Introduction
It is the intention of Norfolk State University’s Criminal Justice Program and Virginia Dept of Corrections, Indian Creek Correctional Facility, to initiate a collaborative venture in education. Indian Creek’s Mission Statement declares that “Indian Creek is a multidisciplinary therapeutic community for the treatment of substance abuse in a safe, secure environment: teaching and equipping inmates with an alternative lifestyle and enabling them to return to society as responsible, productive citizens free of addictive and criminal behavior.” [Indian Creek Correctional Center Information Booklet, 2006: p. 4). Norfolk State University with its rich tradition of community involvement is interested in reaching out to underprivileged, that is, low socio-economic citizens and minorities, who have born the brunt of conservative social and penal policies. These policies in the last 30 years have lead to unprecedented increases in incarceration levels and this increase has been fueled primarily by the drug war. Some therapeutic approaches in corrections have shown promise, but even successful graduates of such vehicles for change rarely obtain skills necessary for meaningful and stable employment. Norfolk State University and Virginia Dept of Corrections (VDOC) intend that this enterprise will serve as a model for other such ventures.
Purpose of the Project
The goal of this collaborative effort is to enhance offender transition success by providing offenders the opportunity to become Certified Substance Abuse Assistants (CSAC-A). Such license first became available in Virginia in 2003 and no program has been initiated to offer help to prisoners to obtain such license. The first phase of the proposed project involves 120 hours of Classroom Instruction and Didactic Training. This is the component that Norfolk State University and Indian Creek Correctional Center will provide. Inmates completing these courses will not obtain any college credit for their work. Phase Two, 180 hours of experiential tasks, will be the project of the members of the steering committee representing various elements of the Virginia Dept of Corrections and the community linkages they foster. Aside from supplying the location for the steering committee and its subcommittees to meet – at the VBHEC - Norfolk State University is not involved in phases two or three of the project.
Steering Committee Members
Bernadette Holmes
Nọnso Okafọ
Michael Fischer
Jo Holland
Patricia Terrangi
John Britton
Jim Willis
Frank Lawler
Tammy Rito-Walker
