Program Highlights

Over 25 Breakout Sessions

            Session titles and presenter Biographies will be updated as they become available.

Dr. Walter Broughton, Marywood University   Assessing the impact of Religious Programming on Inmate Behavior.  

This session will survey available evidence of the impact of religious programming on inmate behavior and review its quality.  The characteristics of effective programming in general will be discussed, as will the factors known to be associated with desistance from crime.  Finally, the purposes of religious programming will be discussed in light of this material.  The experience and opinions of audience members will enrich the session.

Dr. Broughton is Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Criminal Justice Programs at Marywood University.  He earned his Ph.D. at Cornell University and his A.B. at Colgate University. He has served as a Faculty Associate with Marywood’s Military Family Institute, a Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan and the Schepps Health Services Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Visiting Lecturer at the Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China and Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China. Locally he is a founder, past president and board member of the Scranton Primary Health Care Center.  Dr. Broughton's areas of interest include criminology, religion and evaluation research. His research has appeared in Social Forces, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, the Review of Religious Research, American Journal of Health Promotion and other scholarly journals. He is a former Treasurer of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Justice Educators, and recently served as an external evaluator for a USDE funded Life Skills Program at the Lackawanna County Jail.

 

 Atty. Joseph F. Cimini, University of Scranton – A1  The Aging Inmate Population

Participants in this Workshop will view the film Prisoners of Age and then discuss the implications of the information presented there.

Atty. Joseph F. Cimini is associate professor of sociology/criminal justice. He is a licensed lawyer in Pennsylvania and in the District of Columbia and has been a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States since 1978. Since 1995 he has been a Special Trial Master for the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County. He was a law clerk to Judge Edwin M. Kosik and then for five (5) years was an Assistant United States Attorney prior to becoming a full-time member of the University of Scranton faculty in 1980. From 1981 to 1992 he held the part-time office of United States Magistrate Judge, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

 

Dr. Brian Conniff, University of Scranton, Workshop,  B2  Prison Writing, Community Justice, and Prison Ministry.

This workshop will invite participant discussion of inmate  codes, morality, religious and political conversion, as illustrated in examples of prison writing going back to the 1960s.

Brian Conniff, Ph.D.  is Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of English at the University of Scranton. He has taught in several state prisons in Ohio and published articles on a number of prison writers, including Truman Capote, Manuel Puig, Mumia Abu-Jamal, and George Jackson. He is currently working on several projects related to "transformational education" in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition.

 

Dr. Harry Dammer, University of Scranton, Spirituality in Prison

Dr. Harry Dammer is Professor and Chair of the Sociology and Criminal Justice Dept. at the University of Scranton.  He earned both his B.S. and M.S. from the University of Dayton and his Ph.D. from the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice.  Dr. Dammer teaches courses in Juvenile Delinquency, Penology, and Comparative Criminal Justice. He is the author or co-author of three books: Religion in Corrections (1999), The Offender in the Community (2003), and Comparative Criminal Justice Systems (2011).  He has also published or co-published numerous articles, manuals, and professional reports on a variety of criminal justice topics particularly in his main research areas of religion in corrections and international crime and justice. Dr. Dammer has professional experience as a probation officer and served as a consultant to numerous federal, state, and local agencies.

 

Dr. Daniel B. Freedman, Marywood University – Presentation A3  Recidivism and Registration Failures among Sexual Offenders: Implications for Racial Disparities.

Dr. Daniel Freedman is an assistant professor at Marywood University in the Graduate School of Social Work and Administrative Studies.  He received his undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Native American Studies at University of Minnesota, and his graduate degrees in Social Work were earned at The Ohio State University. Teaching and research interests include crime, mental health, addictions, co-occurring disorders, spirituality, and research methods.  In addition to these academic endeavors, he has ten year’s experience as a therapist in community mental health settings.  

 

Rev. Ulii Klemm, PA Department of Corrections,

Presentation:  Advancing Justice by Volunteering in Prison

Volunteering in prison provides a unique way for ordinary community citizens to have a tremendous impact on the lives of offenders. But volunteering in prison also has its pitfalls.  This session will focus on the good, bad and the ugly of volunteering in a correctional setting.

 Presentation:  The Role with Victims and Offenders

Crime leaves a path of destruction in its wake.  Victims, offenders and their respective families carry many deep and open wounds.  The church often ignores the needs of both.  This session will focus on how the church can be a source of healing to both sides of crime.

 Since May 2004, Rev. Ullrich Klemm has served as the Religion, Volunteer and Recreational Services Program Administrator with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Previously he served for almost 12 years as the Director for Chaplaincy Services at the 2,500-bed Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.  Earlier, Rev. Klemm served as a Mennonite pastor in Chicago, IL where he volunteered as an official visitor to death row inmates at the Pontiac (IL) Correctional Facility in Pontiac IL.  Ulli received a B.A. from Colgate University, Hamilton, NY (1980) and a M.Div. from the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, IN (1985).   Ulli is an ordained Mennonite pastor through the Mennonite Church USA.

 

Rev. John Kowalczyk, A Ministry of Presence, Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry

 

Lackawanna County Drug Court  Judge Michael Barrese and staff

 

Kathleen Lucas Alternatives to the Death Penalty in Pennsylvania

This workshop aims to involve participants in specific initiatives within the State of Pennsylvania to implement alternatives to the Death penalty.

Kathleen serves as the executive director for Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.  Her professional background includes corporate management and work as an organization development consultant specializing in change management and strategic planning.  Kathleen earned both her B.S.and M.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University and later studied Cognitive Psychology at Rutgers University.

 

Judge Robert Mazzoni and staff, Starting and supporting a Mental Health Court 

 

Atty. Robert Meek, Workshop B5 The Impact of Solitary Confinement and the Need for Alternatives with Respect to Inmates with Serious Mental Illness

This workshop will address the impact of solitary confinement on inmates with serious mental illness and the need for treatment and alternatives to solitary confinement for such inmates.

Robert W. Meek is the Managing Attorney of the Philadelphia office of the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania (DRN) where he has practiced exclusively in civil rights matters on behalf of persons with disabilities since 1990. He was co-chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Civil Rights Committee for over 10 years, served on the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and currently serves as an officer on the Board of the ACLU of Greater Philadelphia and is Vice-President of the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

 

Rev. Stan Moody, Ph.D. and Barbara Moody  Workshop A4  Reaching beyond the Church to Mentor Returning Citizens

Rev. Dr. Stan  and Barbara Moody are currently working to establish the Maine Prison Chaplaincy Corps [MPCC], which aims to be a one-stop resource to assist returning citizens re-enter society as productive citizens after a period of incarceration.  The program hopes to train more than 100 mentors who will work with returning prisoners and their families, becoming the first step in a multi-pronged program that will also direct clients towards employment, housing, and treatment.  

Rev, Stan Moody, Ph.D., is currently pastor of the Meeting House Church in Manchester.  He has previously served as a State Representative in Maine, and Chaplain at the Maine State Prison.  Barbara Moody is the Director of Teacher Education Programs at Husson University in Bangor, ME, a private college of some 3,500 students...Most recently, she was Title 2 Coordinator for the Maine Department of Education.

 

National Re-Entry Resource Center,  http://nationalreentryresourcecenter.org/]

 

Jim Reagan, Catholic Worker House, New York, NY

 

Kathleen Rumpf  Inside Out   Lessons from the experience of being inside and outside witnessing on behalf of the most neglected and despise in our communities.

Kathleen Rumpf has been an activist in the Catholic Worker movement since 1971 and worked with the homeless in New York and Baltimore. Kathleen is a former plowshares prisoner of conscience. Kathleen last served one year in a maximum security prison for a protest at the School of the Americas protesting torture.  Kathleen also exposed torture at the Public Safety Building; Her protests outside the Public Safety Building in Syracuse brought national media attention to conditions there, including coverage on "60 Minutes," National Public Radio, and articles in The New York Times and Boston Globe.

 

John P. Seasock, Psy.D.  "To Forgive and Not Forget": Ministry for Incarcerated Sex Offenders

Dealing with sexual offenders is very challenging both emotionally and spiritually, as sexual offenses are often considered "unforgivable acts". This workshop will present an overview of the basic typologies of sexual offenders and the concepts involved in their treatment before involving participants in discussion of the complexities of ministering to sexual offenders.

Dr. John P. Seasock is a consultant with Renaissance Psychological and Counseling Corporation Inc, providing program development and treatment of physically/sexually abused individuals, sexual offenders and their families.  He earned a Doctorate in Psychology from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and holds duel Masters Degrees in Community Counseling and Clinical Psychology. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has multiple certifications in various clinical specialties with over twenty years of work and research with persons affected by chronic mental health disorders, and sexual victimization/trauma. 

 

Patrick Seffrin, Ph.D. Marywood University,   Presentation B1 The War on Drugs: Confronting Challenges at Home and Abroad

U.S. drug policies have produced mixed results in serving the needs of communities.  While mass incarceration policies in connection with illicit drugs have most likely contributed to recent declines in the rates of violent crime in the U.S., these polices have also produced some unintended consequences including prison over-crowding, the disruption of families, and higher levels of violence in communities just south of the U.S. border in Mexico.  This presentation will discuss these issues in terms of history, current policies, and best practices for moving forward on a more balanced and rational drug policy.

Dr. Seffrin earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology from the Bowling Green State University before joining the Marywood faculty in 2009. He teaches courses in the areas of sociology, criminology, and criminal justice.  Dr. Seffrin's research interests include juvenile delinquency, at-risk youth, socioeconomic disadvantage, and the study of crime over the life course.

 

Deirdre Spellman, School of Social Work, Marywood University

 

Barbara Lee Strangfeld   Justice Applied:  Community Service as an Alternative to Incarceration

A presentation and discussion of the benefits of Community Service as an alternative to Incarceration to the crime victim, the community at large and the sentenced individual. 

 Barbara Lee Strangfeld is a former Director of Alternative Sentencing for Warren County, New York and a former Court Clerk for the Town of Shawangunk, Ulster County, New York.  She has served on the Town Board of the Town of Shawangunk, the Ulster County Legislature and on the City Council of the City of Schenectady.  She has a lifelong interest in Alternatives to Incarceration and Restorative Justice.  She is currently working in the private sector for Centris Consulting as the Director of Human Resources and Finance.  Barbara has her BA from the State University of New York at New Paltz and is a certified Strategic Workforce Planner.

 

Charlie and Pauline Sullivan, Update on the National Prison Reform Movement and pending federal legislation

Participants will discuss pending legislation, especially the proposed 18 month study of the entire criminal justice system.

Charlie and Pauline Sullivan, are the co-founders and co-directors of CURE (Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants). The grassroots organization began in 1972 in San Antonio, became a statewide organization in 1974 and moved to Washington, DC, in 1985 to expand nationally. In 2001, CURE had its first international conference. Last year, its fifth global conference was in Nigeria and the sixth is planned for India in 2013.

     CURE organizes families and friends and their loved ones incarcerated. Its mission is to make sure prisons are only used for those who absolutely have to be in them. And these people incarcerated should be given all the opportunities they need to turn their lives around.

 

Prof. Jim Sullivan, Marywood University, Re-Entry Planning and Monitoring

 

Atty. Joanna Visser,  Juvenile Life Without Parole in Pennsylvania: Community Outreach & Activism Workshop C1

This workshop, hosted by the Pennsylvania Coalition for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, will explore the Coalition’s efforts to build a strong statewide campaign focused on ending the practice of sentencing juveniles to life in prison without parole (JLWOP). A brief overview of juvenile sentencing practices, as they relate to JLWOP, will be provided. The workshop will primarily focus on effective tools for conducting outreach in the faith community, and among the families and supporters of juvenile prisoners. Participants will be asked to draw from their own experiences, and to brainstorm effective outreach and organizing techniques.

Joanna Visser joined Juvenile Law Center as the 2011 Toll Public Interest Center Philadelphia Fellow. As the Philadelphia Fellow, Joanna supports efforts to end the practice of sentencing juveniles to life in prison without parole. Joanna is a 2010 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Before joining Juvenile Law Center, she served as law clerk to the Honorable Joel Schneider, Magistrate Judge, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.: For fuller bio go to http://jlc.org/about-us/who-we-are/staff/joanna-visser

 

Panels

Panel  Advocacy Issues at Lackawanna County Prison, Atty. Angus Love, Mrs. Joan Holmes, Fr. William Pickard, Joseph Rogan Ed.D.

Panel:   Alternatives to the Death Penalty 

 

Panel:  Victims’ Perspectives on Community Justice 

 

Panel, Addressing the Spiritual Needs of Inmates from Religious Minorities not represented in the local community.   Timothy Mahoney, has served since 1989 as Deputy Warden/Treatment at the Lycoming County Prison/PreRelease Center

 

Panel, Mental Health Issues in Prisons

Prof. Ray Colleran, Marywood University;  Atty. Robert Meek;  Mr. Paul DelRosso, David Kasczynski

Ray Colleran has worked as a counselor at the former Farview State Hospital, Chief Juvenile probation officer in the Lackawanna County Court system, Deputy Warden and Warden at the Lackawanna County Prison in the 1980s, Deputy Superintendent for Centralized Services and Deputy Superintendent for Forensic Services at SCI Waymart and Superintendent at SCI Waymart from 1997 until June of 2005. He has been an adjunct instructor in the Marywood University Criminal Justice program since 2003.

 

 

Panel, Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Services:  A Resource for Returning Citizens.

Major Mary Kapschull, Director of Program and Residential Services;  Mr. Michael Matyjevich, Program Director/Head Counselor;  Mr. Gregory Stokes, Counselor;  Mr. Raymond Boinske, Intake Counselor.

   After an Overview of the history of the Salvation Army, panelists will present an overview of the structure of their Adult Rehabilitation Services Program, discussing how participants can be counseled to break out of self-destructive patterns of behavior.  Finally they will present an overview of the intake process and invite discussion about ways to better integrate their services with other community assets.

Follow these links to learn more:

Program HighlightsRegistration OptionsConvocation Schedule  Come Early/Stay Late   About NCJPM

 

Information about traveling to Scranton can be found here.   Contact us at NCJPM2012@royallists.scranton.edu.