They’re at a crossroads

WILKES-BARRE – Clutching his belongings in a crumpled paper bag, Scott Morgan left the Luzerne County Prison Wednesday morning and walked straight to Crossing Over.

The 20-year-old had served time for retail theft and a probation violation and said he had nowhere else to go.

Crossing Over’s support may prevent him from being among the 75 percent of county inmates who return to the prison after floundering in the outside world.

Located on South Main Street, Crossing Over gives shelter to men on the condition that they agree to stay clean, maintain employment, pay $280 a month in rent, attend addiction support group meetings and abide by other house rules, including curfews and random drug testing.

The facility, owned by Jim Casey, has been transforming addicts and staying off the police radar since it opened in 2000. County judges have so much confidence in the program, they recently sent 15 nonviolent inmates there to finish their mandatory prison sentences.

The county pays the facility $25 per day per inmate, a far cry from the $70-a-day that would be paid to house inmates in other prisons because of overcrowding, said prison Warden Gene Fischi.

“It’s a very structured program. It’s a chance for them to make something out of their lives,” Fischi said.

Roughly 35 men live at Crossing Over, and almost 90 percent were “born and bred” in Luzerne County, Casey said. He describes the place as a “dry rock” for those who need help learning how to lead “normal” lives.

The venture has eaten into his personal funds because he has operated without government subsidy until now. Success stories and a need for such housing have motivated him to keep going, he said.

Casey recently bumped into a former resident at a local convenience mart. The man has kept a solid job in the delivery business, stayed sober and married.

“I got goose bumps,” Casey said, adding that he’s had many similar experiences with former residents who now have jobs and own houses and cars.

He hopes the revenue he receives from accepting county inmates will allow him to pay some staffers who work without compensation.

Casey is also scouting out the possibility of opening a similar facility for women because there is a need.

He also wants to expand Crossing Over and open a drug-free apartment building for those who are ready to leave Crossing Over. That facility could include a transportation service for those who must get to work but who have lost their driving privileges, he said.

Forcing the men to work and take responsibility has a lot to do with the program’s success, Casey said. Those who can’t work due to a disability must volunteer.

“Nobody here is given anything. You work for it, and with working for it, you earn so much more than money,” he said.

If Casey or the managers have any inkling that a resident is using drugs, they test for drugs and have the right to search rooms and personal belongings. Residents must report their daily schedules.

Joe Sakavage, one of the six unpaid, live-in facility managers, moved into Crossing Over after his 12th detox and has been off heroin for three years. He is now taking classes full-time in pursuit of a degree in human services.

He said he goes out of his way to help residents who are wrestling with their new lifestyles as long as they don’t lie to him. Sakavage believes he gets through to residents because he understands their fears and challenges.

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Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7333.

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