Help Community Corrections Improvement Association

Community Corrections Improvement Association

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cause Description:
The Community Corrections Improvement Association (CCIA) is an IRC 501 C (3) Charitable Organization, established in 1991. The CCIA is the private foundation arm of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services. The mission of the CCIA is to support community based corrections with community involvement, environmental stewardship, acceptance, and financial resources to establish and embrace pro-active programs that break the cycle of dysfunction for the family. To ensure the success of our mission the CCIA employs the following objectives: community mobilization, redefinition of critical issues, and on-going support of capacity building in the community. The creation of this foundation is unique, particularly in the field of corrections. It was the first of its kind in the nation, and is a leader in national, state, and local corrections issues. In June 1998, the CCIA was named a finalist of AMERICA’S Best Innovation Awards by the Council of State Governments. The CCIA was one of ten programs in an eleven-state region to be recognized. The CCIA application was chosen from 230 applications. The CCIA has created many programs to promote this process. The foundation knows and understands the importance of providing resources to the offender and their families to make positive changes in their lifestyles; therefore, CCIA is always in search of and/or developing new and innovative programming. Likewise, the CCIA is a strong proponent of prevention, intervention, and diversion. CCIA has developed and implemented long-term youth programming for potentially high benefit youth that will successfully prevent, intervene, and divert youth away from negative influences. Examples of the foundation's youth programing are: YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM: The Youth Leadership Program is a comprehensive 7-year prevention program that targets potentially high-benefit youth, a term selected by the original Youth Leadership Program committee, to deter the negativism of “at-risk”. The emphasis of the program is to provide opportunities to help youth develop the skills necessary to become the very best they can be. We accomplish these goals by providing the opportunities to: • Connect with positive adult role models, • Participate in experiential and fun leadership/character education, • Participate in productive use of unstructured time, • Give back and connect to the community and school where they participate, and • Become a part of a stronger family unit The youth are nominated by their grade school guidance counselors in 5th grade and participate in the program from 6th through 12th grade. The program is totally free of charge to the youth and their families. Free transportation is provided to all Youth Leadership program activities. The program delivery involves three major components: • Summer Program/Day Camp • After-School Programming • Family Enrichment Program PEER REVIEW COURT OF LINN COUNTY Peer Review Court of Linn County (hereafter referred to as Peer Court) is a program by which juvenile offenders are sentenced by their peers. This program serves as a diversion and/or early intervention alternative for juveniles in the justice system, and has been operational since June 2000. Peer Court is a voluntary diversion program for simple and serious misdemeanor offenders age 10 - 17. If the defendant successfully completes the disposition handed down by the Peer Court, the offense is closed from his/her juvenile court record. The only adult volunteer directly involved in the hearing is the judge. Linn County youth ages 12-18 comprise Peer Court, and serve as defense attorneys, prosecuting attorneys, jurors, court attendant, and bailiff. Overall Mission and Expected Outcomes: The mission of Peer Review Court of Linn County is to assert and sustain citizenship among juveniles through an integrated approach of peer facilitation that promotes accountability and law-abiding behavior through education and competency development for all respondents and youth volunteers. The expected outcomes for Peer Court are as follows: • To reduce recidivism rates for juvenile offenders • To prevent youth volunteers from committing criminal offenses. Peer Review Court of Linn County is unique to this community. There are no other programs in the county that offer juvenile offenders the opportunity to be sentenced by their peers and have their official juvenile court record cleared of a criminal offense. In addition, Youth Court is the only program in the community that enables youth to make legally binding decisions that facilitate lifestyle changes in their peers. Peer Review Court of Linn County upholds the mission and purpose of The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). This mission is programming which will help prevent or intervene in delinquent behavior and provide youth with the skills and values necessary to make choices that lead to positive outcomes, while at the same time holding youth accountable for their actions. The OJJDP agency goals also promote delinquency prevention and early intervention efforts that reduce the flow of youthful offenders into the juvenile justice system. LEAN ON ME - PEER EDUCATION FACILITATION GROUP Year three has been a lot of hard work as Lean on Me (L.O.M.) has expanded into other Linn County schools and communities. The program has been presented to five hundred students in the communities of Cedar Rapids, Marion (Linn-Mar High School), and Mount Vernon. With this expansion, L.O.M. has trained additional Peer Facilitators who attend high schools in Cedar Rapids, Marion, Linn Mar, and Center Point; one hundred eighty five youth have been trained. L.O.M. has incorporated the technique of “Forum Theater” into their presentations. Forum or Issues Theater uses role-playing, or the creation of a scene about a relevant issue, to encourage dialogue about the topic with the participants. Each of the L.O.M. presentations begins with a teambuilding game, which is followed by activities that develop improvisation skills and encourage audience participation. The students talk with middle schools students about three main topics- Drugs and Alcohol, Healthy Relationships, and Diversity. The three topics are presented by the sub-groups and students chose the topic most relevant to their lives. The sub-groups include IMPACT (formerly an ASAC program), Sweet Connections, and TruColors (sic). Each sub-group is supported by an adult volunteer whose career is connected to the issue of the sub-group. In addition, during this school year, Lean On Me and the Linn-Mar School District collaborated to bring Rock In Prevention to the Linn Mar elementary and middle schools. Like Lean on Me, Rock in Prevention is a curriculum based on interactive learning, with high school students role playing refusal techniques with the younger students. The program uses music to prevent drug and alcohol use among students and has proven positive results. This summer L.O.M. is excited to begin training Peer Facilitators in Mount Vernon as part of their commitment to extend into rural communities.

Type: Scientific/Technological
Listed on iGive since: April 2003
iGive members supporting: 5

Website: iowacbc.org

Raised through iGive: $23.82 across 1 check, April 2003 to April 2003.

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