new programs and expanded services<\/a> designed to create more opportunities for inmates to succeed.<\/p>\nThose opportunities include the expansion of several group and individual counseling programs that focus on a variety of issues from substance abuse to past trauma to mental health.<\/p>\n
In addition to those programs, inmates are being granted more time out of their cells to promote overall well-being. That time can be spent taking advantage of new fitness equipment and more recreation options, which he believes encourages physical activity and better engagement.<\/p>\n
Smith said the staff is working to expand wellness and personal growth programs with the introduction of a yoga class to promote mindfulness and the start of an initiative in which inmates help train puppies to work as service dogs.<\/p>\n
The jail will also launch an art program in which local artists work with inmates to create murals. Having a background in art, Smith said he felt a deep sense of excitement in bringing a mural program to life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope these programs provide a sense of joy and purpose for those in our care,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While Smith believes he\u2019s had a successful tenure as warden, he admitted that running a jail isn\u2019t always easy or simple. He said the job has provided him with plenty of challenges to overcome.<\/p>\n
\u201cChange has been the most significant challenge I\u2019ve encountered, and I completely understand why it can be difficult for many people,\u201d he said. \u201cNobody really likes change, and when it comes to implementing it in a jail environment, the obstacles can feel even more daunting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smith said making changes wasn\u2019t just about getting the staff on board, but also about the need to help the individuals in his team\u2019s care and help the community grasp the importance of the changes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI genuinely believe that the changes we have made have positively impacted lives in meaningful ways,\u201d he said \u201cAnd while the process can be tough, witnessing those transformations truly makes it worth the effort.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smith said that there are still challenges ahead for the jail that he had hoped to tackle, but said he has faith that others will pick up the baton and finish the job.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring my time as warden, we made significant progress, but there were still many more goals I wanted to achieve,\u201d he said. \u201cI believe wholeheartedly in the mission of the Berks County Jail System, and I have full confidence that my team will continue to carry these projects forward and uphold that mission.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mixed emotions<\/p>\n
All three county commissioners said they\u2019re disappointed that Smith is leaving his post at the jail but understand the importance of balancing his career with family time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI totally understand and wish him the best,\u201d Commissioner Dante Santoni Jr. said. \u201cI think he has been a great warden \u2014 very open and very transparent about everything. Over the last several years, I have seen how much he cares about the inmates at the jail.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commissioner Michael Rivera said he would prefer that Smith continue in his role but understands the desire to spend more time with his family.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a great warden who truly cares about the inmates,\u201d he said. \u201cHe has implemented programs that really focus on rehabilitation so that those people can be productive members of society when they get out of there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rivera said he appreciates the changes Smith has made to strengthen inmate engagement with people outside the facility as well. Individuals are given one free phone call a month, two free video calls a week and increased visitation time in an effort to help them stay connected to their families and support systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has also looked for ways to support the families of inmates because he understands those connections are important,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Commissioner Christian Leinbach said Smith has been a perfect fit for the role.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think one of the primary reasons for that is he came up through the system and has a lot of respect for the people who work for him because he\u2019s been where they are,\u201d he said. \u201cAnother reason is he\u2019s a strong leader and yet he\u2019s always looking for ways to improve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leinbach said that when he learned Smith was leaving Berks for Lehigh he didn\u2019t attempt to change his mind because if he was in Smith\u2019s situation he would have made the same choice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very proud to be able to say that I worked with the warden while he was here and I know he will do a great job in Lehigh,\u201d Leinbach said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It was one of the toughest decisions Jeffrey Smith has had to make. He had a job he…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":166889,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,182,139,28,128,130,129,432],"class_list":["post-166888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-berks-county","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-pennsylvania","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news","tag-top-stories-tmc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166888"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166888\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/166889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}