WVIA will premiere the original documentary film “A Call to CARE” on Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. on WVIA TV.

A Call to CARE is a one-hour original documentary film produced by WVIA that explores the Court-Assisted Re-Entry Program, an effort to help people released from prison with a moderate-to-high risk of recidivism avoid a devastating relapse into criminal behavior. It chronicles the program’s comprehensive rehabilitative process and celebrates its healing resonance in the community.

“CARE Court is about inclusion, it’s about welcoming people back after they’ve made mistakes in their lives and paid for those mistakes,” said Kris Hendrickson, director of the film. “There was a lot of courage and a lot of accountability in the way the CARE participants opened up to us for ‘A Call to CARE.’ It restores your faith in people.”

“Documentaries like these showcase WVIA’s long-standing commitment to tell the stories of our region and highlight those who are making positive change,” said Ben Payavis, WVIA Chief Content Officer.

Within the Court-Assisted Re-Entry Program, otherwise known as CARE, compassion replaces punishment as a rehabilitative catalyst for a second chance. The United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania adopted the CARE program in 2009. The program is a public-private collaboration. The CARE team consists of representatives from the Federal Judiciary, the Department of Justice, the Federal Public Defenders Office, and the U.S. Probation Office. Local, regional, and national nonpartisan private business interests partner with the federal staff and can provide participants with access to a range of otherwise unavailable resources. Supervision is based on cognitive behavioral therapy - a hands-on, practical approach to problem-solving which can change the patterns of thinking or behavior that lead to conflicts. Successfully completing the program can reduce a participant’s supervised release period by one-third.

Learn more about the film and watch the trailer here: https://www.wvia.org/tv/a-call-to-care/

Encores of the film will air on Oct. 15 at 1 p.m., Oct. 17 at 12:30 p.m., Oct. 21 at 9 p.m., and Oct. 22 at 2 p.m.

A Call to CARE will be available on-demand at wvia.org and on the PBS and WVIA Apps after the broadcast premiere.