Council hears re‑entry program briefing as residents press for data and a study session

City Council heard a detailed briefing on the Erie County Re‑entry Services and Support Alliance (ECRSSA) and then received an extended public‑comment session in which residents and service providers both defended the program and urged greater transparency before new county funding is finalized.

"My goal today is to introduce our program to everybody up here," Bob Hes, introduced himself as the ECRSSA program manager, and said the county assumed program operations May 8. Sheila Silman, the former ECRSSA director and volunteer, traced the program's origins to a countywide strategy that began in 2013 and described the program's mission as a "one‑stop shop" model with intensive case management, peer client advocates and community partner referrals.

Presenters told council that grant funding sustained the program historically but that data collection faltered after 2023 when the YMCA operated the program. "My understanding is since 2023" there was a gap in consistent data submission, Silman said; presenters said a newly purchased electronic client system had not been fully populated while staff transitions occurred. The presentation cited specific data concerns reported during recent reviews — for example, that data submitted in mid‑2025 showed fewer than 7% of referrals coming from jails and prisons (limiting pre‑entry work) and low reported rates for substance‑use and mental‑health needs compared with stakeholder expectations.

County staff and program leaders said the county has staffed the program (program manager, three caseworkers, a client advocate) and reconnected partnerships with CareerLink, Erie County Drug & Alcohol, Pyramid Healthcare, UPMC Safe Harbor, and employers willing to hire returning citizens. Program staff described a memorandum of understanding with county adult probation that they said preserves client confidentiality and keeps ECRSSA staff distinct from probation officers.

The public‑comment period that followed was large and vocal. Supporters of the community‑based model cautioned against dismantling ECRSSA and urged council to preserve trust (Jennifer Kennedy: "If ECRSSA is helping people find employment and housing ... why are we replacing a proven community‑based model without showing the public the data?"). Advocates and some service providers urged a careful study session and asked council to withhold funding until documentation and outcomes data are made public. Several speakers — including individuals with lived experience in re‑entry programs (Alan Brown, Derrell Craig) — said the program produced real placements and community benefit.

Opponents and some commenters pressed concerns about governance, data fidelity, and the YMCA‑to‑county transition. Multiple speakers requested the advisory‑board roster and evaluation data; Councilmembers asked staff to provide the advisory list and to schedule a study session for deeper review.

Council accepted the request for additional material and indicated a study session will be scheduled to allow the public and council more time to examine data systems, referral patterns and the program's model of intensive case management versus lighter resource coordination. No binding funding decision was made during the meeting; the city and county will bring documents and additional briefings back to council and the public before final appropriations or larger operational choices are taken.

"We will have the opportunity now to collect the data that we need to determine if we're making an impact or whether we need to make changes," Mary Bula of Erie Together said during public comment, summarizing the position of some community stakeholders who favor stable county financing once documentation is produced.

The meeting record shows council then moved to an executive session on real‑estate and personnel matters; councilors and staff signaled further study and follow‑up on the program's governance and funding.