[vc_row full_width=”” parallax=”” parallax_image=””][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”583″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Sarah Lazzari said people wonder why she wants to work with incarcerated men. “ It’s not enough that I care, or that I want to give back.” Most people don’t understand her motivation. A woman with a kind face and a ready smile, Sarah is Chair of the Research Committee for the Oregon Department of Corrections. She started her ODOC career as an intern while working on her Masters degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice at PSU. Several years ago, a conversation she had with the then-superintendent led to the formation of the Family Relationship Enhancement Event held annually at Columbia River Correctional Institution. Several other facilities hold similar events.
The Columbia River (minimum security) Correctional Institution is often called the “high school” because, if you removed the fence from the outside, it looks like one. It has only one gate, and once inside there are minimal metal gates to walk through. Walking through CRCI is a very different experience from walking into the Oregon State Penitentiary. Approximately 70% of the adult men in custody at CRCI have addiction issues. At FREE they can practice parenting while sober. Supportive relationships are crucial to success after they are released.
The video she showed was of Kids’ Camp 2014, held at the Snake River Correctional Institution, and depicted a large open room not unlike that of a high school cafeteria. Dads were hugging their kids, watching cartoons, playing games, reading, and doing various activities they’d do if they were home with their families. Impromptu interviews of their interactions showed dads asking children what they liked best about the event. The children were shy about being put on the spot. Some of the kids hadn’t seen their dads in 6 years. Sarah said the aim is to foster good parent-child relationships.
The 2015 FREE will have a back-to-school theme. CRCI would like to provide school supplies as gifts from the dads to their children. The cost for each event is over $8,000 and Rotary clubs in our area have generously donated their time and money in support of the event. Last year 512 people attended, including 117 inmates, 89 children, and 213 adult guests. Nearly 100 volunteers, including Rotarians and inmates, participated.
Sarah is currently working on her PhD in Social Work and Social Research at PSU. In addition to working for ODOC she teaches classes in the Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Social Work departments at PSU.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]