Around Christmas time, Jefferson City Correctional Center (JCCC) reached out and offered me the opportunity to visit their facility. They hoped that we would be able to partner to provide jobs for our refugees and they hoped that their inmates would be able to help meet some basic needs of our refugees.
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| Click here to read the article about Restorative Justice from the News Tribune |
I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about the meeting. As a teen I was involved in a choir that sang for many venues, and a correctional center was one of them. Of course, that was eons ago so I am probably dating myself! I had an idea of what to expect but I embraced an open mindset (my mantra of 2022) and drove to Jefferson City.
The warden had heard about our nonprofit when she saw our presentation at her church before the Christmas season. She introduced me to her staff and we discussed their organization as well as mine. I was impressed by their willingness to integrate new cultures into their staff; they even have a cultural leader for the staff refugees/immigrants who hail from African countries. They were willing to provide training and assistance throughout the hiring, training and employment so that our refugees would be set up for success. I am excited to see how this partnership develops and how both of our organizations can profit from this partnership.
The next thing I knew I was touring the facilities and in the Restorative Justice wing of JCCC. Here is what the Restorative Justice brochure says about their program. "Restorative Justice is a way of viewing, understanding and responding to crime and the effect it has on victims, communities, and offenders. Crime is recognized as harm done to a person and/or community and the aim of justice is to promote understanding, accountability and healing." Their goals are to teach the inmates to take responsibility for their criminal actions and to understand how these criminal actions impact the victims. Then they provide life skills so that the offenders can be better equipped to succeed when they return to their communities.
I was in awe of the beautiful work that the inmates created; as a crafter I know the labor required to create such beautiful pieces. They took pride in showing the quilts, weighted blankets, coats, weighted animals and other things that they daily make to help others. Someone showed me the emotion dolls that are donated to help children express their emotions when words don't feel safe. The weighted animals are big and easily hugged in hopes that the emotional support of constant safe hugs will help lessen trauma. The men asked me to think of items that they could create to help our refugees and that would help fill basic needs.
I collaborated with other staff members and came up with a list. The Warden communicated the list to the Restorative Justice program and then, today, we had a delivery. I am not just a little excited to share the pictures of what was created for our new friends! The deputy warden and another staff member pushed in a large cart filled with quilts, children's face masks, hijabs, prayer rugs, and more! The children's weighted quilts were made from fun prints like Paw Patrol or other cartoons. As a side note, if anyone in the area has fabric to donate, please consider JCCC as a place to give fabric donations. I would love to see the inmates there fully stocked and able to create more of these lovely items for the nonprofits in our area! Just keep in mind, everything has to go through the metal detector.
I love knowing the stories behind donations! I love knowing that a correctional center is so motivated to help offenders turn their lives around and then teaches them the joys of giving to others. I love knowing that there are so many good programs and good people willing to help. The news is full of depressing stories about selfishness and greed; I don't feel that it is an accurate representation of Americans in general. I see the donations that come through our doors. I see the volunteers and interns that come to help every day. It makes me proud to be a Missourian!
And of some have compassion, making a difference: Jude 1:22 KJV
All opinions expressed here are solely mine and are not a reflection of the opinions of the Americorp
VISTA program or of City of Refuge in Columbia, MO.
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