Corrections Corner / Deacon Marc Kellams
Programs are aimed to help inmates on the path to reform
The Indiana State Constitution states in Section 18: “The penal code shall be founded on the principles of reformation, and not of vindictive justice.” And thus, the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) is mandated to do more than just house offenders in the various facilities. They must also provide opportunities for “reformation.”
After a court sentences a defendant to the IDOC, the offender is transported to the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC) in Plainfield, Ind., for evaluation. This determines where the offender is committed in one of 19 facilities, nine of which are within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
Upon arrival at the RDC, a case plan is developed from the results of an Indiana Risk Assessment System, a survey tool which assesses the following criminogenic risk domains: criminal history, school and employment, family and social support, substance abuse and mental health, and criminal lifestyle. The goal of assessing these risk domains is to break down barriers to re-entry and reduce recidivism by identifying what is described as “solution-based programming.”
There are three categories of programming that are offered. The first is labelled simply “Activity” programming. These are facility-specific activities which do not meet the criteria of a program or course and are basically designed for personal enrichment. Examples include: AA/NA (Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous) meetings,
Dog/Cat Rescue Projects, and Shifting Gears, a bicycle restoration project designed to rebuild or refurbish bikes.
The second category is identified as “Courses.” These are group or
self-study programs and courses which follow a standardized curriculum, but do not qualify for a time cut or earned credit time. Examples of these courses include: Anger Management, Coping with Depression, Criminal Thinking Errors, Decision Making, Grief and Loss, Responsible Fatherhood, Stress Management, Wellness and Nutrition, and English as a Second Language. These courses help build life skills that can help the offender develop into a better whole person and equip them to deal with the stresses and responsibilities of life.
The third category is “Programs,” which are of particular interest to offenders because successful completion earns the offender a shorter sentence. These programs of study must include at least one of the following criteria: standardized curriculum, validated evidence-based practices (EBP), or established performance measures. Evidence-based practices are defined as outcome-focused approaches and interventions that have been scientifically tested in controlled studies that have proven effective. Examples include: Literacy Education (which is critical considering that 34 percent of the adult offender population is functionally illiterate), Employment (including vocational education courses such as business technology, cosmetology and barbering, building trades, and culinary arts), Purposeful Living Units (which are faith and character-based communities designed to prepare offenders for living as law-abiding citizens upon their release), and Addiction Recovery Services or “Recovery While Incarcerated.”
Alcoholism and drug addiction are among the greatest contributors to criminal behavior. The IDOC currently has more than 1,700 therapeutic community beds for both male and female offenders. Releasing an offender while in recovery greatly enhances their prospects of successful re-integration into society.
(Deacon Marc Kellams is the coordinator of Corrections Ministry for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. He can be reached at mkellams@archindy.org or call 317-592-4012.) †