by William DeBoer, President and CEO
Community Service has been a requirement for all residents of KPEP, since the beginning of the program. The founders of KPEP felt that it was a good thing to require all of the participants to give something back to the community which they harmed. Over the years there has been much research and discussion about the value of community service as an “evidence-based practice” which helps to reduce recidivism.
While the core aspects of KPEP focus on employment skills, education, substance abuse treatment and various cognitive behavioral programs, the requirement for all residents to participate in hands-on activities that are designed to make a positive impact in the community introduces an additional intrinsic reward system for “doing the right thing.”
There are two types of community service at KPEP. The first involves our residents going out and working in the community for a non-profit or municipality. In our annual report each year you will find a list of all of our community partners along with totals of all the hours performed for that year. From setting up tables and chairs at Ribfest, to cleaning up Bronson Park after the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop, the types of events KPEP residents help support are wide-ranging. Organizers of these events and activities say KPEP support is often a critical piece of the manpower infrastructure; residents often perform tasks that would not get done otherwise.
The second type of service the residents provide is to maintain KPEP facilities. It is a priority to keep our facilities in good shape and our grounds maintained. All residents are assigned to a crew that has a certain area of responsibility either inside or outside the facility.
It has always been important that we “blend in” with the neighborhoods where we are located. There are too many correctional programs, missions or other sorts of agencies that look like they simply don’t care about creating a positive image or environment around their buildings. For KPEP, “blending in” is a priority! In fact, it’s a huge compliment when people tell us they have driven by our facility on Park Street in Kalamazoo, but had no idea KPEP is a residential corrections program.
Both types of community service experiences pay dividends for the residents. Not only do they gain a sense of pride and connection to the community, but there are also valuable job skills and work experiences the residents obtain while part of a KPEP volunteer team. The service experiences connected to the facility assignments also give the residents a sense of pride about where they are staying, even though the living quarters are only temporary.
In fact, this summer we held a “Beautification Contest” among all our facilities. Each was given a budget of $500 to spend on improving the grounds. Residents got involved building structures and planting flowers. At our Olmstead Road facility some of the residents took the initiative to write a letter to WalMart requesting a donation of picnic tables. WalMart donated three of these tables to us.
Everyone did a great job and the judging duo of Jim Edwards and Ann Webb declared the Olmstead facility as the “Winner” of the contest.