PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Massachusetts has nearly 20 Community Justice Support Centers across the state, including one in Berkshire County. The centers are a court-run initiative to help people involved with the criminal justice system and are at a high-risk for recidivism.

“You know, coming to the program was mandatory at first because I was on parole,” said Ralph Rotondo, one of the program's participants. “But it’s not now.”

Rotondo makes the choice every day to continue his weekly programming at the Pittsfield Community Justice Center. He started in July 2022 and could have stopped coming five months ago.

“I've been in and out, in and out, in and out for, like 12 years," Rotondo said. "Addicted, going to jail, coming out, being clean for, like, nine months in jail and then coming out and just doing it over again and ending up with the same result. I feel like it's just time to give myself a chance and I feel like everybody deserves a chance.”

Now he juggles a full-time job, additional group-sessions and helping his community whenever he can.

“Never thought in my life that I would help a restaurant open from scratch,” Rotondo said.

“This place has also helped me discover a little more about who I am as a person,” said Lakarra Williams, a former participant.

Williams completed her programming and has been sober for more than 15 months. She stays connected with the justice support center because of the relationships she’s built.

“Once I opened up and really took everything seriously, I went from being homeless, jobless, not having my kids to working two jobs, having all three of my children," Williams said. "I just put an offer in on my first home. It's life changing, it really is, it's really life changing.”

Manager Kyle Schadler said the free programming overseen by the state Office of Community Corrections aims for successful alternatives to incarceration.

“If someone is justice-involved and has spent one night in jail in their life and they need help with anything, with the jobs, with education, with certain substance use, with anger management, parenting classes, they can give us a call and we can get them in and get them assessed and make sure they're in the right groups they need to be in,” Schadler said.

Williams and Rotondo said for participants, it’s all about being ready and willing to make positive choices.

“Don't be scared," Williams said. "Don't be scared to open up, because this place is really just trying to help you. And new participants, they really say, the first step is admitting to yourself that you have a problem, and it's true.”

“You know, if you just don't give it a shot and you just don't want to help and you just don't care, then go back to what you were doing, which isn't helpful," Rotondo said. "And if you're ready to change, then this is the place to come to and be ready to change.”

Results and programs from Community Justice Support Centers are evidence-based. Data provided from 2018 by the University of Pennsylvania Crime and Justice Policy Lab shows Massachusetts Community Justice Support Centers have resulted in a 26% to 36% reduction in arraignments within one year of CJSC referral, depending on the technique used to identify the comparison group. People sentenced to support centers also had lower recidivism rates than those with similar risk profiles on probation.

“Seeing the growth and helping people, seeing participants change and work on their goals and achieve what Ralph and Lakarra have achieved, and knowing that maybe we at the center are a little piece of that because most of the work, if not all the work has to be done by the participant, it's rewarding,” Schadler said.