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Harford County Sheriff Launches 'Thrive Initiative' In Effort To Reduce Amount Of Repeat Offenders

BEL AIR, Md. (WJZ) -- The Harford County Sheriff has launched a new public service initiative to help inmates in the detention center succeed after their release.

"When a person enters the facility they go through the booking process, and at that time, they receive The Thrive information sheet," a spokesperson said.

The Thrive Initiative is a packaging of programs to break addictions and help ensure that the person does not offend again.

"From the whole Thrive Initiative, we offer the services necessary for those in our custody care to hopefully not re-offend when they come back out," Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said. "That is the ultimate goal."

The national average for repeat offenders is 48 percent, and in Harford County, it is 40 percent.

"We've been told, you run a local jail, you can't be that impactful," Gahler said. "We disagree with that wholeheartedly."

This tool helps ex-offenders to become law-abiding citizens.

"Maybe a day, maybe a minute will make a change in someone's life," Gahler said. "So why not take that time and effort because they're here anyway."

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