| Iowa Eighth Judicial District |
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DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
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| Serving Southeast Iowa |
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Community Services and Resources Our primary concerns are to protect the public, serve victims and hold offenders accountable for their crimes. However, we realize that we all have a stake in addressing how crime impacts our communities. In addition to creating community partnerships, we also create opportunities for citizens to directly participate in the rehabilitation of offenders. Listed below are several programs and services offered by the Iowa Eighth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services in which we encourage community partnerships. However, we are only one of many important resources available in the communities we serve. Please follow the red links in the lower left column to access a comprehensive list of county, state and federal agencies and the services available to victims, offenders and community members. If you have any questions, or would like to inquire about partnering with the Iowa Eighth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, please contact Victim-Offender Services Coordinator Chris Baker at (641) 472-4242 Ext. 109.
_____________________________________________________________________ Community Accountability Boards Local citizens from all walks of life comprise Community Accountability Boards in the district. They serve voluntarily to provide the community’s perspective in addressing crime. The purpose of the boards is to meet with offenders who are struggling to successfully complete parole or probation. While the board members provide support to offenders, they are also obligated to hold offenders accountable for their crimes. Community Accountability Boards typically meet on a monthly basis and receive referrals from the district’s probation officers. Currently, there are four Community Accountability Boards in the Eighth Judicial District. Two serve the Youthful Offender Programs in Ottumwa and Burlington, respectively. The remaining board serves adult probationers and parolees in Burlington and Mt. Pleasant.
_______________________________________________________________________________ Community Service Probationers are often required to perform community service as part of sentencing. If you are a not-for-profit agency interested in providing service projects for offenders, please contact Chris Baker at (641) 472-4242 Ext. 109 or by e-mail.
_______________________________________________________________________________ Offender Impact Panels Offenders meet with members of the public or at-risk populations to discuss their involvement with the criminal justice system. For information, please contact Chris Baker at (641) 472-4242 Ext. 109 or by e-mail.
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For those unfamiliar with restorative justice, the underlying principles recognize that crime occurs against people, not just the state. Unfortunately, in the past, the needs of victims and communities have been secondary to that of offenders and the criminal justice system. Restorative justice practices seek to address that problem by equally involving crime victims, community members and offenders while working to repair the harm resulting from crime. Traditionally, the criminal justice system has been charged with holding offenders accountable through the enforcement of laws and legal sanctions such as prison, jail, probation, or restitution and fines. Although legal accountability is a prerequisite to any civil society, it is impersonal at best and does not necessarily serve the best interests of victims, community members, and offenders. Restorative justice practices complement the traditional criminal justice system; they are not substitutes, nor do they reflect a diminished sense of responsibility on the part of the offender. Indeed, restorative justice calls for a second level of offender accountability, one of a more personal nature, based on that fundamental recognition that not only has a law been broken, but someone has been harmed. The questions addressed by restorative principles are basic: Who has been harmed? What is the harm? Who is responsible for repairing the harm? How that harm is repaired can take many forms. To that end, the district offers a number of restorative programs and services for victims, community members and offenders alike. Learn more about the restorative justice philosophy in addressing crime from three perspectives—- victim, offenders and communities—- and how it impacts our programming and services. For information, please contact Chris Baker at (641) 472-4242 Ext. 109 or by e-mail.
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Request a public speaker from the department of correctional services for your school, agency, organization or group. For information, please contact Chris Baker at (641) 472-4242 Ext. 109 or by e-mail.
_______________________________________________________________________________ Victory Over Domestic Violence Community Advisory Board Community grassroots group in Burlington formed to raise community awareness about domestic violence, hold abusers accountable through the support of victims and the judicial system, and to support the district’s Batterers’ Education Program. If you interested in joining, please contact Kim Duque at (319) 753-5478 Ext. 111, or by e-mail.
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Mother’s Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) was instrumental in creating this curriculum for offenders. The class covers the expanse from property crime to homicide utilizing victim impact panels and a variety of interactive exercises to help offenders understand the full impact of crime on victims and the community at large. This class is taught in both community corrections and state penal institutions. For information, please contact Chris Baker at (641) 472-4242 Ext. 109 or by e-mail.
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Some crime victims choose to actively participate in the criminal justice system by telling their stories directly to offenders in a safe environment. This can be done through a Victim Impact Class, in conjunction with the Sex Offender Program, or on an individual basis. For some victims, and survivors of sexual abuse, the opportunity to tell their stories can be one way in which they begin to regain control of their lives; others are interested in preventing future victimizations by sharing their experiences with offenders who do not fully understand or accept the impact of their criminal behaviors. Serving on a victim impact panels is not for everyone. Victims must be fully aware of the risks and benefits of participation. For information, please contact Chris Baker at (641) 472-4242 Ext. 109 or by e-mail.
_______________________________________________________________________________ Wapello County DART/SART Multi-agency group based in Ottumwa focused on increasing the effectiveness of prosecutions involving domestic assault. For more information, please contact Julie Trinkle at (641) 682-8383 Ext. 19, or by e-mail.
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