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76 Fed. Probation 30 (2012)
Prisons, Community Partnerships, and Academia: Sustainable Programs and Community Needs

handle is hein.journals/fedpro76 and id is 32 raw text is: Prisons, Community Partnerships, and Academia: Sustainable Programs and Community Needs Peter Boghossian Philosophy Department, Portland State University Megan Glavin College of Urban and Public Affairs: Hatfield School of Government (Criminology & Criminal Justice Division), Portland State University Tom O'Connor Transforming Corrections Jeff Boyer Columbia River Correctional Institution Dave Conway Oregon Corrections Enterprises IN RECENT YEARS, the effect of the economic downturn on state budgets has exacerbated the urgent needs of our most vulnerable citizens. Services across an array of state institutions have been cut, often significantly, with potential consequences threatening to have cascading effects and further overwhelm an insolvent system. There is an immediate need for innovative, low-cost programs to meet community needs. One of the most underserved arenas, and one of the hardest hit by diminishing resources, are state prisons, where inmate programming is often the first service to face cuts (Brazzell, Crayton, Mukamal, Solomon, & Lindahl, 2009; Wilhelm & Turner, 2002; Williams, 2009). Among the many targets of cuts in pre-release services for inmates are vocational and educational programs, as well as substance abuse treatment services (Brazzell-et al., 2009; Stevens & Ward, 1997; Wilhelm & Turner, 2002). Fortunately, there are cost-effective and efficient solutions to help meet the needs of com- munity members, address social and educational inequalities, and assist prisons in discharging public safety mandates. Community-academic partnerships are increasingly seen as a way to bring vital resources to the community and to underfunded state institutions. Regrettably, however, there is a dearth of literature on how universities and prison systems can create sus- tainable partnerships. There are many reasons for this. For academicians, chief among their concerns are: unfamiliar rules, bureaucratic hurdles, hesitancy in dealing with members of a pro- tected class:' liability issues associated with the perceived dangers of being in a prison environment, and even fears of cultural and socioeconomic clashes between academicians and prison staff (Brazzell et al., 2009; Bringle & Hatcher, 2002; Nyden & Wiewel, 1992; Schultz, 1992; Suarez-Balcazar, Harper, & Lewis, 2005; Wolff & Gerardi, 2007). Prison management teams have somewhat different concerns; they fear the introduction of pro- grams and curricula that are not sanctioned by the state bureaucracy, as well as the establish- ment of non-evidence-based programs that do not contribute to inmates' desistance efforts (J. Boyer, personal communication, June, 2011). The purpose of this paper is to thematically address these issues by: 1. Discussing a successful, sustainable com- munity partnership between Portland State University (PSU) and an Oregon Department of Corrections (ODOC) state prison, Columbia River Correctional Institution (CRCI); 2. Demonstrating the relevance of salient elements in the literature to the specific partnership detailed here; and 3. Explaining the benefits of academic-prison partnerships for the correctional system, academic institutions, inmates, and the community at large. Community Partnership In 2009, PSU started a partnership with the local state prison, CRCI. CRCI is a pre-release facility with approximately 550 beds, located in northeast Portland, Oregon. The partner- ship grew out of an environment of mutual concern and genuine interest-both PSU and CRCI recognized the gathering storm of an economic crisis, the profound and inade- quately-addressed needs of prisoners releasing to the community, and attendant issues of public safety. With full support of CRCI's Volume 76 Number 1 30 FEDERAL PROBATION

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