(Photo above: Daniel, Larry, Frank, Christopher, Danial and Kelvin at Deer Ridge | by Oxborrow Consulting)
Be prepared to be surprised and inspired by the story of the Pro-Social Communication Workgroup at Deer Ridge. The community at the prison developed a self-empowerment program that is designed to have lasting positive implications for inmates, staff, visitors—as well as for those communities where the inmates will live after release.
What do you think would happen if the inmates at a prison complained about too much profanity?
If you are an aficionado of “Orange is the New Black,” or if your understanding of prisons otherwise comes from modern media, you might imagine that the response would be laughter—or worse.
When those complaints were received at the Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras, the response was quite different.
Be prepared to be surprised and inspired by the story of the Pro-Social Communication Workgroup at Deer Ridge. The community at the prison developed a self-empowerment program that is designed to have lasting positive implications for inmates, staff, visitors—as well as for those communities where the inmates will live after release.
This group of men has worked to create a positive climate within the prison and to motivate their peers to prepare for successful re-entry into the community as productive citizens. The program also helps fulfill the Department’s mission to promote public safety by holding offenders accountable for their actions and reducing the risk of future criminal behavior.
Bryn Hazell will moderate the panel. Bryn is with the Center for Compassionate Living, a Bend-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides skills for self-understanding and solving conflicts peacefully. She’s been teaching Compassionate (Nonviolent) Communication classes in Bend for fifteen years and at the Deer Ridge Correctional Institution for five years. She is also a founding member of the Pro-Social Communication Workgroup.
The panel will consist of two people:
Kevin Hormann is the Assistant Superintendent of Security at the Deer Ridge Correctional Institution. After 9 years in the ministry, Kevin began his career in corrections as a drug counselor for inmates in 1985. He has managed rehabilitation programs at three different prisons during his tenure with the Department of Corrections. Over the last two years, Kevin has helped to implement the Pro-Social Communication Workgroup at DRCI as a means to encourage and empower adults in custody to take advantage of the opportunities for positive change available at the institution.
Frank Patka was incarcerated January 2010 for a robbery tied to a drug debt. After some trouble early on, Frank was given the opportunity to change through the investment of people who believed in him. At Deer Ridge, he got to be part of innovative initiatives geared toward improving the prison environment to be more focused on promoting pro-social behavior. He was released November 2015 and is currently working and gaining business experience. He also plans to finish the Manufacturing and Technology degree he started at Deer Ridge.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
11:30am-1:00pm
The Riverhouse Hotel and Convention Center
2850 NW Rippling River Court
Bend, OR 97703
http://cityclubco.org
