December - Disability Issues
12/13/01: Special Education
It’s the disabled students who have brought such joy to Victoria Atkinson’s career in special education.
Atkinson no longer teaches in the classroom. Now, she’s the director of special services for the Ozark r-6 school district. She says finding and keeping qualified special education teachers is difficult she believes because teachers have unrealistic expectations.
Helping kids succeed and do their best is a stressful job when a teacher is dealing with several disabled children of different skill levels in the same classroom. But Atkinson says the stress has never discouraged her from working with special needs students.
Being an advocate for the special education students means treating the students with respect and fairness. Atkinson says her most memorable moment as a special education teacher was when a young mentally challenged boy named Chris came to her for help.
Efforts to increase the pool of special education teachers concern Atkinson…she says too many shortcuts in certification have resulted in less experienced teachers in special education classrooms. She cites a report from southwest Missouri state university’s college of education that shows there are about 32 thousand uncertified special education teachers in Missouri.
Her love of the children is what kept Victoria Atkinson in the classroom, teaching developmentally disabled children for six years. She spent more time teaching than many teachers who enter special education. Right now in the state of Missouri there is a shortage of qualified special education teachers. Atkinson knows about that firsthand…now, she’s in charge of hiring special ed teachers for the Ozark r-6 school district. She says too often, teachers have unrealistic expectations when they enter the classroom and that leads to early burnout.
Preparing future teachers for the reality of the classroom requires giving them an accurate picture of what they’ll face on a daily basis. Atkinson says these teachers need to know that they might be dealing with as many as 13 different disabilities in the same classroom and a wide range of skill levels.
While teaching special education students is challenging, Atkinson says it’s also rewarding. She says there are plenty of moments when it’s ok to laugh, like the incident involving a student named Ryan and her adult daughter who worked with Atkinson as an instructional aide.
Every few months, parents and special education teachers meet to discuss a child’s IEP or individual education plans. These plans guide a student’s progress throughout their school career. Atkinson says working so closely with the child and the parents creates a closeness, a bond.
While Atkinson says the rewards are great for special education teachers, it’s not enough to persuade more college students to go into special education. The state department of elementary and secondary education is looking for ways to increase the pool of special ed teachers, among the options under consideration is a loosening of certification requirements…Atkinson says she wants the state to be cautious because she worries about the risk of putting too many inexperienced teachers in the classroom with developmentally disabled students.
12/11/01: ARC of the Ozarks
It used to be association of retarded citizens but now, it’s most often referred to as arc of the Ozarks. The 40 year old organization provides a range of social, recreational and educational activities for people with developmental disabilities in a five county area. Jean Barnes, president and c-e-o of arc of the Ozarks says one of the most important things his agency provides is choices for the disabled.
On a daily basis, arc of the Ozarks serves between 300 and 400 people. One of the services available on a daily basis is job placement. Barnes says it’s rewarding to see individuals hone their skills and improve their abilities as they move ahead to more challenging jobs.
Arc of the Ozarks has three major funding sources…state money through the department of mental health, taxes collected in certain counties that have voter-approved property taxes for disability services and federal funds. With the slowing economy, state lawmakers will consider budget cuts when the session begins in January. Budget cuts often mean fewer social services are available in the state. Barnes says he’s anxious to see what impact the cuts will have on arc of the Ozarks.
Providing services to the disabled requires a seven million dollar budget at arc of the Ozarks. That money has helped pay for things like a swimming pool and staff to assist wheelchair bound people with water activities. Barnes says the disabled are like everyone else…they enjoy being around people, participating in sports and taking a dip in the pool…
Arc of the Ozarks operates 14 group homes in Springfield, giving the disabled a chance to live in a home-like setting where they can receive the medical attention they need without having to be in an institutional setting.
Thomas Williamson works at arc of the Ozarks, doing janitorial work…and he says he likes it.
Williamson has worked at arc for the last several years. But he says arc isn’t just about work…he participates in recreational activities through arc of the Ozarks as well.
Arc
of the Ozarks is a non-profit service provider designed to meet the needs of
people in a five county area who have disabilities. One of the main services
arc offers is job placement for individuals like Williamson. Jean Barnes,
president and c-e-o of arc of the Ozarks says the goal is to place disabled
people in working environments where they can thrive and grow.
Besides finding jobs for the disabled, arc of the Ozarks also is involved in
finding appropriate housing to meet the needs of individuals. Though Thomas
Williamson lives in his own apartment with a roommate, there are disabled
individuals who can’t live on their own but at the same time, they don’t
want to live in an institution. Barnes says that’s why his organization
operates 14 group homes.
Giving people an option to live in an institution or in the community is a
relatively new concept. Barnes says it was only a few decades
ago that things were much different for disabled Americans.
State budget cuts could affect the ability of arc of the Ozarks to offer
choices to disabled people. When lawmakers return to Jefferson
City in January, they will consider where to reduce spending in the state
budget as the state deals with a decrease in revenues, brought on by the
recession. Barnes says he’s worried.
Arc of the Ozarks operates with a 7 million dollar budget made up of state
funding, property taxes collected in some counties, and federal funding.
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12/06/01: A Mother's Story
Morning Segment
Linda Steinshower’s life changed
dramatically eight years ago when she gave birth to her second child
Logan.
Missy server-ls1a, new2a, new2b, 4a, 4b, 4c regions-runs :34
Linda wasn’t the only
impacted by the birth of a child with downs syndrome. Her husband and
daughter underwent major changes as well.
Missy server-ls7a, new7b regions-runs :24
At age eight, Logan goes
to school at Willard central elementary. Linda says he’s integrated into
some classes but gets special assistance in certain areas.
Missy server-ls9a region-runs :15
Linda works with school
officials in carrying out an educational plan for Logan. She says it allows
her to work collaboratively with his teachers.
Missy server-ls11a, b, new11c, 11d-e regions-runs :50
Being in public school
has been a positive experience, according to Linda. She says so far, Logan
has found acceptance from his classmates.
Missy server-newls5a-c , new5d regions-runs :19
Linda says one of the
biggest reasons she, Logan and the rest of her family have dealt with the
disability with such success is because of the many resources available in
Springfield. Linda works for the network, an umbrella organization that
coordinates parent support groups, advocates for disabled children and
organizes social events for the kids and their families. But she says above
all, it’s Logan’s personality that makes him a unique individual, capable of
contributing to society and being successful in life.
Missy server-ls12a-e, 14a-e regions-runs :26
Living in Springfield, Linda Steinshower and her eight year son who has downs syndrome can get help from a variety of sources. Among those, the network…Steinshower is the program director for the network, an umbrella organization that coordinates parent support groups, advocates for disabled children and provides social activities for the kids and their families. While the network provides an extensive list of services, Steinshower says the network provides respite care to families in a limited area.
Here’s why some counties have respite care, workshops for the disabled and group homes while other counties don’t. In the 1970’s, the Missouri legislature allowed counties to vote on a property tax increase that would fund services for the disabled…some counties either rejected the increase or never voted on it. Even in counties without the tax levy, the network has set up parent support groups. Steinshower says it’s important to provide parents of disabled children with a way to stay connected to one another.
In addition to providing support for parents, the network recognizes the need to help the siblings of disabled children. Steinshower’s own daughter has taken part in the sib shops, group sessions with a psychologist who talks about the special issues siblings face.
Besides reaching out to the families of disabled children, the network also puts on puppet shows called kids on the block at schools in the area. The puppets have disabilities. Steinshower says the most popular puppet show focuses on teasing.
The network hosts several social events each year. And in may, the network is involved in the “get on the move” program…it’s an exhibit of equipment that’s designed to allow disabled people to participate in recreational activities like swimming, skydiving, and skiing.
12/04/01: Springfield Workshop, Inc.
When someone comes to
Elly Richter for a job, there are a few criteria they must meet…
Richter is in charge of hiring individuals with developmental
disabilities to work at Springfield workshop, incorporated.
At the workshop, disabled people age 16 and over can work in lite
manufacturing jobs. Sue Marshall is the
human resources manager at the workshop.
She explains what it means to have a developmental disability.
There are a wide range of tasks that call for a wide range of skills.
That allows even employees who are missing limbs or who can’t talk to
contribute to the process. Ray mc-Minimee
describes some of the jobs people do at the workshop.
The more than 90 workshops in Missouri receive state assistance. But mc-Minimee says that doesn’t mean the non-profit company doesn’t operate like a business. There is a bottom line and Richter says employees must meet their supervisor’s expectations.
The workshop itself is
spacious and open…There are six
departments where workers focus on a job suited to their ability.
One of the workers, b-j is doing a job for Kraft.
It involves sorting and wrapping bits of cardboard…she explains…
The most important thing about the workshop, according to Richter is the way
it makes the workers feel. She says the
employees are happy to be at work, despite what some critics say.
In addition to providing
a place for disabled people to work, the workshop is a way for people to
interact with a community of disabled people.
Mc-Minimee says the workshop plans special social events for employees
throughout the year.
Evening Segment
Cindy has worked at Springfield workshop, incorporated for 10 years.
Cindy and other employees at the workshop have developmental disabilities. The workshop is designed for disabled individuals who have the mental or physical capabilities to specific tasks related to light manufacturing jobs. Springfield workshop and others around the state receive some financial assistance from the state to help them stay afloat. Ray mc-Minimee oversees the Springfield workshop. He says the non-profit company tries not to rely on the state money…instead, the workshop gets as much business as it can from big manufacturers in the area.
Many of the employees at
the workshop do not earn minimum wage.
And the pay is not hourly.
Mc-Minime says it’s based on a
piece rate pay scale.
In addition to providing disabled people with a place to work, the workshop
also has a support services staff dedicated to finding jobs for disabled
people in the community. Mc-Minimee
says some people with disabilities have the skills to work at jobs outside
the workshop…it’s up to the support staff to convince companies to hire
disabled people.
The Springfield workshop is housed in a spacious facility near Bennett and scenic. There are six departments, each dedicated to a specific order. Depending on the abilities of the employees, there are a wide range of tasks that need to be done on any given day. Some employees drive forklifts, some operates saws, and some transfer paper files to computers. Elly Richter, the employee development advocate says many people have misconceptions about workshops.
Springfield workshop has been in existence since 1957 when a small group of parents with disabled sons and daughters came together to provide a safe environment, in which their children could work. Since then, the workshop has grown to more than 200 employees.
November - Incarceration and Families
11/29/01: Rebuilding a Family
At age 21, Destiny has been in state prison on drug charges and has three kids…now she’s out of jail and she’s ready to start over…
Living in a small apartment in Springfield, Destiny and her husband Chesley are trying to rebuild their lives…both have served time in jail after being caught smoking pot, a violation of their parole. They were on parole for burglary charges. At the time of their incarceration, their daughter Brianna was one year old and destiny was pregnant with daughter Sierra.
Being away from Brianna and his new baby made incarceration difficult for Chesley. And he says he knows the separation has had a lasting impact on Brianna.
Both Chesley and destiny have full-time jobs. And destiny is studying to be a paralegal. They say their paychecks barely cover the needs of a family of five. Destiny explains why it’s difficult to live outside the lucrative drug culture.
Those who have been incarcerated like Chesley and Destiny say making an honest living is difficult because few people are willing to forgive the past.
Destiny says overall, her family’s situation is good because she says if she and Chesley had not had the wake-up call of being incarcerated, things would be a lot worse.
Spending time with his 3-month-old son is something Chesley doesn’t take for granted. After all, he didn’t get to spend much time with his second child, Sierra when she was born because he was in jail, separated from the new baby and his other daughter, one-year-old Brianna…
Now 24-year-old Chesley and his wife, 21 year old destiny are out of jail, both having served time for drug charges. They work full-time and Destiny’s going back to college…they say it’s difficult to meet the needs of a family of five on their small paychecks. Destiny says if she could do things over again, she’d make different choices.
Destiny and Chesley say sometimes it feels like no one will give them a chance because of their incarceration. That only adds to the stress of providing for their three children. Chesley says it’s the stress that sometimes makes him want to revert back to his old way of life.
Destiny says she too finds it hard to resist the allure of getting high. But more than that, she says it’s the money that tempts her and makes her think about returning to the drug scene.
But Destiny and Chesley say they aren’t involved with drugs now because the stakes are too high. Destiny says the thought of being away from her children and locked up in prison is enough to keep her away from drugs.
Despite everything, destiny says things are good for her family…and she says this is her chance to start over…
11/27/01: Parents as Teachers Program for Kids of
Incarcerated Parents
The parents as teachers
program is free and open to anyone…and in the last couple of years, it’s
been available to some incarcerated women. While in prison, mothers learn
about the developmental milestones their children are going through.
Meanwhile, the children of incarcerated parents receive visits from a parent
educator like Lisa Cosby, who visits several families in Springfield. Cosby
spends time with children five and under, engaging them in age-appropriate
learning activities. She gives an example of what activities she might do
with a five year old.
The parents as teachers program prepares children for their first year of
school. But it also educates parents… Cosby says when working with a family
with an incarcerated parent, she makes copies of lessons and other
information and sends it to the prison.
One of the children in Springfield who has benefited from the parents as teachers program is three-year-old Gus. Regular visits from Nancy Bills, a parent educator elicit an excited response from Gus.
Bills says she’s trying to make sure Gus is ready to start kindergarten in a couple of years.
Gus’ mother, Kathy is participating in the parents as teachers program at the women’s prison in Vandalia. Kathy’s mother Phyllis is helping take care of Gus while Kathy serves a three year sentence…Phyllis says parents as teachers is an important link between Kathy and Gus because it’s unlikely Gus will visit his mother anytime soon.
Kathy and other women who participate in the parents as teachers program at the correctional center in Vandalia work with sandy morrow. Morrow says she teaches parents about the developmental stages a child goes through and gives the mothers an opportunity to create crafts that they can send to their children.
The parents as teachers program served more than 157 thousand families last year.
Rebecca is in the state prison at Vandalia, far away from her three young children. Because she doesn’t want them to see her behind bars, they haven’t visited her since she’s been incarcerated. She keeps in touch with them through the parents as teachers program.
Rebecca and other incarcerated mothers can sign up for parents as teachers. Through the program, parent educators visit with mothers in prison and with their children on the outside and facilitate communication. For example, the mothers can draw pictures and make other crafts and send them to their children. That’s what the mother of three-year-old Gus has done. Kathy is serving three years at the correctional facility at Vandalia. Though Gus hasn’t seen his mother since she went to jail in October, he has written her letters and Nancy Bills, a parent educator who visits Gus sends Kathy progress reports. Bills says in the last two years she’s been visiting Gus, she’s gotten close to him.
Phyllis is Gus’ grandmother. Gus lives with Phyllis and his great-grandmother, hazel. Bills says the women do an excellent job of stimulating Gus’ mind.
Nancy Bills visits Gus on
a regular basis and engages him in a wide range of activities.
She says she wants to prepare him for kindergarten.
One of the goals of the parents as teachers program is to teach parents
about the different child development stages.
Lisa Cosby, a parent educator in Springfield who works with families where
one parent is incarcerated says through the program, parents learn what
skills children should develop at what age.
The parents as teachers program is open to anyone…not just families dealing with incarceration. But it’s certainly having an impact on those families separated by prison bars. The women at the prison in Vandalia work with sandy morrow, a parent educator. She says the program provides parents and children with a connection.
Right now, the parents as teachers program is only available to inmates at Vandalia but federal grants will allow the program to expand to the state’s other women’s prison and several men’s facilities next year.
11/20/01: The Children Left Behind
Morning Segment
Gus is three years old. Since October third, his mother, Kathy has been in the state prison at Vandalia. Facing murder charges, Kathy entered a plea bargain and is serving three years though she maintains she acted in self-defense against an abusive man. In the meantime, Gus is trying to cope with his mother’s absence. His grandmother, Phyllis and his great-grandmother Hazel care for him. Hazel says it’s difficult trying to shield Gus from what’s happened.
Though he smiles a lot and isn’t shy when it comes to talking about his cat…
Gus has changed dramatically since his mother left. Phyllis says it’s been a struggle to deal with his change in behavior.
Not only do Hazel and Phyllis have to deal with the daily challenges of rearing a three year old boy but they also must grapple with the reality that Kathy is in prison. Phyllis says it’s painful to see her daughter behind bars.
Phyllis and Hazel maintain a regular schedule for Gus, one that is similar to the routine he had before his mother went to prison. But the routine doesn’t fill the void in Gus’ young life…he knows his mother is gone…
Because Gus is inquisitive about his mother and lots of other things, he’s enrolled in the parents as teachers program. Every few weeks, Nancy bills, a parent educator visits Gus and engages him in different learning activities. Bills then sends progress reports to Gus’ mother. Bills describes the activities she does with Gus.
Three-year-old Gus and his cat live in a small trailer with his grandmother Phyllis and great-grandmother Hazel. That’s been the arrangement since October third when his mother, Kathy was put in the state prison in Vandalia for murder. It’s difficult to explain to Gus why his mother is serving three years on a plea bargain she made in a murder case. Kathy, hazel and Phyllis claim it was a case of self-defense against a man who had abused Kathy countless times. Hazel and Phyllis don’t use the words jail or prison when talking to Gus about his mother. Here’s how Hazel has explained it to Gus.
Gus’ intelligence is apparent when you meet him. He’s friendly and asks lots of questions…
Though Gus appears to be
developing at a normal pace, hazel worries about the long-term impact the
separation will have on him. She believes the impact will be with him
forever.
Perhaps it’s because Gus understood that his mother wasn’t coming back for a
long time that he began misbehaving as soon as she went to prison. The
stress of caring for an emotionally distraught three-year-old boy has taken
its toll on hazel and Phyllis. Phyllis says Gus is doing better now but when
his mother first left, his behavior was uncontrollable.
Phyllis and hazel maintain a regular schedule for Gus, one that’s similar to
the routine he had with his mother. Experts from the state’s division of
family services have advised them that structure and consistency is
important.
Though Gus and his grandparents are struggling to deal with the incarceration of someone so dear to them, they still have occasion to laugh…especially Gus.
And they know things
could be a lot worse…
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11/15/01: Girl Scouts Beyond Bars
Children whose mothers
are incarcerated often refer to their caregiver as mom because they don’t
want their friends to know their real mother is in prison.
But Jill Sheer, program director
for girl scouts beyond bars says a special troop designed for the daughters
of incarcerated women allows girls to talk about their mom and mean their
biological mother.
Through the girl scouts beyond bars program, girls in the St Louis area
whose mothers are in prison can participate in a troop that does community
service projects and visits the women’s correctional facility at Vandalia
twice a month. Sheer explains how it works.
The regular troop meetings, annual cookie sales, and steady support provides
the girls with something stable.
Cathy Dabrowski, assistant executive director of the girls scout council of
greater St Louis says that’s important for girls who have had few stable
elements in their life.
The success of the
program, which began in 1996 has been measured through surveys and
observations since 1999.
Dabrowski says the program is
successful.
Perhaps one of the reasons incarcerated women continue to sign their daughters up for the girl scouts beyond bars program is the nature of the troop. Sheer says it’s really a support group for the girls.
It’s hard for a young girl whose mother is in prison to find a group where she fits in…that’s one reason the girl scouts beyond bars program in the St Louis area has flourished since it began in 1996. Jill Sheer, the program director says it’s important for people to understand these are good kids affected by bad circumstances.
Through the girl scouts beyond bars program, girls visit their mothers at the state prison in Vandalia twice a month. While there, they bond with their mothers while doing educational and community-oriented activities. But sheer says not all children instantly feel comfortable when visiting their incarcerated mother. For example, one young girl whose grandmother had not let her see her mother since she was incarcerated found it difficult to interact with her mother when she first visited her in prison.
Even after the girls become comfortable visiting their mothers at the prison, there can still be tension. Sheer says it’s natural for girls to respond that way to the absence of the mother in their everyday life.
Perhaps it’s the small things that make the girls feel comfortable in the troop dedicated to daughters of incarcerated women. Sheer says many girls like being able to talk about their mom and mean their biological mother, not their caregiver…she says at school and elsewhere, girls call their caregiver mom in order to hide the fact that their mother is in prison.
Right now, there are 32 girls in the program and measures of the program’s success show participants are less likely to worry about their incarcerated mother because they share the scouting experience.
11/13/01: In Their Own
Words
Rebecca says it’s because of her two children that she has stopped using drugs. She’s receiving help with her addiction while serving time at the state correctional facility in Vandalia. Rebecca says it’s been hard for her six-year-old son who knows where his mother is and why.
Rebecca’s children don’t visit her at the prison…she says she doesn’t want them to see her in the khaki prison uniform and escorted by armed guards. But Rebecca’s not like most women at the prison in Vandalia. One inmate from Kansas City, Lisa says her husband and five children make the 3-hour drive every week to see her. She says it’s okay for her children to see her in jail because she doesn’t want them to repeat her mistakes.
That’s a message she hasn’t been able to impart to one of her daughters. Lisa says it’s hard to convince an eighteen-year-old not to do drugs when you live in a bad neighborhood where drugs dealers are more common than mail carriers.
Both Lisa and Rebecca participate in various parenting programs at the prison. They say it’s one of the best ways to maintain a bond with their children. In the meantime, Rebecca is thinking about what she’s going to do when she gets out.
Lisa is three hours from her five children. They’re in Kansas City and she’s in the state correctional facility in Vandalia. Parole violation is what landed her in prison. She was on parole after serving time on drug charges and failed to show up to work one day. She says even though her incarceration is difficult on the family, it’s also brought them closer together.
The strength of family is what helps Peggy, a woman serving time on drug charges. But she says even though her son, who’s almost 2 years old lives her parents, it’s not the same as having his mom there.
Though Peggy’s son is too young to understand why his mom can’t come home, other prisoners have children who are old enough to understand. That’s the case with Deborah’s five-year-old son. She says serving time for forgery is something she couldn’t hide from her son.
Deborah says her son seems to be handling her absence well. She says it’s sparked his interest in law enforcement.
Though Deborah’s son appears to be well-adjusted, she says it will be difficult reconnecting with him when she gets out. She says it will take a long time before she’s able to fit into her son’s life again.
Many of the mothers behind bars worry about their children falling in their footsteps. Rebecca, the mother of 2 kids says she wants her children to know where she is and why she’s there so they won’t make the same mistakes.
Though her daughter has
visited her many times in jail, Lisa says her eighteen-year-old daughter is
already using drugs. She says that worries her.
All these women are involved in programs designed to improve their parenting
skills. They say they’re counting down the days till they can put their new
skills to use in the everyday interactions with their children.
11/08/01: Parents as Teachers Prison Program
Rebecca has 3 children
who are living in St Louis while she’s spending time in the state prison at
Vandalia. Thanks to the parents as teachers program, she’s able to keep in
close contact with them across the miles.
Rebecca is doing a 3-year sentence on drug charges. She decided to attend
the weekly parents as teachers meetings so she could learn how to be a
better parent to her three children. During the 12-week program, women learn
about a child’s developmental milestones, discipline, and self-esteem…in
addition to the weekly lessons and discussions, women have the chance to
color pictures or work on crafts and send them to their children. Rebecca
says it’s one way to be pro-active in her role as mother.
Sandy morrow is a parent educator with the parents as teachers prison
program.
Raising self-esteem in the inmates is a key component of the parents as
teachers program.
Morrow says inmates participate
in an exercise that shows how negative messages given to them during their
childhood affect them the rest of their life.
The parents as teachers program has helped another inmate, Lisa bond with
her five children.
Lisa is in prison for not going
to work while on parole.
Part of what makes the parents as teachers program successful is the consistent contact it encourages between parents and children. Morrow says she tells program participants that they have to make a commitment to send things to their children.
Right now, the state prison at Vandalia is the only institution that offers the parents as teachers program to inmates. But thanks to a federal grant several other facilities will get the program in the next year.
In the fourteen months
that Deborah has been in prison at the state lock-up in Vandalia, she’s
found a way to bond with her five-year old son. She meets every week with
the parents as teachers program. There, she learns about developmental steps
in her child’s life, discipline, and self-esteem. She also gets to color
pictures and send mail them to her son in poplar bluff. She says since she
only gets to see him every two to three months, it’s important to find ways
to stay connected.
Though Deborah says her son knows where she is and why she’s in prison, it’s
difficult to make him understand that she can’t come home for another year
and a half. She says being away from her young child is the worst thing
about prison.
The parents as teachers program does more than provide a way for parents to
send messages to their children. Sandy morrow, a parent educator at the
Vandalia prison says incarcerated parents can get information from their
child through the program.
The two way communication made possible through the parents as teachers
program has helped a number of women keep track of their children. Morrow
has this example.
Another woman that has
benefited from the parents as teachers program is Rebecca, who is serving a
three-year sentence on drug charges. She says she wants to be a good mom to
the three children she’s hardly seen since coming to prison five months ago.
So far, the parents as teachers program is only available to inmates at the
Vandalia prison.
But federal funding will allow the program to branch out into several other
institutions next year.
11/06/01: Story Link Program
Every month, Robin reads a book to her daughter six-year old Paige and drops the cassette and book in the mail.
Robin has been in prison
in Vandalia since Paige was a baby. Robin says being able to read a book to
her daughter on a regular basis provides a link between them.
The Storylink Program, which began in October of 1998 brings hundreds of
books into five of Missouri’s correctional facilities each month. Inmates
choose an age-appropriate book and volunteers record them reading the book.
The success of the Storylink program is evident in the growth of the program. During 1999, the first full year of the program at the Vandalia correctional facility for women, 442 books were read and sent to children. In 2000, that number was up to 846. Abendschein says Storylink has helped prisoners in several ways.
It costs about six dollars to buy supplies and mail the book for each offender. The Storylink Program depends on private donations to cover the costs. The Storylink Program has been a constant for Robin over the last three years. She says she appreciates the volunteers who make the program work.
Evening Segment
Since Robin came to the
state prison in Vandalia five years ago, she’s learned to deal with the
losses that comes with living behind bars.
One of the things robin has lost is daily contact with her daughter Paige
who is now six years old. One of the ways robin tries to fill the void in
her daughter’s life is by participating in the story link program.
Volunteers with the story link program come to the Vandalia prison once a
month.
They help inmates select books, record them reading the book and mail
the tape and book to the children. Robin says because she’s done it almost
every month for the last three years, it’s help strengthen their
relationship.
Story link began in
October of 1998. Dana Abendschein is the director. He says it’s always
exciting to see inmates who are participating in the program for the first
time.
For some parents, reading out loud can be a scary experience,
especially if they have low literacy skills. But Abendschein says there are
ways to work around that.
In some cases, inmates decide to read a story to their children even though they haven’t had contact with their kids for a long time. Abendschein says volunteers help them select books that are appropriate for their children.
Being able to provide a book to her daughter each month and a cassette with her voice on it has meant a great deal to robin.
She says it’s one way she can maintain a bond across the miles until she’s released from prison in 2005.
11/01/01: PATCH Program
Peggy is serving a fifteen-year sentence for drug charges at the state correctional facility in Vandalia. She says the hardest thing about being in prison is being separated from her son who’s almost 2 years old.
Almost every week, Peggy’s mother and sister make the two and a half hour drive from Lake Ozark so Peggy can see her son. Every four months, Peggy earns the privilege of having a private visit with her son…these private visits are part of the parents and their children program or PATCH.
Inmates are allowed to
visit their children for five hours in a private room, set off from the
regular visitation room if they’ve gone 90 days without any
infractions…women must also attend parenting classes before becoming
eligible for the PATCH program. Peggy describes how she feels about the
PATCH program.
Deanna Mc-Morris is the PATCH Director at the Vandalia prison. She
describes the private rooms in which PATCH visits occur.
Mc-Morris has a poster hanging in the PATCH visiting rooms…it says “why punish the children.” She says if children are not allowed to maintain a tight bond with their incarcerated parents, problems will arise.
Because she doesn’t want her son to repeat her mistakes, Peggy says she’ll talk to him about her drug problem. She says she also has a message for other young women who are into drugs.
The PATCH program has given Peggy the chance to spend quality time with her son. She says that’s valuable because her son was a newborn when she went to prison.
The impact of Peggy’s
incarceration has affected her mother. She says she worries about the
welfare of her daughter.
During the patch visit, Peggy sheds a few tears as she holds her son in her
arms.
But there’s far more laughter than tears as she plays games and reconnects
with her young child.
A fifteen-year sentence for drug charges will keep Peggy separated from her son. He’s two years old right now. She’ll be eligible for her first parole hearing in may of 2003…she describes how it feels to be locked up, unable to be a fulltime mother to her son.
Peggy’s mother and sister drive two and a half hours almost every week to bring her son from Lake Ozark to the women’s state prison at Vandalia. Every four months, Peggy has the chance to visit with her son in a special, private area maintained by the PATCH program. PATCH stands for parents and their children. These private rooms are designed to make the inmates and their children feel like they’re in a more home-like setting. Deanna Mc-Morris is the PATCH Director at Vandalia. She describes the rooms in which the PATCH visits take place.
The PATCH program gets rave reviews from Peggy…she says it’s better than being in the regular visiting room where there are lots of people.
The PATCH program has helped another inmate, Deborah. She’s serving time for forgery and has a 5 year old son who lives in poplar bluff. She says he looks forward to the patch visits.
Deborah says being in prison has put a strain on her relationship with her son. But she says it’s forced her to be honest with him about why she’s in jail.
Deborah says the hardest thing about being away from her son is not knowing what he’s doing everyday. She says it’s difficult to keep track of his activities.
The patch program has provided a chance for Deborah and other women to have some quiet, private time with their children. And for Peggy who has been in prison since her son was an infant, it’s a chance to get to know her son a little better.
October - Domestic Violence
10/30/01: Help for Abusers
Larry Copelin knows first hand what it means for a man to abuse his wife…
Those are the only two occasions Copelin says ever physically abused his wife but he says there were countless times he inflicted other forms of abuse. Part of the problem was that he didn’t recognize the problems with his behavior. He says he grew up in a home where there wasn’t good communication.
Larry Copelin’s desire to change led him to not only reform his own behavior and way of thinking…it led him to form a non-profit program called hit no more. It’s designed to educate men convicted of domestic violence. He says one of the key components is making men recognize and accept responsibility for what they’ve done.
The hit no more program runs 8 weeks. Abusers meet three hours a week and each week’s session costs 25 dollars. Copelin says in that time period, one of the goals is to help men understand what physical abuse is.
The success of the hit no more program depends on the motivation of the men in attendance. Copelin says he can only help men if they have the right attitude.
Not all the men in the hit no more program are there because a court has required them to attend. Some go because they recognize they need help. Copelin says if you met the men in his class on the street, you wouldn’t know the deeper problems they have.
Copelin’s program does not receive any grant funding. His attempts to tell state lawmakers about the program in the past have resulted in some hostile reactions. Copelin says it’s difficult to convince lawmakers to support a program that helps the abusers when so many domestic violence shelters need funding. While Copelin also offers a program for victims of abuse, he says it’s important to intervene and correct the behavior of the abusers so they’re less likely to hurt women in the future.
When men are convicted of domestic violence crimes in Greene county, the
judge often orders them to attend the hit no more program.
This educational program requires men to meet for three hours each week for
8 weeks.
They must pay 25 dollars to attend the weekly classes. The non-profit hit no
more program is the brainchild of Larry Copelin. A former abuser himself, he
wanted to help men recognize their behavior and correct it as he has done.
Copelin’s own experience as an abuser only included two acts of physical
abuse against his wife.
But he says that doesn’t make them any less egregious.
Copelin says he talks openly with the men in his class about his own
experiences as an abuser.
During the 8 week educational program, Copelin says he spends a great deal
of time defining abuse because men often don’t realize the extent to which
they abused their wives.
Copelin attributes the use of abuse to a man’s lack of maturity, among other
things. He says helping men mature in their communication style is a
critical component of the class.
Just before the end of the 8 week program, Copelin stresses to the men that
their rehabilitation doesn’t end. He says making a permanent change in your
life requires an ongoing effort.
The hit no more program does not receive any state or federal funding. It also does not receive any grant money…that’s due in part to the fact that Copelin believes abusers should have to pay. The other reason Copelin’s program does not receive external funding is because of a lack of interest and even hostility toward his program.
He says it’s been difficult getting state lawmakers to support his program when so many domestic violence shelters need money…but Copelin believes his program decreases the chances an abuser will continue his behavior and that, he says decreases the number of victims of domestic violence.
10/25/01: Children and Domestic Violence
Deborah Baker has seen hundreds of battered women come through the doors of the family violence center in Springfield. Almost all of them have children with them. Baker says many women stay in an abusive relationship and don’t leave until they realize their children are being abused as well…
Being in a home with domestic violence increases the likelihood children will be abused and neglected. It’s a fact Greene county prosecutor Darrell Moore knows all too well.
Beyond any physical abuse a child might suffer, experts agree children suffer emotionally and psychologically. Moore likens it to the trauma of watching the terrorist attacks unfold on September 11th.
The long term effects of firsthand exposure to violence can cause developmental delays, according to Ruth Ehresman. She’s the policy director for a lobby group called citizens for Missouri’s children.
Not only does exposure to domestic violence hinder development, it also sends children the wrong messages about how to interact with other people. Ehresman says that’s dangerous.
As battered women struggle with the complex issues associated with leaving an abuser, Baker says they face societal pressures. She says those pressure often overshadow what’s best for the woman and her children.
Advocates like Baker say education is the key to breaking the cycle of domestic violence. Baker says teaching children that family violence is not acceptable will decrease the likelihood that children will grow up to be an abuser or a victim.
When children witness
domestic violence at home, it’s something that effects the way children
behave at school and in the community.
Deborah Baker is in charge of community relations for the family
violence center in Springfield. She says domestic violence is a community
problem because it doesn’t stay confined to the home.
Breaking the cycle of domestic violence is a major concern for advocates
like baker. The cycle of domestic violence refers to the likelihood that
children who grow up in abusive homes will become abusers or victims of
abuse as adults. A local woman who goes by the name Morgan says she
understands how the cycle works in an intimate way. She was with a man who
abused her for five and a half years before leaving and going into hiding.
She says she grew up in an abusive home and believed abuse was the norm in
every family.
Morgan says her children
are doing well since they escaped the abuser. And she’s trying to teach them
that family violence is not okay.
Ruth Ehresman is the policy director for a lobbying group called citizens
for Missouri’s children.
Helping children cope with the emotional and psychological pain is a lifelong process. Deborah baker says women who stay with their abuser often don’t realize how devastating the impact is on their children…and women believe leaving their abuser will mean losing their children.
The family violence
center in Springfield has information on how to break the cycle of domestic
violence. You can call their domestic violence hotline at 864-7233.
10/23/01: Domestic Violence in Rural Areas
When women come to
Christos House in West Plaines, Anita Mitts says it’s because they’ve
escaped a violent situation in their own home.
Mitts is the co-director
of Christos House, a shelter where women in an 8 county region of South
Central Missouri can find safe haven.
Trying to serve victims of domestic violence in an 8-county area is
challenging. Mitts says the geography
of the region creates a place where domestic violence can thrive undetected.
Just south of
Springfield, in the Branson/Kimberling city area the Harbor Lights Program
provides a unique shelter for battered women.
Paula Jason, the executive director of the program explains.
Though Harbor Lights
provides shelter and services to as many as 400 people each year, Paula
Jason says there are many women and children who need the services but
haven’t fled the abuse.
Paula Jason and Anita Mitts say battered women need to realize there’s help whether they live in an urban or rural area.
Living in rural areas of the Ozarks means living in isolation. And Anita Mitts, co-director of a domestic violence shelter in West Plains says that isolation allows domestic violence to flourish.
Mitts oversees Christos House in West Plains. She says many of the women who come to the shelter need help with their education in order to live independently.
While Christos House serves an 8-county region in South Central Missouri, the Harbor Lights Program operates in the Branson/Kimberling city area. Paula Jason is the Executive Director of Harbor Lights. She says two factors contribute to the prevalence of domestic violence: isolation and the local economy.
Harbor Lights provides what they call a shelter without walls. Battered women who need shelter are placed in local hotels and resorts until they’re able to find more permanent safe housing. In addition to sheltering women and children, Harbor Lights provides other services.
Paula Jason says providing a wide-range of services to battered women creates a support system in which women can rebuild their lives. She says that’s critical because domestic violence strips them of almost everything they have.
Once women leave a shelter, the support system is still in place. Anita Mitts says the staff at Christos House keeps in regular contact with women once they are self-sufficient and on their own.
Both Christos House and Harbor Lights rely heavily on private donations from the public. The directors of both shelters say the local communities in their area have been very generous in providing financial support.
10/18/01: Domestic Violence: A Prosecutor's
Perspective
Trying to pursue domestic violence cases presents Greene county prosecutor Darrell Moore with a lot of challenges…
The unwillingness of
victims to assist in the prosecution of their abuser often hinders
prosecution.
Staffing shortages in the prosecutors office prevents quick contact with all victims of domestic violence. In recent years, Moore has tried to work around that. He says sometimes, cases can move forward without a victim’s testimony.
The exception to the hear-say rule allows police officers to recount on the witness stand what the victim said at the scene of the crime. Moore says immediately following the abuse, a victim will make excited utterances.
In some cases, battered
women don’t want to participate in the prosecution because they fear the
abuser.
The Greene county prosecutor’s office is trying to secure about two hundred thousand dollars from the federal government. That money would be used to hire a paralegal and two domestic violence advocates. Moore says he believes that would reduce the number of dismissed cases because earlier intervention would be possible.
Talking with domestic violence victims within 24 hours of an attack is critical in convincing the victim to assist in the prosecution of their abuser. Greene county prosecutor Darrell Moore says if his office could intervene that quickly, there would be fewer cases dismissed because of a lack of evidence.
When an defendant is
charged with domestic violence for the first time, Moore doesn’t always seek
jail time. He says when possible, he wants to provide these offenders with
help.
When an individual is
arrested for domestic violence, they do spend some time in jail right away. Moore says the jail time allows victims the chance to escape the
situation.
Something else that would
help according to Moore is the creation of a court devoted to domestic
violence cases. Moore says that’s worked well in other areas of the state.
Moore says something
that’s often overlooked in the judicial system is the impact of domestic
violence on children. He says children are 30 to 60 percent more likely to be abused or
neglected if the parents are abusive to each other.
Right now, resources devoted to domestic violence cases in the prosecutor’s office are stretched very thin. Moore says he’s looking at a number of funding sources that would allow him to hire two domestic violence advocates who would work at satellite offices in the community.
10/16/01: Family Violence Center
Morning Segment
More than 635 women and children sought
shelter from an abuser at Springfield’s family violence center in 2000.
Deborah baker, the community educator at the center says when these
displaced women and children come to the shelter for help, they’re often
empty handed.
One of the first things
women receive when they come to the family violence center is legal
assistance. Baker says abused women
need the courts to intervene and keep them safe.
Baker says the family
violence center provides a way for women who have escaped abusive
relationships to become self-sufficient.
Teaching battered women how to break the cycle
is critical, according to baker. She says oftentimes, it requires women to
resist societal pressures in order to do what’s best for her and her
children.
Because it takes an
abused woman an average of eight tries before she leaves the abuser for
good, the family violence center doesn’t limit the number of times a woman
can use its services. Baker says the doors of the shelter are always open to battered
women.
Even if domestic violence has never touched your life, it can affect you.
Baker says in general, people are uneducated when it comes to identifying
domestic violence and understanding the consequences that affect the larger
community.
Baker says one in every ten abused women reports the abuse. And for those
who are ready to leave their abuser, the Springfield family violence center
has an abuse hotline…the number is 864-7233.
The family violence
center’s shelter can accommodate as many as 70 women and children at one
time.
And there are so many
battered women in the area that the shelter stays at or near capacity most
of the time. Deborah Baker, the
community educator at the center says not all battered women are ready to
leave their abuser even when they call the abuse hotline from the hospital
following an attack.
Not all abusers harm their wives so
badly that they have to go to the emergency room.
In many cases, Baker says the abuser intentionally hurts the woman in such a
way that the bruises and scars are not obvious to others.
In some cases, there may not be any physical abuse at all.
But Baker says emotional
abuse is traumatic and harmful.
Baker says it can be
difficult to identify a woman who’s being abused.
But she says there are
some things to look for…
The family violence center has a domestic violence hotline…the number is 417-864-7233.
10/11/01: A Victim of Domestic Violence
Morning Segment
She won’t give more than
her first name and Morgan isn’t even the name she was given at birth…
Morgan is scared because she’s hiding from a man who physically and
emotionally abused her. And she has the scars to prove it.
Morgan says she stayed in an abusive relationship for five and a half years.
She explains why she decided to leave the relationship.
For those who have never experienced domestic abuse, it sometimes seems
difficult to understand why someone would continue to live with someone
abusive.
But it was difficult for Morgan to leave because she knew she’d have to
move, change her name, try to get a job without giving references, and
raising children on one income.
She says he threatened to harm her if she left.
Morgan has been in therapy, trying to work through the emotional toll the
relationship took on her. One of the things she’s dealing with is trying to find answers to
lingering questions.
Morgan says her children are doing well and thriving since she took them
away from the abuser. But she says her children have some issues they must
work through.
Morgan says she’s glad she got out…
Battered women often go into hiding. That’s the case for a woman now living in southwest Missouri…she can’t say where she moved from and she changed her name to Morgan. Morgan says she has reason to fear for her life.
Morgan has reason to believe this man will act on these threats. He physically harmed her during their five and a half year relationship.
But there was more than physical abuse. Morgan says her husband and his immediate family ruined her self-esteem.
When Morgan first met the
man who eventually would bring so much pain to her life, he seemed like a
great guy. She warns other women not to be deceived about appearances.
Morgan says the abuser’s
behavior was unpredictable. She found herself second-guessing everything she
did because she didn’t want to upset him. Morgan says it affected her
children.
Indeed, Morgan did get out of the abusive relationship. One night, a threatening phone call from the abuser was enough to convince her to take her children and leave. She’s been in hiding ever since.
Morgan feels a lot of
pain when she thinks about the countless women who have not left their
abuser. But she wants to tell them, they can get out of that situation.
Morgan says she’s happy now that she’s out of the abusive relationship. She says she wants to encourage other women to call for help. In Springfield, the family violence center has an abuse hotline. The number is 864-7233.
10/09/01: Law Enforcement and Domestic Violence
Morning Segment
Some people underestimate
the seriousness of domestic violence…but Springfield police officer Kirk
Manlove says domestic violence can have deadly consequences…
In an effort to prevent domestic violence from escalating to murder, Manlove says state lawmakers passed legislation clarifying how officers respond to domestic violence calls. Manlove says Missouri lawmakers realized a decade ago that there was no consistency in how police departments in the state treated domestic violence.
Because the state has
sought to clearly define crimes related to domestic violence, there are a
lot of statutes for police officers to know. Manlove says learning the law
is a big part of a new officer’s initial domestic violence training…training
that takes four 8-hour days.
Domestic violence is a large problem in the Springfield area, according to
Manlove. He has these statistics on the number of domestic disturbance calls
to the department.
When officers respond to a domestic violence call, there are certain guidelines they follow in determining whether or not to make an arrest. Manlove explains.
Oftentimes, victims of domestic violence don’t tell police officers the truth about just happened to them. Manlove says that can be frustrating.
Police officers in Springfield receive intensive domestic violence training before joining the force.
Knowing how to handle
emotionally distressed people who are embroiled in a domestic disturbance is
difficult.
That’s why incoming officers with the Springfield police department
spend four 8-hour days studying domestic violence. Kirk Manlove says officers must know what they’re walking into when
they respond to a domestic violence call.
In the first half of this year, Springfield police officers responded to a number of calls that exceeded the number of domestic disturbance calls made during all of 1999. Manlove says statistics on domestic violence calls include domestic disputes beyond those between a husband and wife. He explains how the law defines domestic violence.
Police officers learn
quickly that there isn’t one type of family that’s most likely to be
involved in domestic violence. Manlove says people have the misconception
that people with a low socio-economic status are the only ones who
experience domestic violence.
With domestic violence, children sometimes are caught in the middle. Manlove says when officers respond to a domestic violence call, one of the first things they do is make sure the children are taken care of.
When officers find
children who have witnessed domestic violence, Manlove says they conduct
interviews with the children.
Officers not only record the statements of children, they take testimony from all parties involved. That becomes especially important later when it’s time to go to court. Manlove says sometimes victims of domestic violence are reluctant to testify.
