By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — Although it is not typically a scene of happy mingling and chit-chat, the Adult Probation and Parole Office at 249 Roosevelt Ave. was just such a venue over a luncheon buffet Thursday hosted by the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (DOC).

The open house highlighted a newly formed Pawtucket Re-entry Council, designed to coordinate the efforts of city government, local police and the various agencies that work with individuals on probation or parole.
Community members and representatives of local social service agencies were invited to tour the facilities and meet the staff, which includes probation and parole officers.
According to DOC spokesperson Tracey Z. Poole, the Pawtucket Re-Entry Council is modeled after similar panels in Providence, Newport and Woonsocket.
She said the council includes Mayor James Doyle, Police Chief George L. Kelley III and other city administrators and police officers.
Council members are also from agencies that assist newly released convicts with housing and job placement, and in dealing with issues involving domestic violence, substance abuse or mental health. The council will meet every couple of weeks to share information and discuss various cases and issues, Poole said.
“The idea of the re-entry council is to bring together all of the parties that are involved with individuals on probation or parole to provide a smooth and successful transition back into the community,” Poole said. She added that the council not only discusses ways to help people, but also the pitfalls that lead to unsuccessful parole or probation experiences.
Roberta Richman, assistant director of rehabilitative services, welcomed visitors to the facility, which serves individuals on probation or parole in Pawtucket, Central Falls, Cumberland, Lincoln and North Smithfield.
She provided an overview of community corrections and prisoner re-entry, then explained the difference between parole and probation and what that difference means in terms of monitoring and supervision.
Richman noted that there are currently 350 people on parole in Rhode Island, and  27,000 on probation. Only about 5 percent of prisoners in this state are released without being assigned to parole or probation, she said.
Shelley Cortese, administrator for the Community Corrections Division, said that while the vast majority of people coming out of prison have some kind of parole or probation sentence, the department’s philosophy “is that people can be rehabilitated.”
She said her office is charged with making sure that individuals are meeting their sentencing requirements, but also tries to help them on the road to rehabilitation. “That dual role is always important to  us,” Cortese said.
Although staff members have high caseloads, Cortese said, “They do a fantastic job with the help of our community partners. Every probation officer here is committed to working with the community.”
Chris Hebert is a probation officer with a caseload that includes sex offenders and batterers.
He said it is particularly important in his specialty to have a working partnership with law enforcement and treatment providers. Noting that sex offenders typically return to their old neighborhoods upon release from prison, Hebert said, “We have to work together as a team. We go out there and meet the families, meet the neighbors ... see what’s going on, to help these people with their risk factors.”
Deb Rezendes is involved with police partnership for the “Safe Streets Program,” which provides alternative sentencing options for high risk offenders between the ages of 18 and 25. Rezendes also noted the importance of having an efficient link between agencies and services.
She said there are typically around 80 participants in the Safe Streets program, and that “most of them are lost. They are usually the ones falling through the cracks.”
As such, Rezendes said, these are the individuals who are in most in need of all sorts of services, including education, job training, housing and more. “The partnership between the police and the community needs to be bridged,” she stated.