Oh, the places you'll go!: TEP's first official graduates

You: Jeez, Ellie and Kelly, it's been a really long time since you blogged. What's the dealio?
Me: Two things.

1. IRB (Institutional Review Board)
IRB is a very interesting entity to deal with. We've been struggling since the trial round of TEP to get everything approved and to get all of the signatures we need, etc. Because inmates are considered a sensitive population, IRB is super careful about approving protocol for studies in correctional settings. I totally respect that and I get it, but at the same time we're several months behind and it's been an incredibly frustrating process.

2. Bees
Ellie and I have been crazy busy with finishing up our first full year as graduate students. In case you hadn't heard, grad school is real difficult, especially when that grad school is WashU. I know what you're thinking: "Kelly, if you've had time to watch seven seasons of One Tree Hill, certainly you've had time to write a blog post." Yeah, you're probably right, imaginary heckler. Cue the boos and the tomatoes.

Since the trial run, Ellie has finished up her hours here at the DOC. I'll be done in a few weeks. Ellie started her next practicum at the Public Defender's office, which is an amazing opportunity that will let her see an entirely different side to the justice system. I've been doing programming here at CJC with certified juveniles (AKA juveniles 15+ that have been charged as adults because of the nature of their crimes). I've also been helping out Carrie with the Concordance Academy and Institute, which has been SO COOL. I can't believe that I have the opportunity to be a part of this groundbreaking initiative that will soon be up and running as one of the premier holistic reentry programs in the country. We're on the frontier of social justice, people!!

Anyway. We finally were able to start the study portion of TEP on June 9, which means that we had our first official graduating class TODAY! I've been facilitating by myself so that Ellie can use her research hours to do interviews. It's been weird not having my partner in crime (ha!) around because we balance each other out so well, but I'm starting to get used to it.

Because the interview process takes so long (1 hour+ for each interview!), the class has been really small so far. We started out with two and ended up with four, but now we'll be back down to two because the first guys graduated.

Having a small group has been kind of nice. It's much more personal and easy to get everyone's input. I've been setting up the room with two tables in an L shape and sitting in a chair in front of the tables so that we can have a sort of pseudo-circle and still have surfaces to write on. I think this has really helped everyone feel comfortable sharing and speaking up.

Another thing that I feel is really helpful is genuineness on the part of the facilitator. Ellie and I both approach teaching in a very collaborative manner, and we've learned to be flexible during class and discussion. These guys are the same age as we are, and as such we understand that there are going to be times when you joke around or cuss or go on a little tangent or talk about other important things or whatever. It's okay to get a little weird with it. It's much less stressful for the facilitator to know that you don't have to be on this power pedestal all the time, and I would imagine it's less stressful for the participants because they know we will be understanding and that they won't be judged.

I'm realizing that it's never going to get easier to say goodbye to our participants. I have such affection for the two guys that graduated today. They're so sweet, kind, and funny, and I have no doubt that they will be able to succeed if they can stay focused and goal-oriented. How lucky we've been to have such wonderful class members thus far! I tell you what, if you ever are feeling bad about yourself, go teach a class in a correctional facility with emerging adults. This age group is so open, genuine, and not afraid to tell you what they think (bad or good!). I can't tell you how many times I left class feeling such a self-esteem boost. It's great to feel like you're helping people, and it's even better when you feel like the people you are helping are as fond of you as you are of them.

After our little graduation ceremony (basically just giving certificates and saying words of encouragement), I gave the guys a feedback survey. I'm taking a program evaluation class right now and have decided to evaluate the process of administering TEP and to what extent it is administered with fidelity to the manual. I'm going to synthesize all of the data from those surveys and my own personal fidelity checklist and will update the blog with the info soon!

Until next time,

E&K

A Pause for Reflection

Over the course of the semester Kelly and I have learned a lot about bureaucracy and red-tape within the government and system of higher education.   I highly underestimated the difficultly associated with getting a study approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) particularly when it comes to at risk populations, like inmates. Today that red-tape reared its ugly head again as it is postponing the start of the study for another week or two.  

Having the week off from teaching allowed me to take some time to reflect about the barriers social workers face in changing the landscape of the criminal justice system. As a student at the Brown School, for the majority of my day I operate in super supportive circles that understand the importance of addressing things like the overpopulation and disparities within our criminal justice system.  I interact with people see the overlapping issues between untreated health concerns, low paying jobs, lack of paid leave, the educational system, and the list goes on.  Sometimes I forget that not everybody lives and breathes social problems and possible remedies.  However; the more time I spend outside of the Brown School, the more I run into people that simply do not understand. 

If the criminal justice system is not directly affecting you, why would you care? As a person working with an inmate population, you would think that I would have a bullet proof answer as to why interventions like TEP and mentors post-release are necessary, but the fact is that I don't--besides the fact it is colossal waste of money.  While some may find the argument of money to suffice, I don't see convincing people that the criminal justice system is a waste of money as success. I want something that tugs peoples heart-strings, that prompts action, I want to to humanize people in the criminal justice system and prove that they are worthy, preferably in 90 seconds or less.  The problem is, how do you consolidate the history of a slave-based economy, segregation, medical abuse and experimentation, and the implications of poverty when the barriers today are seemingly gone?  It is exhausting and overwhelming and some people simply do not want to see.  

While I still am working on my elevator speech as to why every American should care about decreasing the size of the criminal justice system and addressing the overwhelming racial disparities, I am getting closer. This week I watched an excellent presentation given by some fellow classmates and they referred to this quote:

"You do not take a man who for years has been hobbled by chains, liberate him, bring him to the starting line of a race, saying, "you are free to compete with all the others." and still justly believe you have been complete fair..." Lyndon B Johnson

While President Johnson wasn't referring to the criminal justice system during this particular speech, I think it can be applied to the importance of investing in programming for inmates pre and post release.  After reading this quote it seems a bit silly that we expect anything other than failure from the current model. 

Until next time,

E & K

Jump into opportunity

Our first TEP group officially ended last Friday, and we've gotten lots of great feedback. Word is spreading throughout the jail, and one of the guards told us that guys have been asking if they can be in our group. It's incredibly fulfilling to know that our students appreciate what we did and to know that they feel motivated and more prepared to enter the job market when they are released.

One of our group members shared some keen insight when we were broken up into small groups on our last day. We were talking about overcoming stereotypes during job interviews, and he said, "Jump into opportunity as quickly as you jump to conclusions." I was speechless for a moment before I realized that I should probably grab a pen and write it down.

I think that's the best possible advice that we could give not only our group, but also anyone reading our blog and to our friends and colleagues. It's such a wise quote. In fact, I hereby dub it Quote of Wisdom. Yesterday I was thinking about how the QOW applies to recent arguments surrounding minimum wage.

It seems like people in general draw certain conclusions—based in stereotypes—about certain minimum wage positions. Jobs like a fast food employee, factory worker, and cashier have certain connotations. I'll throw out some that I've heard: "unskilled," "low life," "low class," "high school," "dirty." Some believe that minimum wage positions should remain that way because the workers fit into the categories and descriptors I just listed. The real danger here is that when people make these judgments, they are not just speaking in confidence to friends about it; they're protesting and posting on the Internet. And if those "low life" workers hear those negative stereotypes enough, they will start to believe them.

Additionally, people applying for minimum wage positions might jump to conclusions themselves, and instead of jumping into the opportunity a job could offer them, they might feel averse to it because of what other people will think. And in the case of our students, unemployment means higher risk for recidivism. Even if our students do get a minimum wage job, the current minimum wage is not enough for them to find safe housing and support their families, which again leads to recidivism.

I think it's pretty clear what my own opinions are regarding the current minimum wage, but the basic point I'm trying to make is that we shouldn't pass judgment on someone because of his or her job title. We should not assume that someone does not deserve to get paid more because of his or her place of employment. I've seen a lot of protestors asking for $15 per hour, which is a ton of money and likely unrealistic, but I do think that minimum wage workers deserve more.

It's easy to think that this doesn't affect you, but let's take an example from our population again (I'm sticking with inmates here because it's what I know best and because I've been working closely with inmates and employment). Let's say one of our students is released. Because of our program (yay!), he has the skills he needs to apply for and obtain a job as a cashier at McDonald's. He is excited to work so that he can take care of his wife/girlfriend and young child. But he soon discovers that, even if he works overtime, the money is simply not enough to buy all of the essentials, pay the bills, rent an adequate apartment in a decent area, and sent his child to school. He can take advantage of upward mobility within the restaurant, but he will not be able to get promoted soon enough to solve these problems as quickly as they need to be solved. He begins to feel hopeless and in despair, returns to drugs, and begins stealing for himself and his family. He gets caught, arrested, and sent to jail again. Who pays for his jail stay?

YOU do. Your tax dollars do.

If we all stopped thinking of ourselves as "better than" and sought to collaborate instead to bolster our country's minimum wage workers as much as possible, we (and our wallets) would live much more happily.

I want to return to the stereotypes I had heard describing those individuals in minimum wage positions. None of those descriptions were particularly flattering or positive, so I'd like to offer some alternatives: "trying," "learning," "gaining skills," "beginning," "hard working," "mobility," "motivated."

We know we are sending our students out into a society that is generally unreceptive to them and into a market that is hesitant to hire them. We hope that through sharing our experiences with them and our views that we can inspire you to jump into the opportunity to help them. It could be something as simple as ceasing condescending speech based in judgment, or it could be as involved as petitioning to increase the pay of your employees or colleagues.

Whatever you choose to do, it is helpful to remain cognizant of the fact that these issues affect everyone. Ellie and I work very closely with the issue of employment and minimum wage, so we can see the connections very clearly, and hopefully we've helped you to see the connections and the widespread impact of this issue.

Until next time,

E & K

The Final Stretch

Time is flying and I cannot believe that I have logged over 200 hours at the City Justice Center and Medium Security Institution getting the TEP program off the ground. It is safe to say that I never expected to spend this much time within a correctional institution, but this is really just the beginning of the study.

This group we have had for our trial has been beyond incredible.  I have learned so much from each of them and it is going to be really hard to see them go next week knowing that my professional boundaries will prohibit me from maintaining contact with any of them.  I never say myself working with clients due to me being a macro thinker, and because of that my attention to techniques we learned in our Practice 1 course, like closing a group session, pretty much went in one ear and out the other (shh).  Little did I know that at the end of week three I would be trying to find a way to maintain contact with out students, because it seems like we are cutting the cord WAY too soon.  I think closing the session is going to be the hardest thing we have done yet.  I want to know if they are going to job fairs, using the resource book, writing thank-you letters like we taught them, and eating citrus fruits that they missed so much.  Unfortunately this is not my role, but there will be another person there to help them on the other side.  Or at least this is how I have to think in order not to get too upset.

In today's class Kelly and I focused on interviewing.  The guys laughed about wearing pinky rings and tennis-shoes into interviews as obvious no-nos.  After going over basic interview attire, we chose to do an activity that we di as students during orientation to the Brown School.  It was a stereotype activity.  Around the room we had six posters which were titled, "Black man driving a Benz," "Latino man," "Asian man," "Black man with dreads," "Blonde woman wearing a skirt," and "Father holding a child's hand."  We gave the participants a marker and asked them to go around to each poster and write stereotypes or things they believe about these people on the poster.  If there were any characteristics that were written by another participant that they had also heard or agreed with, we asked them to put a dot next to that comment.  It was a welcome addition to have movement, hear laughter, and conversation in the room while Kelly and I sat back and watched.  By the end of the activity, the posters were full of comments.  It was clear this activity got them thinking, especially when a participant identified with the stereotype on the poster (which we did intentionally).  One particular participant with dreads saw stereotypes about himself being "locked up" and a "thug" and seemed super dejected about seeing the stereotypes in writing, which was hard to watch.  It was painful to see young black men writing disproportionately negative stereotypes about themselves and know how much they will be up against when apply for jobs.  In the end we came back as a group and asked them why we weer talking about stereotypes and interviewing in the same session.  They were not fools and knew how much weight these stereotypes have and we as facilitators know how this plays out (in the City of Saint Louis the unemployment rate for Whites is 8.3% and for African Americans 23.3%).  We wanted to be realistic with participants, but also empower them to break these ideas for themselves and others.  We encourage you to think about how stereotypes impact your life and how you can be a part of reducing the weight of negative ones.

Until next time,

E & K

Every New Beginning Comes from Some Other Beginning's End

We started on time (ish...baby steps) again today, AND we got to be in the classroom because GED class was canceled. Woohoo!

Today we started out class with a check in. We asked the group members to share one thing they learned from last class, and we also asked them to share any other programming that they attended at the jail as well as what additional programming they want/need.

Sadly, none of the guys participates in any other programming (which is mostly religious, by the way. Eighty percent of programming at the jails is faith-based). Their interest in programming, however, was high. Most of the guys said they wanted more physical activities, and some mentioned wanting art classes or a nutritional program.

Their frustration with the lack of options was evident. Ellie and I want to work to consolidate a lot of the religious programming to make room for more in-demand and evidence-based programs. Our group also seemed as frustrated as we are with the chain of command necessary to get anything done, and the miscommunication and wasted time that comes along with it.

This week we continued to break up into two smaller groups headed by each of us. This seems to be the most successful thing we've done. There are a couple of guys in class who are somewhat shy and hesitant to speak up, but when we work with them in a smaller group, they light up and are eager to share in a more intimate environment. Especially in a jail or prison setting, we definitely recommend this approach, as we have seen the best results from it. The guys talk more, retain more information, and are more actively involved in their own learning processes.

As we were working in small groups, I began to realize just how much I'm going to miss these guys. We work hard, but we also have moments where we just need to blow off some steam and joke around, or just spend a minute talking about something other than TEP. Today we talked about some of the guys' tattoos and what they meant to them, and we also told some funny stories from previous jobs. I noticed that after we took those little breaks (even if it was just 30 seconds to crack a joke or say something witty), they were so much more focused on the material when we got back to it.

Those little moments mean so much to me, because it gives me a glimpse into their lives. Almost all of the guys in our class are fathers, and it makes me so happy to hear about how they care for their children and enjoy the responsibility; family seems to be a huge motivating factor for them. I also love hearing all of their insights, because it reminds me to stay humble—I'm not above my students. They are such smart, articulate, funny, nice guys who made a mistake (or, sometimes, several mistakes) that landed them in corrections. We hope that we can bolster their motivation and help them see that they have all of these wonderful characteristics that can help them succeed in life if they keep working hard.

Another thing we've realized is how much the guys like being introspective and learning about themselves. Like I said, they're already intelligent. They know about job applications and resumes and cover letters and all that boring stuff (it's disappointing sometimes to realize just how remedial employment programming is). What they seem to really benefit from are things like a learning style (VARK) test or a discussion about their weaknesses and least favorite jobs. From this, they can learn what work environment and supervision style is best for them and how they can succeed and overcome barriers. We are going to incorporate several more "quiz" and discussion-provoking activities in the rest of the trial as well as during the study groups once they begin.

To send our guys off on a fun note, we are going to give each group member an envelope on the last day of class and have everyone write notes to each other. I was inspired by the senior send off in my high school choir. Every year, we would make bags for the seniors and decorate them and leave them notes about how they inspired us, or write down a favorite memory, or wish them luck. I thought it might be nice to do something similar for our group. It totally sucks that we can't follow up with them at all after the program or once they're released, so having something to remember us, each other, and their time in the group by could be a nice keepsake and a pick-me-up later on.

This activity will be a part of our closing. In any helping profession, when you are getting near the end of your time with a client, you want to take some time to talk to them about how you're both feeling about letting go. It's also vital to leave the client with confidence. I truly have all the confidence in the world in our guys, and we are going to take the time to tell them that and write them notes as well. I so wish that we could follow our little cubs out into the world, but unfortunately we have to let them go. And, more than all of our frustrations and set backs, that will be the hardest thing to do.

Until next time,

E & K

Today’s Lesson: Hair Politics

ü  Arrive 30 minutes early

ü  Give participant list to guards 20 minutes early

ü  Set up classroom by preparing white-board, posters, and hand out activities

ü  Participants arrive at 9:15

ü  Obnoxious disrupting conversation in the hallway outside of the classroom for entirety of class

For the first time since we started TEP we had our class start on time!  Copious amounts of e-mails, conversations, and clarifications have been paying off. We are finally getting the true hour and 15 minutes we should have with our participants. While everyone was there on time, we did have a complicating factor of noise outside the classroom. The door of the classroom is always left open (which I understand is for our safety) but the noise it lets in constantly interrupts the flow of the class.  In addition to the noise I am starting to feel frustrated by the bare-bones with which we are provided to teach.  As I am coming to learn the TEP curriculum better, I keep finding materials I want to bring into the classroom.  Even something like a simple YouTube video would be impossible because not only is there no Wi-Fi, but we cannot bring in laptops or cellphones.

I’m starting to feel like I’ve been at MSI much longer than 2 weeks and I feel much more protective of my students than I ever expected.  Today we talked about handling stress that comes along with the job search.  Our group brought up discrimination as bring a stressor, (this is something we will be touching more on when we go over interviews) but, specifically discrimination due to his dreads and black hairstyles.  As a white woman with crazy curly hair I understand the feeling of needing to straighten and “control” it, but I’ve never been worried about not getting a job because my hair can be unruly. Comparatively, I am privileged.  One young man explained to me that he is expected to shave his dreads in order to get a job and attributed his hair as being the reason to never making it to the final round of an interview.  I was pretty shocked and wasn’t sure if this was just an excuse.  This particular young man has beautiful dreaded hair that even in jail he keeps braided away from his face in what appears to me as a professional and respectable way.

Upon getting back to CJC I checked up on this dread stuff.  I don’t know if I just didn’t want to believe that hair has this much power, but I underestimated my privilege in this particular arena. A prominent story I came across was about a young African American man, George, pursing his MBA Thurgood Marshall College (a HBC).  In November of 2014, George was banned from a conference that provides 500 of the nation’s top HBC students with leadership training and networking opportunities with Fortune 500 companies.  His admittance to the conference was contingent upon his hair removal. My student was absolutely right.  It kills me to think that it is 2015 and this shit is still happening.  Looking to George, who is not only an exemplary student, but who was also the president of the Graduate Student Association at the time makes me worried sick about the young men I am teaching.  Can you overcome dreads and a criminal record? Are dreads even something to “overcome”?? As part of employment training do I need to explicitly say, “All African American men must shave their head to obtain employment.” I will not.  I can’t imagine that if I decided to dread my hair that that my invitation to a conference would be revoked.  

Until next time

E & K

Livin' On a Prayer

Whoah, we're halfway there! End of week two!

Today after session Ellie showed me this article. It was so powerful to hear the message, especially after some of the comments in class today. The comment regarding “poverty of the spirit” is from the following quote by Mother Teresa:

“The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love. The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty -- it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality.”

In class today, we asked one participant that arrived early for some feedback about the curriculum so far. He said that he wanted us to talk about overcoming the despair and hopelessness that a lot of the men in jail feel. That really stuck with us. We know the population we work with is largely unwanted. We know that there are so many people who would rather just forget about the men we work with and lock them away. We know how many people don’t care about how they’re treated or if they receive the services they need. It was a moment of clarity and sadness to hear that individuals that are incarcerated know that too. Can you imagine how that must feel—to know that the majority of the world doesn’t believe in you and will do anything it takes to keep you isolated from the rest of the world?

In part because of this experience, we are adding in an insightful activity that we participated in during our orientation to the Brown School. The activity consists of hanging up chart paper on the walls, writing on each one a commonly stereotyped individual, and asking participants to write down what stereotypes they would associate with that person. Some of the examples we will use include: “A black man driving a Mercedes benz,” “A Hispanic male,” and “A blonde woman wearing a skirt.”

Both Ellie and I loved this exercise during orientation, and we feel like it will be helpful in facilitating a conversation about stereotypes these men will face when applying for jobs and how to overcome these stereotypes or turn them into positives. Huge thanks to our friend at school who mentioned that she was doing this exercise with a group at her internship! It just goes to show you how networking (even with friends and colleagues) can be beneficial!

Today we were in the chapel again (wamp wamp) BUT it was set up with tables and chairs when we got there. AND the guard asked us for our list as soon as he saw us approaching the chapel, so we were able to get everyone called out and to the chapel on time. Lesson learned: copy the superintendent on emails about requests for preparing the classroom (or chapel), and keep the participant list on you at all times.

In addition to starting on time, this was the first day that we got through everything within our allotted time frame. The pacing of today’s class was great and seemed to keep the group engaged. We had a few clever moments today, such as using post it notes to denote checkboxes on one of our large poster prints instead of a marker so that we can reuse the poster (side note: we need to reuse them because it cost more than $200 to print 10 posters). I also randomly decided to ask the group members to apply our lesson about “I messages” over the next few days. Ellie and I decided after class that we would continue asking group members to apply what we learn in class to their daily lives at the jail and then debrief about it at the beginning of the next session.

Another activity we asked the group about adding to the beginning of each class is a “high/low,” where we would ask each member to share a high and low point about their weeks. They didn’t seem too gung-ho about the idea, and one group member said we should focus on the positive with only a “high,” and he added that we could ask what one thing they learned last session was. We thought that was such an insightful comment to connect to previous classes and review, and we will be doing that for the rest of our sessions.

Usually we will have participants break into pairs or small groups to complete activities, or we do them together as a class. Today, though, we decided to split into two smaller groups with Ellie and I joining each one. This was really successful for encouraging the less talkative group members to speak up. It seems like it was less intimidating to just have one of the facilitators and a more intimate group.

Another activity that promoted a lot of unexpected discussion was a chart entitled “Reasons for Being Late or Absent” that listed possible reasons for being late to work and asked the group to decide whether it was a good or bad reason, or okay if not to often. There was disagreement on almost every reason, but the group members were able to come to a consensus usually on their own. It was great to see them thinking critically and putting their all into a group activity.

There was a little hiccup in today’s session when one of the participants mentioned that there were “men with fancy new iPhones walking around taking pictures” of the facility, and “they’re trying to make it look good in here today.” One of the men took a picture of our group through the window of the chapel, which made us all feel uncomfortable. The guys apparently all know about the scrutiny that MSI is under and knew about the article we linked in our previous post. Again, it was interesting to hear that they all know about this scrutiny (how do they know??—they don’t have internet access), and we wondered for a moment if perhaps that was why everything ran so smoothly today in terms of room setup and call out. We will keep you posted on this as we find out more!

Until next time,

E&K

Happy Social Worker month!!! #CupcakesAndButtons