Since he was 18 years old, James Drum has been in and out of the Allegheny County Jail on drug-related charges.

Now, at age 32, Mr. Drum is living in transitional housing in Knoxville. Returning to the jail is not part of his plan.

“I’m doing everything I can,” he said.

That has meant changing his mindset, he said. It has meant cognitive behavior therapy programs and drug and alcohol classes. And it has meant staying in contact with a team of people helping him with his re-entry to society through Allegheny County Jail Collaborative programs.

A recent report from a Washington, D.C.-based Urban Institute had good news for people such as Mr. Drum. The think-tank’s report found that participating in one of the jail’s re-entry programs reduces re-arrest among participants and prolongs the time to re-arrest. Participation in one of the programs reduced the probability of being rearrested by 24 percentage points, compared to Allegheny County inmates who were not part of the program, the study said.

“That’s an astounding number,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “It really is.”

The results of the study were announced at a meeting at the jail Monday morning that included U.S. Attorney David Hickton; jail warden Orlando Harper; Fred Thieman, chair of the Jail Collaborative Civic Advisory Committee; Jeffrey A. Manning, Allegheny County Common Pleas President Judge ; and others. The study was funded by the jail collaborative and other local foundations.

The study, which began in September 2012 and covered a 12-month period, looked at local re-entry programs started by the county’s Jail Collaborative in 2010 and 2011. The two programs, which have since been merged, provide inmates with support such as case managers to design transition plans, access to education classes, job readiness programs and housing options.

The programs serve about 400 people at the jail who are serving at least a five-month sentence and who are medium- to high-risk offenders and who are serving a sentence at the jail, said Erin Dalton, a deputy director for Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

Men and women ending a period of incarceration face obstacles, such as fragile support networks and a lack of housing, said Janeen Buck Willison, the Urban Institute’s lead researcher on the study.

“Starting to address that during the period of custody helps ready them and provides a foundation for return to the community, by removing some of the obstacles hopefully that can lead to re-offending in the community,” she said.

The old phrase “Lock ’em up and throw away the key” is rarely the outcome of criminal procedures, said Judge Manning.

“What we really want to do when we incarcerate someone is not just to punish them, but to return to society a better inmate than the one who came in,” he said.

As for Mr. Drum, the plan is a permanent return to society. He said he is getting help with navigating employment, housing and school. His hope is to go back to school for heating and air conditioning work.

Previously, he said, he’s left jail and the sentiment has been “see you later, fend for yourself.”

“This time, the difference is the way I think, I guess. I’m just to the point where actually I’m tired of doing this, and I have people to help me,” he said “They’ve helped me to change my thinking process, knowing I can have a life for real.”

First Published: October 7, 2014, 4:00 a.m.