Page 29 - May2019_BarJournal

COLuMN BarJournal

JULY/AUGUST 2015

Women on tHe rise:

Empowering an Invisible Population

Lauren Bailey j UDges corner

here are 1,500 women For a period of weeks, the pair live and students are hungry for interaction and
in prison in downtown work together, with the inmate completely perspective, and once they feel comfortable,
Cleveland. Yes, really! The responsible for the dog’s care. In another open up and share ideas on ways to improve
Department of Rehabilitation program participants learn to drive big rigs themselves and their surroundings. Often,
T and Corrections operates and earn their CDL. There are acting classes, while speaking about topics such as finding
a prison within the city. At the Northeast creative writing classes, and a sign language your voice, positive affirmations, or making
Reintegration Center (NERC), women from choir. A woman in our class is hopeful she a short-term and long-term re-entry plan, I
all over the state are serving sentences with can get her certificate and work as a sign look up to see a woman with tears silently
prison terms ranging from a year to life in language interpreter upon release. streaming down her face.
prison. NERC is just south of Tri-C. You pass The people we meet during these visits There will always be prisons, and people
it on your way home from work or driving have a range of questions and issues. Some will always make mistakes, but it is important
to a Cavs game. In the heart of the city, an questions are easy to answer (how long to consider how we offer forgiveness and
invisible population lives, works, and dreams they had to wait to file a motion for judicial support to those who are re-entering society.
of a better future. release) and some more complex, or even There are many businesses and nonprofits
Every two weeks Judge Nancy Margaret unanswerable (how will their families that you can patronize such as Towards
Russo leads a class of 150 women at NERC accept them once released). It is clear those Employment’s downtown bakery, Bloom, or
focusing on self-esteem and decision- incarcerated want an honest connection, to Edwin’s Leadership and Restaurant Institute.
making. The idea to teach this class grew be seen and heard. While the outside world You can also directly support the women
from Judge Russo’s regular prison visits as goes on, largely forgetting about them, at NERC by donating books and DVDs;
part of her Re-Entry Court (REEC) outreach. people in prison are still living their lives and these simple things mean so much. You
Re-entry Court is a form of judicial trying to create a better future. can partner in the important work of Re-
release that offers intensive, personalized Judge Russo and I started discussing what Entry Court by visiting a group session and
supervision and boasts a success rate of more we could do to support rehabilitation. learning more. The REEC team, led by Judge
92% — only 8% of Judge Russo’s Re-Entry The idea to teach a class naturally evolved. Russo, believes that successful re-entry after
court participants have a new criminal We called the class “Rising” and made prison requires understanding and support.
case within three years of completing her it discussion based; we limit lecture and The people coming home are part of our
program, compared with a recidivism rate encourage participation and ideas from the community, and any small kindness you offer
of 29.2% generally in Ohio and almost 50% women in class. means more than you can know. Work with
nationally. The Judge visits area prisons and The students’ honesty and vulnerability us to make this hidden population visible
gives seminars to prisoners about REEC, still shocks me. Many have sharp insights and lessen the stigma our students face.
the first re-entry court in the state and one and are open and willing to talk about
of the most successful in the country. painful experiences and share personal
Walking into a prison is eye opening and anecdotes about their family, grandmas Lauren Bailey is staff attorney to The Honorable
humbling, I first visited one as part of Judge who raised them, and the struggles they Nancy Margaret Russo and a graduate of Case
Russo’s REEC outreach. Prisons are an active face being mothers in prison. Behind our Western Reserve University Law School. Her
ecosystem distinct from the world outside, classroom, there is a child’s play center professional interests include criminal justice
yet still part of our community. Ohio prisons decorated with murals and a variety of reform, civil rights, and mediation. She lives
offer programming that primarily focuses books and toys, but, whenever we visit, the in West Park with her husband, Ross DiBello,
on educational and vocational training with play area is dark and empty. and newly adopted dog. She is an avid reader
some surprising courses. Our intent is to create a positive, safe and volunteer at the Cleveland City Kennel.
Grafton Correctional Institution, for environment where our students can hear She has been a CMBA member since 2014. She
example, offers a program that pairs an they are worthy and valued and, from can be reached at (216) 698-2666 or ldbailey@
inmate with a rescue dog for training. there, work to make better choices. The cuyahogacounty.us.
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