GEO Counselor Named Community Corrections Professional of the Year

Written By Viviam Agostini, SCI Chester

Congratulations to GEO Counselor, Edward Costello, on being named Community Corrections Professional of the Year by the Community Corrections Association of Pennsylvania (CCAPA). Mr. Costello was given the award by Mr. Daniel McIntyre, President of CCAPA, during the recent CCAPA Conference in State College, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Edward Costello has been an employee of GEO for approximately five years. For four of those years, he has been employed at SCI Chester, a state correctional facility in Pennsylvania; first as a drug and alcohol counselor and then as a drug and alcohol supervisor. As a counselor, Mr. Costello always goes above and beyond for those under his care. He has exhibited leadership qualities and has been able to effectively utilize reentry tools to bring out the best in inmates. As a result of his dedication and leadership ability, Mr. Costello was recently promoted to Supervisor.

Mr. Costello utilized his previous skills as an educator and amended the Batterers Intervention Curriculum to better cater to the needs of inmates. He was also instrumental with the continuation of the Recovery Unit and managed to maintain the program’s structure during difficult times. In addition, Mr. Costello was tasked with training new hires, as well as maintaining a caseload for himself. He was able to handle both responsibilities professionally and effectively. He manages his caseload, supervises the counselors on his unit, and oversees all program responsibilities with little difficulty.