The Iowa Eighth
Judicial District is committed to informing the public about all
services provided in the 14 counties we serve. To the left is a list of
topics and programs for which speakers are available, or if you would like to
request a topic that is not listed, please contact us. For more
information, please contact Victim-Offender Services Coordinator
Chris Baker
at (641) 472-4242,
Ext. 109.
Learn more about how the criminal mind works, as well as the methods
that the department uses with offenders to establish stable and legal
lifestyles. This topic is presented by Community Treatment Coordinator
Russ Fry.
The Iowa Eighth
Judicial District, Department of Correctional Services’ Batterers’
Education Program has been up and running since 1991. The program
started with just one group, but today there are 27 groups meeting on a
weekly basis throughout 17 counties in southeast Iowa.
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.
An
interviewing
technique to help clients move through the stages of change and find
internal motivation for change . For more information, contact
Andy Ferguson.
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.
The treatment of sex
offenders in this district began in 1991 when an individual placed on
probation for a sexual offense was ordered to undergo treatment. Because
no program existed locally, the offender was required to drive to Des
Moines for weekly counseling sessions. Today, there are 11
active sex offender treatment groups with a total of 94 group members
within the 14-county area of the district. There are two additional
groups that provide services to partners and spouses of offenders.
Upon request, victims
are provided the opportunity to meet face-to-face with offenders to
discuss how their lives have been impacted by crime. Victims often have
questions that only offenders can answer— questions such as “Why me?”
For offenders the meetings provide an opportunity for face-to-face
accountability, to understand the real impact of crime on their victims
and to, perhaps, make amends.
Upon request, victims
are provided the opportunity to meet face-to-face with offenders to
discuss how their lives have been impacted by crime. Victims often have
questions that only offenders can answer— questions such as “Why me?”
For offenders the meetings provide an opportunity for face-to-face
accountability, to understand the real impact of crime on their victims
and to, perhaps, make amends.
In response to the
growing number of young offenders entering the adult correctional
system, the Iowa Eighth Judicial District Department of Correctional
Services developed and implemented the Youthful Offender Program. Its
primary goal as an intensive supervision program is to intervene in the
further criminality of the community’s at-risk youth.
