MEETING TIME AND LOCATION
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Wesley United Methodist Church
800 E. 12th Street
Des Moines, IA 50316-4304
Brown bag lunch
MISSION STATEMENT
To bring together and inform individuals and groups concerned about women in the Iowa correctional system and to act on their behalf.
INTRODUCTIONS and ANNOUNCEMENTS
REPORTS:
ICIW Report – Warden Patti Wachtendorf or ICIW Representative
Fresh Start – Peggy Urtz
Treasurer – Rosemary Jungmann
PROGRAM/FOCUS:
We welcome to our April meeting speaker, John Carroll. John is responsible for DMACC classses and High School completion at ICIW. John has worked closely with Rosemary Jungmann on winter and spring classes for the Friends 18 scholarship recipients.
John is a 1971 graduate of Loras College in Dubuque with a major in History and minor in Education, with a teaching certificate. In 1980 John received a Masters Degree in Secondary Education Administration from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.
From 1971-1979 he taught at Cromwell Children’s Unit, Mental Health Institute and was Education Program Administrator from 1980-86. From 1986-1999 he was Distribution Manager for Showtime Party Sales (Tupperware Franchise). He and his wife were on the President’s Council for Tupperware twice, also ranked in the Top 40 in Tupperware sales nationwide for two years.
In 2001 John became Education Program Manager for Newton Correctional Facility and ICIW, he was in that position until 2003. From 2003-2012 he was Education Manager and Instructor at ICIW , from 2012 to the present he has been in charge of DMACC Correspondence and DMACC High School Completion. We look forward to John’s presentation.
RECAP OF MARCH 17, 2015 MEETING
Our program in March focused on Re-entry. We welcomed Rev. Lee Schott, pastor of Women at the Well and Kathy Culbertson, Iowa Correctional Institution for Women Reentry Coordinator.
Kathy has been at ICIW for 20 years, serving in a variety of positions. As Reentry Coordinator she prepares women for re-entry in several ways. She helps them apply for medical insurance. Iowa Health and Wellness Program replaces Iowa Cares which limited the women to care at Broadlawns or the Univ. of Iowa hospital. Dental insurance is included.
Since the women have no access to the internet to research resources, they have “off net” an offender network where they can load programs and services from Kathy. She helps them with Social Security disability applications. She works with Deb Theeler to set up the Winner’s Circle Annual Picnic, which will be in Ashby Park on July 11th.
For “long termers” Kathy takes them out into the community for short trips. Just stepping outside the fence creates anxiety for them. They first go to a small store, like Casey’s, to become accustomed to displays and finding things. Next to a larger store, like the Dollar General, and last to Walmart, where she encourages them to find their desired brand of deodorant. Can you imagine going from ordering from an order form that may have only one option, to a whole aisle of deodorant?
Rev. Schott is pleased and excited about the increase of Reentry teams being trained and available for women going back into communities. A team consists of 4-7 persons, most often from a church, who are trained to meet weekly (if convenient for the one reentering) for the purpose of encouraging and holding accountable the woman reentering society. It’s strengthening for the woman to know there are people on her side. Forty percent of the women released from ICIW go to the Des Moines area.
The Reentry Team program was started about the time Women at the Well became a congregation. It was the brain-child of the Rev. Jim Davis who volunteered his time, to train persons in local churches to be a support system for those being released from ICIW. Early in 2014 this was made a half-time paid position. The program offers training to 4-7 persons in a church willing to meet weekly, with a recently released women, for the purpose of offering mentorship, goal-setting, faith formation and keeping her accountable.
There are currently 22 Reentry teams in 9 cities. With a large number of women being released each month, more teams are needed. If your congregation is interested in learning more, contact Lee’s assistant, Dan at 515-822-4599.
UPCOMING MEETING & PRESENTER:
Our May speakers will be Marty Ryan and Stephanie Fawkes-Lee. That is if the Legislative session has ended, otherwise hopefully one of them will be able to meet with us to fill us in on action taken this session.