CCA receives top state award

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Community Corrections Association Inc. on Market Street has received the 2014 Cliff Skeen Award from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction as the state’s best halfway house.

It had previously won this award in 1993 and 2007.

CCA clients had the state’s highest successful halfway house program completion rate at 89.5 percent and lowest AWOL [away without leave] rate at 2 percent.

The agency was also re-accredited last week by the American Correctional Association with a grade of 100 percent, making it the longest continuously accredited agency of its kind in the country.

CCA has 131 halfway house beds for people returning to the community from prison and has a 70-bed prison alternative facility.

David Stillwagon is the agency’s CEO.

He replaced Dr. Richard J. Billak, who founded CCA, and who retired last year.