Update
This New Year, we are delighted to welcome Jessica Reed and Connor Demchick to the Prison Society team.
As the Prison Monitoring Manager for Central Pennsylvania, Jessica supports a network of more than 75 volunteers monitoring conditions in the 30 correctional facilities from Gettysburg to Tioga. With this newly created position, Jessica becomes the Society's second staff person in Central Pennsylvania, joining long-time, Harrisburg-based, Volunteer Director John Hargreaves. This is the first time in contemporary history the Society has had a staff person solely focused on the volunteers, families, incarcerated people, and prisons in Central Pennsylvania. Jessica joins us with a decade of experience in the human service sector, including 6 years of extensive volunteer management and support experience for foster families. Jessica earned her BSW at Millersville University and lives in York, PA with her husband and three children.
"I am humbled by the opportunity to join an organization that amplifies the voices of people who, all too often, go unheard. I am looking forward to getting to know and supporting the volunteers who are the backbone of the Society's work serving people in custody and their families." - Jessica
As our third Helpline and Administrative Associate, Connor Demchick is providing much-needed support to the 200+ families and incarcerated people who call and write the Prison Society asking for help every week. A recent Temple University graduate, with a degree in criminal justice, Connor has interned with the Prison Society over the last year and shown herself to be a consummate and caring professional. Calls and letters to the Prison Society Helpline have steadily increased since the pandemic, going from 7,000 calls and letters in 2021 to 13,000 in 2022, necessitating investment in additional Helpline staff to make sure that every call and every letter is responded to promptly and personally.
“I am very excited to begin working with the Prison Society! I’m looking forward to staffing our Helpline where I will be a direct line of support and information for people seeking assistance regarding the correctional system. This organization strives to deepen the connection between people in custody and their loved ones in the community. I am honored to now be a part of those efforts. I am also eager to learn as much as I can from the extremely talented and compassionate Prison Society team!” - Connor
As we grow, so does our impact. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Jessica and Connor, who bring valuable skills and enthusiasm to furthering our mission to promote the health, safety, and dignity of people in custody and their families.
