Over the last quarter century, the number of women behind bars has increased by more than 700 percent. According to The Sentencing Project:
- Half of those women were not employed full-time the month before incarceration.
- Nearly half had never finished high school.
- Close to a third were receiving welfare benefits at the time of arrest.
Patti Wachtendorf, warden at the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women, says disheartening statistics don’t have to be the end of the story. “If offenders have well-paying jobs, it reduces the number of reoffenders,” she told Journal Express.
The prison—known more commonly as Mitchellville—empowers women with the tools they need to succeed on the outside. Women can earn their GED, take literacy classes, and receive invaluable life-skills instruction. They learn practical tips for success in interviews and in the workplace.
Partnering with Central Iowa Works and Des Moines Area Community College, Mitchellville also offers Transportation Distribution Logistics (TDL) certification. Two out of three of the first group of graduates found employment in the TDL field upon release.
Wachtendorf noted that 25 percent of women released from Mitchellville will reoffend—one of the lowest recidivism rates in the country. She said this recent class of graduates was the most exceptional one yet.
On graduation day, a few of those women stepped up to the podium to reflect on their experiences.
Addie was transparent about the hurts and habits of her past. She also shared how grateful she was to be confident in her newfound skills, knowing she was taking steps in the right direction.
Kayleen spoke of the new hope and dignity that the program had restored to her. “No one wants to go to prison,” she said, “but prison changed my life.”
Returning citizens face many immediate challenges outside the prison gates, but adjusting to a new life takes time. Finding jobs, supporting families, healing from hurts of the past—the challenges seem endless, and nobody should face them alone. Prison Fellowship offers life skills training, mentorships, and other resources to build up new leaders and create a community of support. To find out how you can help prepare prisoners for reentry, click here.