Women At Risk When I first visited 218 Patton Avenue to take lunch to the “Women at Risk” program, I was surprised by the building– a quaint pebble-and-dash cottage with immaculate green trim. As I entered, party tray in hand, my surprise turned to astonishment. Besides the friendly receptionist and the usual office clutter, I found hardwood floors, Oriental carpet runners, and the most beautiful tile fireplaces I have ever seen. Indeed, I was to learn, Western Carolinians for Criminal Justice, the parent organization of Women at Risk, occupies the painstakingly restored “Minnie Alexander Cottage,” designed in 1904 by the renowned Richard Sharp Smith and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Why on earth were they treating criminal offenders in a place like this? Were they nuts? Over the past two years, as I have come to know more about WCCJ/Women at Risk, the elegant yet nurturing space it inhabits has, for me, come to be its perfect physical symbol. The program is as unique as the building. As a physician, I like things that are based on data. And as the science of criminology has evolved, one interesting fact that has been documented is that women are different from men! Or more to the point, women who break the law are different from men who break the law. Women are much less violent, their crimes are much less brutal. Women offenders’ characteristics include extremely high rates of having been physically and/or sexually abused, and perhaps consequentially, high rates of psychiatric illnesses (such as depression and PTSD) and of substance abuse and addiction. Importantly, female offenders have proved capable of being rehabilitated and returned to lawful society by means other than incarceration – methods that are not only unencumbered by the damaging baggage of imprisonment, but also both effective and cheaper. The people at WCCJ took these principles and crafted a program of rehabilitation that incorporates transformation and accountability for women in trouble who are referred by courts, attorneys, social workers, therapists – or themselves. The program involves: 1. psychological counseling; 2. addressing substance abuse problems, if necessary; 3. case management to address issues of education, 4. employment, housing, transportation, child care, etc. 5. guidance through the court system.
I like to think that there is a fifth tenet of the WCCJ/Women at Risk therapeutic model. And that is the nurturing and restorative hospitality, safety, and security that fill the Minnie Alexander Cottage. Every Wednesday, before the Women at Risk group therapy meeting, a community group provides lunch for the program clients and staff. First Presbyterian takes a turn about every quarter. We serve women who are not accustomed to being served. We are kind to people who are not accustomed to kindness. A simple lunch becomes a social event that resocializes, nutrition that nourishes the spirit as well as the body. We do not return thanks, but there is grace in the graciousness. - Betsy Phillips
If you would like to participate in this simple but important ministry please contact Betsy Phillips at 274-4647.
|
||||
