Scranton bakery to support reentrants hopes to raise awareness, get off ground

People who return to society from prison don’t have enough support, advocates say. That’s why a Northeast Pennsylvania church wants to open a vocational business, and a district parole office’s network is expanding as part of the effort.

Reentrants, as they’re often called, don’t have it easy, whether they’re looking for housing or employment, said Rev. Rebecca Barnes of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Scranton. It’s been a long-term goal of St. Luke’s to open a vocational bakery that would train former inmates.