ACJ Holds Community Resource Fair
Published on April 24, 2026
The specter of the NFL Draft hung heavily over the Western Pennsylvania region during April.
But the staff at the Allegheny County Jail refused to shift its focus away from its annual celebration of Second Chance Month – an April tradition for correctional and re-entry providers since 2017.
As part of those efforts, ACJ Unit Manager LaShaun Davis, with significant assistance from Re-Entry Services Community Coordinator Supervisor Tamara Harris, organized a Community Resource Fair for the incarcerated population. The fair took place on Monday, April 21, and included 20 vendors with nearly 200 incarcerated attendees.
“I wanted to put an event like this together to bring vendors in to (show) people what resources are out there whenever they get out,” Davis said. “I thought it was important to include vendors from all walks of life, whether it’s trade jobs, housing, drug and alcohol resources (or the) health department.”
The jail has previously partnered with the Allegheny County Health Department for “popup” substance-use resource fairs outside the jail. Davis and Harris intentionally scheduled this event inside the jail to help make incarcerated individuals aware of all available resources prior to their release so they can plan accordingly.
Vendors at Monday’s event included trade and training programs, healthcare resources, violence prevention, transportation services, housing resources, family services, mental health, drug and alcohol services and others.
“Not everyone who gets incarcerated has drug or alcohol issues,” Davis said. “There are people who are interested in going to trade school, wondering, ‘Where do I start? How do I get started?' Or 'Where do I go to apply for staff benefits or health insurance?’ They just don’t know those types of resources are out there, so this is an event to help guide them in the right direction.”
All-State Career School and the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh occupied one corner of the gym and chatted with attendees about job-training programs their organizations offer.
All-State Career Services is based in West Mifflin and offers programs in commercial driving, skilled trades and medical assistance, among others.
“The goal is to give people hope, show them that they have an opportunity and they’ll be supported when they get out,” said Kathleen Devey, the All-State Career School Director of Career Services. “The goal is to help people see that there is a better way.”
The Trade Institute of Pittsburgh focuses on helping formerly incarcerated individuals develop skills needed for employment but also offers “wraparound services” like helping individuals obtain driver licenses, attend therapy or participate in classes like anger management. The organization continues to help individuals after they graduate from the program – even if they struggle in the process.
“We are there to help transform their lives and sustain employment,” said Kenya Alford, the Trade Institute’s Community Engagement Coordinator. “If they find themselves falling down a couple of times, we will be there to pick them up with our alumni program.”
The Reimagine Reentry table was nearby, and founder Richard Garland was touting his own six-week trade introduction program that offers a $1,500 stipend to participants who complete the program.
Garland spent more than two decades behind bars but used that time to pursue education and prepare himself for release. A longtime advocate for the incarcerated, Garland is well-known for his efforts to reduce recidivism and violence in the community. He teaches at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health and founded Reimagine Reentry six years ago to help further his mission.
“I believe that formerly incarcerated folks, if given the opportunity, we can change the world,” Garland said.
He added that his best examples are the individuals who have successfully found employment through Reimagine Reentry, and he encourages those reentrants to serve as a model of what successful reintegration looks like.
“It’s their responsibility to make a way for guys that are getting ready to come home,” Garland said. “It’s their responsibility to be an example so that other people will hire formerly incarcerated folks.”
Davis hopes the Resource Fair can serve as an example, both for future fairs at the ACJ and as an event for other jails to emulate.
“I would like to make this an annual event,” Davis said. “This work is truly a passion of mine, and being in a position that allows me to support individuals on a larger scale is both meaningful and rewarding.”
Media inquiries may be directed to Jesse Geleynse, Public Information Officer for the Allegheny County Jail
jesse.geleynse@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-350-1267 or 412-760-4760 (cell).