your loved one is working on rebuilding trust, improving communication, or preparing to return to a parenting role, steady and consistent family participation can make a real difference.

1. Start with the handbook - Have your loved one review the facility handbook section on programs/services and procedures so you’re both working from the same set of rules and expectations.
2. Ask what family reunification options are available - Since LaSalle describes family reunification as including visitation and family counseling, get clarity on what’s currently offered and how someone signs up.
3. Stay consistent with approved contact - Use the visitation options that are available (face-to-face or video conferencing) to keep support steady and focused on reentry goals.

LaSalle also offers victim awareness programming, designed to help people understand the impact of their actions. The program uses panels, discussions, and educational materials to connect choices with consequences - especially from the victim's perspective. For families, this can be a difficult topic. But it's often part of the broader accountability work that supports a safer return to the community.

On the practical side, LaSalle coordinates workforce development with work release. Work release provides community-based experience before someone's release date, while pre-transition training builds the skills to back it up. That training can include GED work, technical certifications, and computer classes - pieces designed to fit together into a realistic path toward employment.

• ✓ Confirm what the individualized reentry plan includes and whether workforce development or work release is part of it
• ✓ Ask about pre-transition education and vocational training tied to work release (such as GED, technical certification, or computer training)
• ✓ Keep focusing on the assessed programming needs from intake, since LaSalle describes planning as starting with assessment and moving into an individualized plan

If your loved one is aiming for work release or job training, your support helps most when it's organized and realistic. Encourage them to use the facility handbook to understand what's available and what procedures apply. When questions come up - what training connects to work release, what steps are required, what the timeline looks like - having them check the handbook keeps everyone grounded in the actual process and helps avoid misunderstandings.