The most successful program in Iowa was recently terminated.  Men who completed the program had the lowest rate of recidivism.  But it was faith based: Christian.  It was not a mandated program.  It was completely voluntary.  The men could choose to participate in the program or not.  It did not cost the state extra, in fact, it cost the state less because the counselors were paid by an outside group.  The state paid for housing, correctional officers, food, medical, etc, but all program costs were paid by the Prison Fellowship...the Innerchange Faith Initiative.  All of the men in the program were in one housing unit where they could support one another and receive support. This program allowed men to renew or establish a faith in God.  Outside church groups would send in trained volunteers to be mentors who would then help the men transition back into their communities.  But because it was a religious based program within a state-run institution it came up against the separation of church and state.  And so it has been discontinued.

Gail Rinderknecht
DMACC
Newton Correctional Facility
Newton, IA


-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of David J. Rosen
Sent: Tue 3/18/2008 6:43 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 882] Building and sustaining personal relationshipsfor good referrals
 
Colleagues,

Bill Anthony points to the importance of personal connections to  
community resources. I wonder if our guest experts -- and other  
participants -- have examples of state or county corrections  
institutions and community-based institutions where personal  
relationships have been built and sustained over time so that a  
referral phone call or an email about an inmate who is being released  
results in a warm welcome to the community-based education program,  
perhaps as part of a number of community services (housing,  
employment, health  care, counseling) provided on release.

If so, what enables these relationships? What sustains them? What  
undermines them?

David J. Rosen
Special Topics Discussion Moderator
djrosen at comcast.net


On Mar 18, 2008, at 6:20 PM, Bill Anthony wrote:

> David Rosen,

>

> Regarding your question below --

>

> I was involved with Federal Correctional Education for some 25  

> years.  I believe we did a relatively good job of preparing inmates  

> for release with GED, Vocational. counseling and Pre Release  

> programs.  But, we did not do a particularly good job of "handing  

> inmates off"  to the appropriate community education resources.   

> Many years ago we had release furloughs for lesser security inmates  

> to allow them to connect with release plans in their release  

> community.  Given increasing security concerns and the increase of  

> Half Way Houses or Community Treatment Centers I believe we lost a  

> step.  We began turning people over to halfway houses with no  

> direct contact and probably very poor procedures for delivery of  

> institutional education records to the half way houses.

>

> The half way houses were often just an interim step between prison  

> and final relief destination.  They helped in getting jobs,  

> clothing tools , and rent money; but they ultimatley had to also  

> "hand off" many ot their clients to a final release area many miles  

> away.

>

> We can take some solace in the fact that, as a federal instituion,   

> we were releasing inmates all over the country and a personal  

> handoff to local resources was particularly difficult.  State  

> Prisons should have it a little easier and county jails should be  

> able to actually maintain personal contacts with community  

> resources.  But I think a real key is to be able to provide  

> personal connections to community resources.  In a county jail  

> situation it would seem that it might be possible for direct  

> relationships among prison staff and county educational  

> resources .  I'm sure the issue of privacy concerns might be raised  

> but it would seem inmates would have the right to waive such concerns.

>

> I also believe that there are a number of availabe education  

> resources that qualify as  "Lifelong Learning" resources.   That  

> is,  we can provide resources in the prison that can be continued  

> on the streets.  If we train the inmates to use a system such as  

> the Public Broadcasting, Educational TV, and Literacy Link  

> materials for GED and Workplace Skills;  the inmates can continue  

> to use the same resources on their own after release and possibly  

> get help from community Adult Education programs where necessary.   

> I know the computer security issues in higher security prisons but,  

> we are really at the point where we need to find ways to give  

> inmates the skills to use internet resources.   Can we hook inmates  

> up with more internet resources that can go with them where ever  

> they go and whenever their schedule permits?  Use of this type of  

> resources can also help improve "Family Literacy".  I suspect we  

> all know that many inmate families could use educational help also.

>

>

> Bill Anthony

> SYNSOL at cableone.net

>

> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

>

> For all our guests:

>

> When an inmate who has been in an education program inside a state

> corrections institution or county jail and is released, what needs to

> happen for him or her to connect to and stick with a community-based

> education program? Do these events need to happen immediately mon

> release or can they be phased in over time after housing, shelter,

> counseling and job needs are met? Are you aware of any exemplary

> models of connections between inside education and community based

> education programs? Can you tell us about them? What can community-

> based education programs do to partner with corrections education

> programs that release inmates back to their communities?

>

> David J. Rosen

> Special Topics Discussion Moderator

> djrosen at comcast.net

>

> -------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

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> Email delivered to djrosen at comcast.net


David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net



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