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Press Release
For Immediate Release:
July 14, 2006
Contact:
Christina Deibel or Linda Weyandt, (330) 535-8116
Oriana House Halfway House Program Receives State Award
Oriana House is celebrating state-wide recognition of its Halfway House Program. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) presented Oriana House with the Clifford Skeen Award for exemplary efforts in providing quality programs within Ohio’s network of community-based corrections. The award was presented during ODRC’s 14th annual Clifford Skeen Awards Ceremony held in Columbus on Thursday, July 13, 2006. Oriana House is the recipient of this prestigious award in recognition of its high quality programming and was selected from 26 halfway houses throughout Ohio.
“It is a great honor to receive this recognition in honor of Clifford Skeen. I was privileged to know Mr. Skeen personally and I think he would have been proud to see how our Halfway House Program helps offenders,” said Oriana House President and CEO James Lawrence.
The Halfway House Program helps alleviate jail overcrowding by providing a structured residential program for appropriate male and female offenders. Program opportunities include employment training and placement, substance abuse assessment and treatment, life skills, and intensive case management.
Oriana House opened its first Halfway House Program in Akron in 1985 and now has five halfway houses in Akron and Cleveland, including one that provides programming exclusively for offenders with mental health issues:
- Terrence Mann Residential Center, 55 E. Glenwood Avenue,
- Akron Special Housing Adjustment Residential Program, 55 E. Glenwood Avenue,
- Akron Residential Institutional Probation, 40 East Glenwood Avenue,
- Akron Residential Correctional Center, 222 Power Street,
- Akron Community Corrections and Treatment Center, 1829 55th Street, Cleveland
Oriana House is committed to providing quality programming that is cost effective and reduces recidivism. According to the most recent University of Cincinnati study on halfway houses, Oriana House reduced recidivism up to 16% and performed better than the state average on per-offender costs and successful release rates.
The Clifford Skeen Award was initiated as part of former Governor George Voinovich’s administration to demonstrate commitment to community corrections as a viable alternative to incarceration. The award is given in honor of the late, eight-term Ohio Representative, Clifford Skeen, who sponsored the Community Correction Act passed by the Ohio Legislature in July, 1979. The purpose of this act was to reduce the number of non-dangerous offenders being sent to state prisons. During Representative Skeen’s legislative career, he was active in community corrections. He sponsored funding for additional halfway houses throughout Ohio and was instrumental in obtaining increased funding for other community corrections initiatives.
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