Penmate Inmate Support Guides

Programs & Reentry Services at SCI Greene: What Families Should Know

If your loved one is at SCI Greene and you're wondering what reentry support actually looks like, start with the programs the facility offers and the Reentry Service Office (RSO) that helps people as they get closer to release.

• 4 min read Verified from official sources

SCI Greene offers a mix of job training, reentry planning, and structured programs designed to help people build routines and skills before coming home. Vocational options include Carpentry and Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration training. For those working on stability and recovery, there's a Substance Use Disorder Program (SUD). The Reentry Service Office (RSO) adds workshops like Life Skills, Budgeting, and Digital Literacy. The facility also runs community-focused programs: a Community Work Program (CWP) crew that does work for local nonprofits, plus the Canine Partners for Life Program (CPL).

SCI Greene's Reentry Service Office (RSO) serves people who are within 18 months of their minimum date or release date. If your loved one is still far from that window, talking early about goals can help. But the RSO is specifically built for that closer-to-release stretch when plans start getting real.

Reentry Parole Agents (RPAs) oversee the RSO at SCI Greene and work with other DOC staff to run workshops. For families, this means reentry support isn't just a class. It's part of a coordinated effort to get someone ready for the practical side of coming home.

  • ✓ Life Skills
  • ✓ Budgeting
  • ✓ Digital Literacy

One concrete way the RSO supports reentry is through its computer lab. The facility uses this space to help people with resume writing, job searches, and connecting to community services they'll need after release. If your loved one feels anxious about work, housing, or just figuring out where to start, this is the kind of support that can turn vague plans into a real resume and an actual job search.

SCI Greene offers two vocational programs families often ask about: Carpentry and Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration. Both translate into straightforward job skills. For someone who's eligible and interested, vocational training provides a structured way to build employable skills while still inside. It also gives them practice showing up, following instructions, and finishing what they start.

Tip: If your loved one is focused on work after release, ask them what they will complete in Carpentry or HVAC/R and how completion is documented. For specifics on credentialing or how the program shows up in paperwork, they can check with the RSO.

Reentry isn't just about finding a job. It's also about day-to-day stability. The RSO at SCI Greene runs workshops on Life Skills, Budgeting, and Digital Literacy, covering practical things many people need to relearn after time inside: managing money, handling basic technology, and making safer choices. SCI Greene also offers a Substance Use Disorder Program (SUD). If substance use has been part of your loved one's story, treatment programming can be a key piece of making release safer and more sustainable for everyone.

Note: If your loved one completes SUD programming or RSO workshops, encourage them to keep track of what they finished and when. It can help to ask what records or certificates they will have for reentry planning.

SCI Greene's Community Work Program (CWP) crew does work for local nonprofit organizations. For some people, this kind of work offers a meaningful way to practice responsibility and contribute to something outside the prison. It can also support a healthier mindset about returning to the community.

SCI Greene also runs the Canine Partners for Life Program (CPL). Families often see programs like CPL as more than just something to do. They involve consistent routines and skill-building in a structured setting.

Family Checklist

  • ✓ Ask your loved one what programs they are enrolled in right now, and what they are hoping to enroll in next.
  • ✓ Encourage them to follow through on workshops and programming, especially as they get within the 18-month reentry window.
  • ✓ Have them write down the exact program names they completed (for example, Life Skills, Budgeting, Digital Literacy, SUD) so you can reference them later.
  • ✓ Help them gather and protect basic personal documents they may need after release (ID-related paperwork, education history, work history).
  • ✓ Talk through a realistic “first 30 days home” plan: work search, appointments, transportation, and supports.
  • ✓ If they are close to release, have them ask the facility what RSO services they can use and what documentation they can take with them when they leave.

SCI Greene publicly lists program names, but the details families usually need are case-by-case: how to enroll, who's eligible, how long each program runs, whether there's a waitlist, and what proof of completion looks like. The same applies to vocational programs (what skills are covered, whether any industry credential is earned, how completion is recorded) and RSO workshops (how often they run, when someone can start). The best way to verify specifics is for your loved one to ask the Reentry Service Office directly. Have them write down what they're told, including dates, requirements, and any paperwork they should keep.

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Phone & Messaging

How to Contact an Inmate at Facility

Before helping your loved one use any in-facility communication technology, there's one documented policy to be aware of: inmates and reentrants can be held financially responsible for losses, costs, or damages they cause to Department information technology systems if the damage is intentional or negligent. This policy can apply broadly to technology used inside the facility, including devices or systems for messaging, video communication, or other IT-based services. That's the only facility-specific communication detail covered by the evidence provided here. Phone numbers, vendor names, messaging rules, visiting or video schedules, fee amounts, and how charges are calculated aren't included. You'll need to confirm those details directly with the facility.