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| helping inmates successfully adjust to life outside Jail |
| By Karen Madden, Staff, Daily Tribune |
| Published: 11/14/2011 |
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A pilot program at the Wood County Jail that's designed to help inmates successfully adjust to life outside of incarceration is receiving positive comments from participants and inspiring similar programs in other jails. Windows to Work, a state-funded multiagency collaboration, provides training and information to inmates to help them find employment and gain skills they need to function in the community. The program started in the spring. It is open to inmates who don't qualify for more traditional programs, such as those designed for people with drug or alcohol dependencies, said Lisa Johnson, an inmate in the program. "I'm a gambling addict; there were no options out there for me," Johnson said. It's difficult to express how much the Windows to Work program has meant, Johnson said. She had the chance to take classes to learn about handling finances and a cognitive thinking class to change the way she approaches problems. "It's also provided me with a support system, because I have none," Johnson said. Angela Okon, Windows to Work re-entry coach, has had 14 people go through the program, five of whom were released from the jail. Once they're in the community, Okon continues to have regular contact with participants, giving them guidance in finding and keeping jobs, locating places to live and connecting them with resources such as the Literacy Council of Wood County. Okon is knowledgeable about a lot of resources in the community, said Diane Kulka, another inmate in the program. Okon also offers advice to participants, such as how to have more effective job interviews. Kulka struggled with alcoholism for many years, and she credits the cognitive thinking class she took as part of the program with making her realize that having problems doesn't give her a reason to drink. The Windows to Work Program gave Kulka confidence. "I can build a better life and have a healthier lifestyle out there," Kulka said. "(Okon) has been more or less like a counselor." Both participants say the weekly classes give them a safe place to talk without having to worry other inmates in the jail will learn what they said and use it against them. It's nice to have a place that feels safe and lets people be themselves, Kulka said. Six other jails in the state have begun Windows to Work programs after learning about Wood County's success, Okon said. The program, which started in January, is one of the best things that ever happened to the inmates in the jail, Wood County Jail Lt. Andrew Netz said. "I walk by (the classroom) and see the room full here," Netz said. "All the inmates are paying attention. It gives them hope and someone who actually cares." The program allowed the jail to succeed in its goal of making a difference in the lives of certain inmates, Wood County Sheriff Thomas Reichert said. click here for more of the story. |
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