Nebraska

Nebraska prisons launching new, ‘holistic’ approach to prepare inmates for reentry into society

Published

12 months ago

November 26, 2023

Nebraska prisons launching new, ‘holistic’ approach to prepare inmates for reentry into society

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – State prisons are launching a new, “holistic” approach in mentally preparing inmates for their return to society, using fellow inmates as guides.

A three-year initiative, started with an anonymous grant of nearly $900,000, seeks to better make ready inmates for reentry by focusing on things like healthy thinking, positive relationships and meaningful work.

The “5-Keys for Wellbeing Development” program replaces two existing classes, called “Thinking for a Change” and “Moral Reconation Therapy,” with an overall goal of preventing a return to criminal behavior and to prison.

“Our goal is to approach reentry from that holistic sense of looking at the whole person, and not focusing on just one area,” said Dawn Renee Smith, the deputy director of Nebraska Corrections.

‘Innovative’ approach

Rob Jeffreys, the state’s corrections director, called the 5-Keys program an “innovative” approach.

“Successful reentry preparation is about providing the right tools and getting the right person in the right program at the right time,” Jeffreys said.

Currently, about 28% of Nebraska prison inmates return to prison within three years, the state’s so-called “recidivism rate.”

That rate has hovered between 27% and 32% over the last eight years, and dropped from 31% three years ago.

But state leaders have often stated a goal of improving rehabilitation and reentry programs to further reduce the recidivism rate, with a larger objective of helping to reduce spending on and overcrowding of Nebraska prisons. They rank among the nation’s most crowded, housing about 1,700 more inmates than state prisons were designed to hold.

First state to try program

Nebraska will be the first state to try the 5-Keys program within its prison system. Officials have been working over the past year with faculty at Florida State University and a 2-year-old, Florida-based think tank called Well-Being and Equity Innovation Inc. The program will be launched full bore next year at seven state prisons.

The preliminary work has focused on training dozens of prison inmates as “peers,” who will present the four, four-week-long, two-hour-a-week classes to fellow inmates along with prison staffers. Those classes are: Unlocking Your Thinking, Ideas for Better Communication, Understanding and Reducing Angry Feelings and Building Social Networks.

Smith, who works with reentry programs, said the idea is to build on inmates’ strengths, giving them a healthier mindset when they step back into society — and more than 90% of the state’s 5,700 prison inmates will ultimately leave prison.

She said the Nebraska prison system has been using inmate peers as “co-facilitators” of rehabilitation programming for the past couple of years and has found success with the concept.

Fellow inmates have ‘built-in credibility’

“(Fellow inmates) really come in with built-in credibility — they have lived experience,” Smith said.

The 5-Keys classes should be shorter and easier to manage than the previous reentry programs, she said, and will focus on five areas: healthy thinking patterns, positive relationships, positive social engagement, meaningful work trajectories and effective coping strategies.

A study by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Justice Research, released in February, concluded that “only a small minority of programs” run by Nebraska corrections to turn inmates into law-abiding citizens were evidence-based.

State prison officials, in a press release, said that the 5-Keys programming is “evidence-based” and a “packaged approach” to preparing inmates for reentry.

“This model works because these are things that all of us need to be healthier,” Smith said.

Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Cate Folsom for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com. Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and Twitter.

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Nebraska

Gallery: Nebraska Volleyball Sweeps Wisconsin on Senior Night

Published

1 hour ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Gallery: Nebraska Volleyball Sweeps Wisconsin on Senior Night

Nebraska and Wisconsin Volleyball have played a total of six sets against each other this season, all of which have been won by the Huskers. Seniors, Merritt Beason, Leyla Blackwell, Lindsay Krause, Kennadi Orr and Lexi Rodriguez were all celebrated for their contributions to the program after tonight’s win.

Lexi Rodriguez smiles during pre-game player introductions. / Amarillo Mullen

Rebekah Allick (5) celebrates her kill with Bergen Reilly (2). / Amarillo Mullen

Andi Jackson (15) and Merritt Beason celebrate a double-stuff block. / Amarillo Mullen

Taylor Landfair celebrates a Wisconsin touch for a Husker point. / Amarillo Mullen

Justine Wong-Orantes (left) and Jordan Larson (right) are recognized for their silver medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. / Amarillo Mullen

Bergen Reilly sets the ball. / Amarillo Mullen

Laney Choboy celebrates a point for the Huskers. / Amarillo Mullen

Rebekah Allick tallied 10 kills in Nebraska’s win. / Amarillo Mullen

The student section celebrates a point. / Amarillo Mullen

The Huskers celebrate their three-set sweep over Wisconsin. / Amarillo Mullen

Head coach, John Cook, hugs Merritt Beason during senior day introductions. / Amarillo Mullen

Lexi Rodriguez (black) hugs a tearful Laney Choboy (left) and Harper Murray (right). / Amarillo Mullen

Lexi Rodriguez waves to the fans at the Devaney Center. / Amarillo Mullen

The team meets on the court after their win. / Amarillo Mullen

The Nebraska Volleyball team poses with the this year’s seniors. / Amarillo Mullen

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Nebraska

Nebraska Football Leads Wisconsin 24-10 at Halftime

Published

9 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Nebraska Football Leads Wisconsin 24-10 at Halftime

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are 30 minutes away from clinching bowl eligibility.

Nebraska leads Wisconsin 24-10 at halftime. The winner of this game will get to a sixth win on the season and become bowl eligible.

The Huskers got a kickoff return to midfield to open the game. That turned into a short field, and, eventually, a touchdown run by Heinrich Haarberg.

Wisconsin answered with a touchdown drive, but the Badgers struggled offensively the rest of the half, adding just one field goal. Wisconsin missed two other field goals.

Nebraska added touchdowns from Dante Dowdell and Jahmal Banks. After the Banks touchdown with 17 seconds to go, Wisconsin fumbled on the first play to give Nebraska a chance to score again. John Hohl drilled the 37-yard field goal to send the Big Red into the half with the lead.

NU has 237 total yards to UW’s 205. The Huskers have a two-yard advantage in passing and a 78-48 lead in rushing yards.

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola is 17-for-22 passing. Emmett Johnson is leading the ground attack with 51 yards on eight carries.

Wisconsin will have the ball to begin the second half.

Nebraska Athletics Notes

MORE: I-80 Club: Has Nebraska Football Jumped the Shark?

MORE: After Nebrasketball: Nebraska Beats No. 14 Creighton

MORE: Red State: Nebrasketball Upsets No. 14 Creighton in Omaha, 74-63

MORE: Blue State: Creighton Women’s Basketball Upends No. 21 Nebraska, 80-74

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

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Nebraska

All-Out Blitz Week 13: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Published

18 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

All-Out Blitz Week 13: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers

BadgerBlitz.com brings back its All-Out Blitz weekly series for the 2024 season, where you can find everything you need to know about Wisconsin’s upcoming opponent. We look at UW’s tenth opponent in the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who the Badgers will travel to play Saturday afternoon in Lincoln at 2:30 p.m. on BTN.

QUICK PROGRAM FACTS

Head Coach: Matt Rhule (57-55 career record, second season at Nebraska)

Nebraska All Time Record: 887-404-38 (.667)

2024 Record: 5-5 (2-5 Big Ten)

Rankings: N/A

Series vs. Wisconsin: 4-13

WHEN NEBRASKA HAS THE FOOTBALL

COMPARING THE PROJECTED STARTERS

Nebraska’s gradual decline over the course of this season is parallel with the decline of their offense.

Through the first five games, in which the team began 4-1, the offense averaged 405.4 yards per game. Over the last five, the 1-4 Cornhuskers are averaging just 294 yards per game.

This prompted the demoting of offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield, and promotion of Dana Holgorsen, prior to last week’s loss to USC.

It was the hope that Holgorsen, a former disciple of Mike Leach, could reinvigorate freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola.

It’s hard to tell if the former No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 class is responsible for the offense’s drop-off, or merely a victim of it, but all we know is that his season has fallen off of a cliff.

Through the first five games, he threw for nine touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 70% of his passes. In the five games since, he’s down to two touchdowns and eight interceptions, completing just 60% of his passes.

Raiola hasn’t received much help from his receiving core. He never had a true No. 1 receiver, even when the offense looked good, and nobody is stepping up now. No Husker receiver has reached 100 yards in a game since the season opener against UTEP.

They added two starters via the transfer portal — Isaiah Neyor (Texas) and Jahmal Banks (Wake Forest) — but both have been solid at best.

Wisconsin’s pass defense, which has only improved as the season has gone on, should create problems for Raiola and co.

They held Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel without a touchdown for the first time all season in what felt like a triumphant defensive performance, despite the 16-13 loss.

Beyond the strong coverage of cornerbacks Ricardo Hallman and Nyzier Fourqurean, what was most impressive about Wisconsin’s defense was how their line was able to generate consistent pressure on Gabriel.

It’ll be key for the Badgers to shut down Nebraska’s passing attack, because their running game isn’t particularly dangerous.

They rotate between three backs on a regular basis, led by Dante Dowdell, who averages a team-high 12 carries per game. Sophomore Emmett Johnson received more carries than Dowdell in the most recent outing against USC and could be ascending up the depth chart. Regardless, no Nebraska back has been a consistent threat.

WHEN WISCONSIN HAS THE BALL

COMPARING THE PROJECTED STARTERS

This will be the first game Wisconsin plays since offensive coordinator Phil Longo was fired on Sunday.

Fickell wasn’t willing to name a replacement play caller, instead alluding to a “collaborative” operation.

However that turns out, it must lead to some sort of reinvigoration. Over Wisconsin’s three-game losing streak, the offense is averaging just 261.6 total yards per game.

The offensive incompetence was especially frustrating against Oregon, a game in which the defense had their best performance of the season.

The offense needs to go back to basics. All season, they’ve been at their best when the offensive line opens up running lanes and allows for a balanced game plan.

Running back Tawee Walker struggled mightily against Penn State and Iowa, rushing for just 111 yards over those two games, but rebounded with a 97-yard performance last week against Oregon.

The front line will have a tough matchup against Nebraska’s defensive line trio of Ty Robinson, Jamari Butler and Nash Hutmacher, who lead the 20th-ranked rushing defense in the nation.

The production of Wisconsin’s running game will be key, because they simply can’t rely on quarterback Braedyn Locke, who’s coming off of a 96-yard passing performance against Oregon. He’s thrown an interception in all seven of his starts this season, bringing his season touchdown-interception ratio to 9-9.

Locke will try to take advantage of a Nebraska secondary that suffered a crushing blow earlier this week, with the announcement that Tommi Hill would miss the rest of the season due to a foot injury.

The best starter besides Hill is Malcolm Herzog, the team leader in interception (four) who primarily plays in the slot. Although the biggest priority for Wisconsin will be safety Isaac Gifford, who leads the team in tackles with 59 and can manage to fly all over the field.

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