Thresholds in Delaware County Inc.

Thresholds in Delaware County PA is a non-profit established in 1974, with the mission of reducing recidivism in Delaware Country’s correctional facilities through the delivery of a six-step decision-making training program.  Thresholds in Delaware County PA operates at the State Correctional Institute (SCI), Chester, and the G.W. Hill County Correctional Facility.  

Thresholds consists of an entirely voluntary 8-member Board of Directors and has approximately 20 volunteers who have been trained to deliver our training to the incarcerated people.  Our volunteer tutors visit and mentor each client 1-on-1 for a minimum of 12 hours over a two-month period.  Courses are taught in both a classroom setting as well as individual tutoring of each incarcerated client.  On average, Thresholds consults and trains approximately 100 incarcerated clients annually.  

Each facility that Thresholds supports has a paid “Coordinator” who facilitates the movement of our volunteers and materials in and out of the correctional facilities and arranges for clients incarcerated to participate in our training program.  Our sole financial need is to provide these Coordinators with a stipend of $800 per month for their invaluable time, efforts, and experience in navigating the corrections system to accommodate our program, which is no easy task.  To put that in perspective, it costs taxpayers an average of $1,800 per month to incarcerate one person.

Our model is based on forgiveness & reconciliation of an individual’s past mistakes.  Our volunteers take seriously their responsibility to care for others by improving their lives, and our efforts are focused solely on our small community.

Studies have shown that our program improves the chance that an incarcerated person becomes a responsible citizen and reduces their chances of returning to prison. We better the community by reducing crime and provide individuals with good decision-making skills, thus bettering their lives and those around them.