Delaware's second annual State of Corrections Summit brought the state's
Department of Corrections and its partners to the table with formerly incarcerated Delawareans.
The series of panel discussions painted a picture of a system still struggling to provide smooth transitions for those leaving custody.
Both DOC representatives and formerly incarcerated speakers were emphatic about the scarce reentry housing options in Delaware, especially for those in need of nursing care; DOC Deputy Chief of Planning, Research and Reentry Jessica Cline described watching plans to move in with relatives collapse just days after release, leaving people on probation homeless without warning.
The Delaware State Housing Authority pointed to a 2021 Oregon law limiting the types of convictions landlords can consider when screening tenants as one example of state legislation aimed to increase reentry housing options.
Other formerly incarcerated speakers described challenges both securing adequate medical treatment while in custody and continuing that treatment after release.
“I have a hole in my leg that went untreated for two years," said Eric Harris, a formerly incarcerated panelist. "I have a hernia in my gut that went untreated for seven years. You fill out a sick call request and they gaslight you – not DOC, but the contractor.”
DOC recently put its primary healthcare contract out to bid, signaling a potential shift away from Centurion, which has held the contract since 2020, replacing the embattled Connections Community Support Programs.
Pointing to concerns raised by formerly incarcerated attendees about the precarity of holding a job while juggling probation check-ins, Summit host State Sen. Marie Pinkney also announced she has filed legislation to overhaul Delaware’s probation system, including by ending the practice of incarcerating probationers for technical violations.
“Just because a person has to go to work in the middle of the day, they shouldn’t have to choose between going to work and checking in with their probation officer," she said. "They shouldn’t have to choose between picking up their child at school and being at a court hearing.”
Pinkney’s bill would also limit probation terms to one year.
