|
|
National Prisoner Re-Entry Pilot Program Graduates
12/05/2007
National Prisoner Re-Entry Pilot Program Graduates
Second Class of 11 AmeriCorps Members
Lowcountry Civic Justice Corps, a program of the Noisette Foundation, announces the graduation of 11 Coastal Pre-Release Center inmates from
five months of service with AmeriCorps
(North Charleston, SC, December 5 2007) – In a statement released earlier today, the Noisette Foundation announced that eleven (11) graduates of the Lowcountry Civic Justice Corps (LCJC), part of a pilot national prisoner re-entry program, have completed five months of service with AmeriCorps. The Fall 2007 LCJC graduation will be held at 10 Storehouse Row, located at the Navy Yard at Noisette. The graduation is an invitation-only event, due to space limitations, but an open house will be held at 2354 Kent Ave. from 11am-1pm to showcase the construction skills of the LCJC.
The Noisette Foundation launched the Lowcountry Civic Justice Corps in February 2007, which was designed as an innovative re-entry model focused on building the character of incarcerated individuals through job training, education and personal accountability. The LCJC is supported financially by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Open Society Institute of the Soros Foundation, the JEHT Foundation, and the in-kind donations of local organizations and individuals.
“The Civic Justice Corps model is designed to break the dangerous and costly cycle of recidivism,” says Joanna Dees, Interim Director of the Noisette Foundation. “The Corps
engages ex-offenders in community service, thereby improving public safety and productivity.”
Dees added that the model is currently in place in 14 communities throughout the country. The current Lowcountry Civic Justice Corps members began their term of service this past July 16. “With the LCJC as our local model, we have a unique opportunity for inmates to become AmeriCorps members for a five month term of service,” adds Dees. “This ‘service learning’ opportunity creates the ideal re-entry initiative because its focus extends beyond the needs of the member to the needs of the community.”
During their time with the LCJC, residents from Coastal Pre-Release Center—a South Carolina Department of Corrections Facility—gain construction and carpentry skills, GED preparation, computer training, Work Keys® instruction, and life skills education. With the LCJC program, the inmates work with community mentors. The Noisette Foundation’s intention is for LCJC members to grasp these skills and apply them to their daily lives – both during and after incarceration.
Coastal Pre-Release Center and South Carolina Department of Corrections worked together to bring this pilot program to fruition. “This collaborative effort aligns with the South Carolina Department of Correction’s mission to provide rehabilitation and self-improvement opportunities for our inmate population,” says Warden Mildred Hudson of the Coastal Pre-Release Center. “This partnership also demonstrates the agency’s commitment to community involvement. Our inmates are grateful for the opportunities provided and look forward to continued participation.”
The current graduates have earned Financial Literacy Certificates of Completion from the Charleston Area CDC and Work Keys® Certification through Charleston Adult Education. The graduates also have significantly increased either their computer skills, or their readiness to take the GED exam. Construction projects were led by a licensed home builder, Reverend George Jenkins, who trained the inmates in carpentry, foundation, electrical and renovation work for private individuals and not for profit organizations. The first LCJC class also installed Structured Insulated Panels, a green building framing method, to construct two affordable homes for Metanoia CDC. The current LCJC class expanded their green building efforts through the use of recycled material as well as green techniques that utilize many standard construction methods but added extra measures to seal the house in order to increase energy efficiency.
The primary LCJC project this term at Kent Ave. was performed for a low-income North Charleston resident, allowing one service project to accomplish goals for three Noisette Foundation program areas: Economic Opportunity, Social Justice and Environmental Leadership.
Founded in 2004, the Noisette Foundation is an IRC 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. The Foundation’s program areas include direct support for such community-wide education and social justice initiatives as the Lowcountry HUB Academy, SC STRONG, SC Re-entry Initiative, AmeriCorps VISTA and HIS Way Ministry.
Under the Foundation’s umbrella, the Michaux Conservancy is working on a long-term, $30 million eco-restoration project for Noisette Creek Preserve. The Foundation has a 12-member Board of Directors, along with a full time staff of five people, and eight AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers.
|
Back
|
