In honor of National Second Chance Month, the City Office of Public Safety’s Division of Reentry expanded by opening a second Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC) in North Philadelphia on Broad Street just below Lehigh Avenue.
This is the second NRC, following the first location established in Allegheny West on Venango Street in October 2024, which has helped more than 3,000 justice-impacted Philadelphians with reentry services and connected 325 people to same-day pay jobs. In 2025 alone, more than 400 Philadelphians utilized the first NRC to complete virtual probation and parole visits, a feature directly responsible for reducing recidivism by reducing the likelihood of technical parole violations related to missing meetings or chronic lateness.
“We’re expanding access to opportunity, supporting successful reentry and helping to reduce recidivism,” said Mayor Cherelle Parker, “this center represents safe, clean and green in action — meeting people where they are and allowing them to see real results.”
The NRCs serve as a criminal record pardon and expungement hub and feature onsite case management, workforce training, and benefits navigation. Participants also have access to legal services. At the North Broad location, the partnership with One Day at a Time Recovery Services will provide a spectrum of social services and public benefits for justice-impacted Philadelphia residents in their communities.
“This facility represents exactly our multifaceted approach to prevention and intervention,” said Adam Geer, Chief Public Safety Director. “A reinvestment in our communities and our people is part of the story behind declining homicides and shootings in our city.”
“Virtual probation and parole visits are not an add-on here—they are the central feature of the Neighborhood Resource Center,” said Executive Director Assata Thomas, “We built this space around removing one of the most common barriers to successful reentry: access. When someone misses an appointment because of transportation, work conflicts, or instability, it can trigger a technical violation that has nothing to do with new harm, but everything to do with system failure. By making virtual visits the anchor of this model, we are closing that gap in real time. People can meet their obligations, stay compliant, and remain connected to the very services designed to support their success. This is what it looks like to design for outcomes, not just offer services.”
Mel Wells, President of ODAAT shared that he was “excited about our partnership with the Division of Reentry,” and that “by aligning reentry services with workforce development, case management, and real-time support, we are creating clear, structured pathways for individuals to move forward in life with purpose and stability.”
Future centers will be established throughout the city over time, promoting public safety and providing an infrastructure of reentry support throughout Philadelphia.
