The Woodside Family Center is a structured work release program for women offenders, operated for the Dauphin County Prison Board since 1996. This structured work release program is an alternative to incarceration for women and provides female inmates an opportunity to become productive by being employed and working in the community. Resident mothers with preschool age children are eligible to bring their children to the Family Center to live so that they may take responsibility for their children while rebuilding their lives and relationships with their families.
The Woodside Family Center is committed to providing female offenders with the tools necessary to empower them to rebuild their lives while serving time. Residents are given educational activities, life skills classes, counseling, career planning, job placement, HIV/AIDS education, community volunteer service opportunities, structured leisure activities, community treatment participation, and parent/child guidance from staff and partnerships with collaborating community agencies. The Woodside Family Center continues to partner with Capital Area Head Start who provides monthly Nurturing classes for all residents.
Admission into the Woodside Family Center is a chance to succeed and for many residents it is a challenge. Many residents take every opportunity to obtain a job, participate in counseling and life skills classes, build a savings account and search for adequate and affordable housing prior to their release. These residents establish realistic goals and determine a realistic way in which to meet their goals. They aspire to change their lives and become productive citizens and family members.
The Woodside Family Center is situated in a 9,000 square foot, one story brick building in Swatara Twp., located at 415 Mall Road. Our immediate neighbors are the Dauphin County Prison and the Harrisburg Mall. The building was designed by architect Victor J. Segina and built by Dauphin County in 1977 to house the Woodside Juvenile Detention Center. In addition to the staff offices, activities/dining area, and gym, the site contains rooms for resident mothers to have their preschool age children reside with them to maintain the family unit.
