The state Department of Public Safety and Corrections is having its good and bad days. A prerelease program offered by the department has proved successful, with some reservations. However, at the same time the department is being criticized for keeping people in prison too long past their release dates.

Today, we will talk about the prerelease program. The holding prisoners too long complaint is the subject of Thursday’s editorial.

The successful prerelease program is the result of a report issued by the Urban Congress on African American Males in Baton Rouge, an advocacy group that focuses on improving the lives of black men and boys in Baton Rouge. Research was based on interviews with former inmates and corrections staff members.

Brianne Painia, a professor at LSU and lead author of the report, said, “Mass incarceration and improving criminal justice is really big right now. We all know the really horrible stories, and we know some of the good stories. But we don’t know a lot about the actual process of how someone goes from being released and how they get to prepare for that.”

The Advocate reported that the corrections department said it has invested more than $8.7 million in reentry services; community supervision; educational and vocational programming; transitional work programs; and contracts with parish jails and other local facilities in the two years since sweeping criminal justice reforms were approved by the Legislature.

Painia said overall, the group’s results show the program is working. However, several modifications may be needed to improve the resources available. The department has to ensure inmates leave with a trade skill and updated technology.

The corrections department said 29 locations across the state provide the prerelease programming. Ten of those serve as reentry facilities with the goal of placing returning inmates closer to home in their final years of incarceration.

Former inmates who were interviewed expressed concern about the lack of state oversight over local jails that house state prisoners. Ken Pastorick, spokesperson for the department, said it takes allegations of misconduct or mistreatment of inmates seriously and when given specifics the department will investigate any allegations.

Painia said the prerelease program functions well in places that have it but resources and money determine where it can be implemented and who all receives it. We urge the department to continue refining the program and finding the money so it can be available for every inmate getting ready to return to his or her community.

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This editorial was written by a member of the American Press Editorial Board. Its content reflects the collaborative opinion of the Board, whose members include Crystal Stevenson, John Guidroz, Jim Beam and Mike Jones.