CRIMe, incarceration and the community

June 25, 2008
The ACI and RI Department of Corrections, Cranston
New England Institute of Technology, Warwick

Description

Who are the people in our prisons, what led them there? How do we work with former offenders so that the cycle of re-offense and reincarceration is broken? What issues and challenges are facing our correctional facilities and the people who work there? And what do we need to do to keep our community safe, prevent crime and violence, and help our youth to see other options besides violence.

In this session we toured the maximum security and women’s correctional facilities and spoke with inmates, followed by a conversation with RI Department of Corrections Director A.T. Wall. We also explored prisoner reentry, mental health and substance abuse issues that lead to incarceration and reincarceration. We sought to understand the needs of and risks to children of incarcerated parents. We also discussed community policing and its impact on law enforcement and crime prevention, and violence prevention among our youth.

Guest Presenters

Col. Brendan P. Doherty
Superintendent, RI State Police

A.T. Wall
Director, RI Dept. of Corrections

James Rathbun
Supervisor of Training, RI Dept. of Corrections

Teresa Foley
Professional Services Coordinator, RI Dept. of Corrections

Solangel Rodriguez
Exec. Director, RI Family Life Center

Ivelisse
Client, RI Family Life Center

Deborah O’Brien ’06
Chief Program Officer, The Providence Center

Herb R.
Peer Manager, The Providence Center
Wilson Street Recovery House

Jen Shimkus ’07
Exec. Director, Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education

Maj. Paul Fitzgerald
Commanding Officer, Uniformed Division, Prov. Police Dept.

Teny Gross ’03
Exec. Director, Inst. Study & Practice of Nonviolence

David Cartagena
Senior Streetworker, Inst. Study & Practice of Nonviolence

Alumni Subcommittee: Criminal Justice Session

Mel Coon ’06
The Rhode Island Foundation

Luciano Cozzi ’07
Grace Family Church

Ron Fortes ’06
RI Family Life Center

Elisa Heath ’07
Mersky, Jaffe & Associates

Deb O’Brien ’06
The Providence Center

Leroy Rose ’07
Rhode Island State Police

Jen Shimkus ’07
Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education

Rick Smith ’06
Sovereign Bank