Creative Corrections Educations Foundation - provides educational opportunities to disadvantaged children of incarcerated individuals.

Progressive Prison Project

Innocent Spouse & Children Project

Greenwich, Connecticut 

____________


Creative Corrections Education Foundation
Beaumont, Texas 

The intelligent, heartfelt - and consistent -

online discussion by Jeff Wydeven, 

a board member of the 

Creative Corrections Education Foundation, 

compelled us to find out more 

and bring its message to our readers.

______________________

Creative Corrections Education Foundation

Creative Corrections Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Beaumont, Texas that provides new opportunities for at-risk kids of incarcerated parents who otherwise are extremely likely to participate in criminal activities.  By providing the possibility of a better future, including academics, financial, legal and social success, we are able to empower these young men and women to change their lives.  

Mission Statement

CCEF’s mission is to provide educational opportunities to disadvantaged children of incarcerated individuals through scholarships and other creative strategies, in hopes of supporting and enhancing the futures of those children who may not otherwise have other options or alternatives.  Our goal is to promote “Education verses Incarceration”.  Any donation to CCEF will make a tremendous impact on the foundation achieving its goal to reduce second generation crime making communities safer for all.

Statement from Percy and Sununt Pitzer, founders of CCEF: 

“The 30 plus year professional career in corrections has been good to us and we feel very grateful and privileged.  First with the Federal Bureau of Prisons and upon retiring as a Warden, I worked as a Warden in the private sector.  We want to purposely preface this message by expressing gratefulness and serenity, not only in our personal lives, but also in our professional lives.   With that said we are tremendously thrilled and honored to have established what we believe to be an exciting and rewarding undertaking with hopes and full intent of paying forward and giving back to this industry.  We have create a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that will provide educational opportunities to disadvantaged children of incarcerated individuals through scholarships and other creative strategies.  Our hope is to provide support and enhance the futures of those children who may not have other options or alternatives.”

Board of Directors

Percy Pitzer, Founder and President of the Board, Executive Vice President and COO of Creative Corrections (Retired Warden), James Rich, Secretary of the Board, President of the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce (Retired Warden), Jeffrey Wydeven, FEMA Disaster Assistance (Retired Correctional Services Administrator),

Dr. Stan Stojkovic, Dean and Professor of Criminal Justice in the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) Wayne Scott, Correctional Consultant, 40 years and former director of  Texas Department of Criminal Justice and Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.

The Reality

•       The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world.

•       1 out of every 100 Americans are in prison -2/3 of these were nonviolent offenses.

•       The U.S. keeps prisoners longer than any other country.

•       Prisoners cost $1 out of every $15 dollars spent by the U.S., approx. $24,000 a year per prisoner.

•       Prison Spending VS Higher Education Spending.  Average cost to hold one prisoner for one year $24,000.  Average cost to send one student to college for a year, including tuition, fees, room and board $17,131.  Though these statistics are powerful, a hidden consequence is the children of these prisoners.  Second generation crime is real and growing.

•       As many as 50% of juvenile delinquents are children with a parent who has been behind bars.  Second generation crime is very real and trending upward.  With a system that is locking up more inmates than it is releasing, this is a situation that grows monthly and will continue to impact families and communities while putting a strain on our country’s resources.  It is far less expensive to send someone to college than it is to send someone to prison, which gives the college graduate a purposeful life so he/she can give back to the community.  “It is better to send someone to Yale than it is to Jail.”

•       How many people in the U.S. are behind bars?  Few of us in mainstream society have a clear picture of the size and scope of what it takes to protect our way of living.  This year the size of the prison economy will exceed $75 billion in just the states and federal government.

•       1 out of every 28 children in the U.S. has a parent behind bars.

•       More than 50% of juvenile delinquents have a parent or guardian who is or has been incarcerated.

•       In the U.S. alone, 3% of children under the age of 18, has a parent in state or federal prison.

•       Today, there are nearly 10 million adults incarcerated, on probation or parole.

•       Second generation criminal statistics show staggering likelihood that children of prisoners will end up behind bars too.

•       With more than 2.4 million adults incarcerated in federal, state and county jails across the U.S., and more than 7 million additional adults on probation or parole; the mission of Creative Corrections Education Foundation is to focus on the children of these offenders.

The Solution

•       The solution is to stop the cycle before it begins.

•       By providing scholarships for these children, they will have new choices for their future.

•       The scholarship money will go directly to the community colleges, universities or vocational schools where they are enrolled.

•       Since June 2012 we have provided 37 scholarships in the amount of $1000 dollars to 19 states and 31 universities.

•       By working with parents, counselors, high school teachers, coaches and community leaders, we will reach these children before they follow in the footsteps of their incarcerated parents.

•       Providing scholarships to children of those who are or have been in prison can stem the pattern of repeat behavior from parent to child and assure a better tomorrow for these students and our communities.

How inmates can make a difference

•       CCEF is asking inmates to donate once a month, the price of a candy bar, to help send a kid of an incarcerated parent to school. 

•       Every penny that is donated from an inmate will go directed towards a scholarship.

•       No inmate donated funds will be used for overhead cost, administrative fees or staff salaries.

How you can make a difference

•       How Donors have the option of funding a scholarship in the name of a loved one.

•       Donations can be given to fund a $5000 dollar scholarship, a $1000 dollar scholarship or any amount you choose.

•       Donors will receive a thank you letter appropriate for IRS Charitable Giving.

•       Our progress on scholarship awards will be continually updated on our website displaying the state and number of awards given to date.

States and Number of Scholarships Awarded

Scholarship Awards to Date:

Alabama       1       Kentucky                4           Texas                    7

Arkansas      2       Michigan                 1           Virginia               2

California    2      Montana                   2           Washington        1

Florida         2      North Carolina       1           West Virginia     1

Idaho            1      Oklahoma                2           Wisconsin           3

Illinois          1      Oregon                     1

Indiana        1       Pennsylvania          2

Total = 37

Your donation to help a motivated student will make a big difference for generations to come.  Let’s help motivated students choose a better future.

Please donate today by going to our website:

www.ccefscholarships.com 

www.ccefscholarships.org             

www.ccefscholarships.info

www.creativecorrectionseducationfoundation.org

Contact Information

Anthony Haynes, Executive Director

ahaynes@creativecorrectionseducationfoundation.org This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

John Gray, Program Administrator       

jgray@creativecorrectionseducationfoundation.org This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Headquarters: 6545 Calder Ave., Beaumont, TX 77706, 

Telephone: 409/861-2536

FAX: 409/861-2549

____________________________________

 We have no affiliation with this organization - 

we just think its project is 

innovative and very cool! 

 

Progressive Prison Project/
Innocent Spouse & Children Project
Rev. Jeff Grant, JD, M Div, Director
at Christ Church Greenwich
254 East Putnam Avenue
Greenwich, Connecticut, USA 06830
(o) +1203.769.1096
(m) +1203.339.5887
jgrant@pppx.org
jg3074@columbia.edu

prisonist.org

Lynn Springer, Advocate
lspringer@innocentspousechildrenproject.org
(m) +1203.536.5508

Affiliates:

First Baptist Church of Bridgeport
126 Washington Avenue, 1st Floor
Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA 06604

Jesus Saves Ministries
784 Connecticut Avenue
Bridgeport. CT 06607

Cathedral of Praise C.O.G.I.C.
45 Gregory Street
Bridgeport, CT  06604