INMATES HELP OUT CASH-STRAPPED PROGRAM

Christmas Projects Raise $436 For Dunn County D.A.R.E.

[INSET: Leader-Telegram staff photo Jackson Correctional Institute
inmates Thomas Kerns and Octavius Gladney showed Dunn County Deputy
Kathy Ertz how they made origami ornaments that were sold to help
raise money for the Dunn County D.A.R.E. program. About 30 inmates who
helped raise nearly $436 for the drug education program also created
holiday greeting cards that were sold.]

BLACK RIVER FALLS Dunn County's D.A.R.E. program got some unexpected
help from an unexpected place the Jackson Correctional Institute in
Black River Falls.

About 30 inmates at the prison made origami Christmas ornaments and
stamped Christmas cards, selling them to others in the correctional
facility to raise $435.59. They presented the check to Dunn County
D.A.R.E. officer Kathleen Ertz earlier this week.

Inmate Thomas Kerns, 43, of Spring Valley said he saw an interview
with Ertz on cuts the Dunn County Board planned to make in the Drug
Abuse Resistance Education program. That started the idea to help the
program, Kerns said.

The ornaments could be folded flat so they could be mailed to family
or friends as a Christmas greeting. The ornament or card could
represent the inmate who could not be home for the holidays, Kerns
said.

Because the inmates make 5 to 40 cents an hour for working, many of
the men had to make choices about what they would go without to pay
for the ornaments, which cost $1, or greeting cards, which cost $2.50.

Octavius Gladney, 25, of Milwaukee was one of the 30 men who helped
with the project.

"When I heard it was for the community, I thought it was a wonderful
idea," Gladney said, sitting in the visiting room of the correctional
institution.

Gladney, who is serving a sentence for forgery and misappropriating
personal identification, said he had D.A.R.E. classes while in school.

Kerns, who is serving a sentence for robbery and sexual assault, said
several of his five children also participated in the D.A.R.E. program
while in school.

"I remember the kids came home all bright-eyed and proudly wore their
D.A.R.E. shirts," he said.

Kerns said part of his reason for participating was to give back to
the community that is paying $25,000 to $30,000 for his
incarceration.

The project was part of the restorative justice program at the prison,
social worker Eileen Cleaver said.

Ertz said she was pleased the inmates were willing to help the
D.A.R.E. program.

"I think it is absolutely incredible," she said. "You don't usually
think of inmates wanting to help save a program.

"Here we are talking people who did not make good choices for whatever
reason giving to a program that educates about choices and
consequences," Ertz said.

Last fall the Dunn County Board discussed cutting its entire $3,500
subsidy of the D.A.R.E. program, citing concerns that the program did
not work. Board members later restored $1,500 in D.A.R.E. funds.

Ertz said she plans to use the money raised by the inmates to buy
workbooks for the D.A.R.E. program in Dunn County. Workbooks cost
about 89 cents each.