Chaplain, Wilkinson County Correctional Facility
Copyright (c) 2020
#MTCChangesLives
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This is a collection of news briefs I compiled for The
Woodville Republican (Woodville, Miss.). The collection is set to appear
as a quarter-page ad on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020. Wilkinson County Correctional
Facility (WCCF), Woodville, where I serve as chaplain, is publishing its news
in this format each quarter in the local newspaper.
What’s Happening
at
Wilkinson County
Correctional Facility
Pickett named Employee of the Month
WCCF recognized Officer Richard Pickett as Employee of
the Month for January. Human Resource Manager Kelly Pomeroy thanked him for his
“dedication and a job well done.” Pickett has been employed at the facility
since October 2015.
WCCF Forming Prison Bands
Executive Administrative Michelle Higginbotham is leading
a new program that will feature bands formed by the men incarcerated at the
facility. Higginbotham. WCCF has purchased instruments. Higginbotham is auditioning
singers and musicians. She hopes to have at least one band organized and
performing by March. “This is an excellent program,” Higginbotham said. “The
men will be able to write music, script lyrics and express themselves through
all genres of music.”
Alcohol & Drug Classes Graduate
Ten students in the Short Term Alcohol & Drug program
graduated on December 10, 2019. They were followed by 18 students in the Long
Term A&D program who graduated on January 15. In addition to Certificates
of Completion, all of the students received incentive care bags, according to
Substance Abuse Counselors Angela Coleman. “Three of the students had already
made parole and would be released pending the completion of the class,” she
said. “Those students were extremely excited and look forward to returning
home.”
Staff Becomes Certified Firearm Instructors
Several WCCF staff members, including one from Marshall
County Correctional Facility (MCCF), are now certified firearm instructors.
They are, from left: Captain Micheal Anderson, Lieutenant Kirsten McCloud
(MCCF), Lieutenant Harry Dawson, Training Lieutenant LaTonya Malone, CERT
Sergeant Charles Pointe, and Instructor Dwayne Anthony. All of them attended
the Total Control Training Institute in Yazoo, where they completed 40 hours of
training in the Firearm Instructor Survival Training Course and the Shotgun
Instructor Survival Training Course.
Christmas Care Packages Distributed
WCCF staff handed out care packages to 900 men for the
Christmas holiday season. The packages, which are distributed each year,
contained hygiene items, candy, and literature.
Christmas Concert Held By Sanctuary Choir
The Sanctuary Choir of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Natchez, held a Christmas Concert at the facility in December 2019. The annual event was coordinated by Deacon Frank Hill Jr. and Alvin Shelby, minister of music. The Rev. Wilsonni Johnson served as guest speaker. WCCF staff and offenders attended the event.
New Arts & Crafts Program Launched
Recreational Specialist Emily Guth said that she and the
men housed at WCCF are excited about a new hobby craft program. “It’s in the
beginning stages,” said Guth, who serves as director of the program. “We want
to get men from each zone into the classroom where they can learn to draw and
paint.”
New Program: ‘Thinking For A Change’
WCCF is introducing a new integrated cognitive behavior
change program called “Thinking for a Change.” The program is being facilitated
by Warehouse Supervisor Ruby Dixon, Zone Sergeant Tiffany Ware, Substance Abuse
Counselor Angela Coleman, and Re-entry Coordinator Keyla Williams.
Reentry Program Receives Visit by Win Job Center
Specialist
The WCCF Reentry Program is working to assist
incarcerated men with a successful transition to their community. On Thursday,
Jan. 23, 2020, the offenders met with an Employment Specialist from WIN Job
Center. The WIN Job Center has important resources that provide job placement
assistance, job and skill training, career counseling and referral to many
other valuable services.
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ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is a writer, chaplain, historian, and former newspaper reporter. He is the author of more than a dozen books and Gospel tracts. For more information about his work and history, see his Personal Profile here or visit his website: http://www.roscoebarnes.net. Connect with him on Twitter (@roscoebarnes3) or by email: roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com.
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