1. Ohio is working hard to decrease the prison population through more effective community and re-entry methods.
2. Losing a mother to crack, being on your own after numerous foster home and group home placements, and pleading guilty to and serving time on a felony you didn’t commit didn’t hold Rayshawn Wilson back from being successful and inspiring. His battle is fierce and he sites “purpose” as the secret ingredient to driving motivation and how this and attitude, thoughts and belief and believing in something greater than themselves are key factors he has noted in those who bring desistance from crime for many who don’t go back to crime (like himself).
Check out Rayshawn Wilson’s new book, LionHeart: Coming From Where I’m From.
3. We met community corrections workers that need an automated system that will create their reports and documents for them, scores their assessments for them, write up incidents for them, track dosage and structured time for them… so they can have more time to do their important client work that they are clearly passionate about doing!4. Hip Hop culture has its own set of values and while it may be fun to dance to the music, the messages and values it reinforces glorify the gangster lifestyle and the amount of young men that are incarcerated because of it are far more than the few that get rich and success out of it. According to Wallace Green, some of the same people that own the media also own the prisons… so he asks some of his clients, who is really pimping who?
5. Community corrections staff in Ohio, whether it be probation, CBCF (community based correctional facility) or re-entry programs, all seek to meet the four positives to one negative ratio when working with their clients (at least the ones I spoke to). Positive reinforcement and treatment are a priority to staff and they seem dedicated to the cause.
6. Having a live band inspired a well-deserved moment to just dance (and even sing…)
