Guardian Shelter’s Debra Mitchell visits Wilkinson prison

She speaks about services to battered women and prison donation of cell phones

Debra Mitchell and Warden Jody Bradley

Woodville, Miss. – Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF) recently welcomed Social Worker Debra Mitchell of The Guardian Shelter as the guest speaker for its First Quarter Community Relations Meeting. The shelter is affiliated with Catholic Charities.

“My job is to case manage the ladies who come into our facility from domestic violence,” Mitchell said. “My job is to take care of the needs of those ladies, to help them find jobs, to help them get their resumes prepared and to assist them in finding affordable housing.”

About 30 people attended the meeting, including Austin Fratesi, who serves as field representative for U.S. Congressman Gregg Harper. Others in attendance included church leaders and representatives of a local hospital. WCCF provided a meal for the event.

The audience heard reports from Warden Jody Bradley, who commented on the facility’s community service projects, and Chaplain Roscoe Barnes III, who gave updates on the work of the Anne Moody History Project.

Bradley said he enjoyed Mitchell’s presentation. “After hearing her speak, I admire and respect her -- and her staff -- for what they do specifically for those in need of this service,” he said. “It’s a credit to our part of Mississippi for what they accomplish on a regular basis.”

Emma Taplin,  left, event coordinator,
and Debra Mitchell

Mitchell, a graduate of Alcorn State University, shared examples of how her organization works to protect battered women and children. She also took a moment to thank WCCF for the 25 new cell phones it donated to the shelter in February.

Mitchell said the phones are a necessity now. When the ladies come to the shelter, they need all of the assistance they can get, she said.

In a letter to WCCF, Mitchell wrote: “The Guardian Shelter is thankful for your generosity to our shelter. The families will greatly benefit from your donation. We serve families 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We provide transportation, daycare, food, counseling, job skills and resume’ preparation to name a few of the services we provide.”

Mitchell said the donation will “help a family or individual who may otherwise not have a telephone.”

WCCF, located in southwest Mississippi, is privately run by Management & Training Corporation (MTC) of Utah.

Warden Jody Bradley, left, and Austin Fratesi, field representative for U.S. Congressman Gregg Harper.