Students host community forum on mass incarceration

Breaking biases: Students host community forum on mass incarceration

Posted on February 25, 2019 by Leslie Wells

Phillip Roberts had been incarcerated twice, spending two years away from his family, friends, and society. While serving those sentences, he also put pen to paper as part of the Indiana Prison Writers Workshop. The program provides those serving time with a positive and creative outlet during one of the most challenging times of their lives.

The 29-year-old tattoo artist and father is now using his writing and experiences behind bars to help a group of strangers better understand mass incarceration. They had gathered as part of a community discussion planned by SPEA graduate students in the Public Policy Process course.

Roberts opened the event by reading a poem he wrote while incarcerated.

“It was really powerful and set the mood for the evening,” says Madison Alton, a SPEA graduate student pursing an MPA in Nonprofit Management.

She and other students spent the entire fall semester researching mass incarceration, planning this event, and searching for ways to help their audience connect with the issue.

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CHJR to begin new evaluation on co-response teams in Indianapolis

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Leslie Wells

The Center for Health and Justice Research at the IU Public Policy Institute is working with the City of Indianapolis to take an in-depth look at the impact of the city’s Mobile Crisis Assistance Teams and Behavioral Health Unit through a new randomized control trial.

The MCAT-BHU program pairs a police officer with a mental health professional to create a co-response team for calls involving individuals with suspected mental health or substance use disorders. The co-response model aims to improve outcomes for those individuals and divert them away from the criminal justice system.

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Returning student earns degree, certificate after six-year hiatus

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Leslie Wells

SPEA alum Joseph Dant serves as the director of industry and governmental affairs for the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.

It had been six years since Joseph Dant was in a classroom. Six years since he dealt with the pressures of coursework. Six years since he since he left college after realizing he wasn’t ready.

“I knew I wanted to go back eventually, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go,” Dant says.

After taking a career aptitude test, Dant became interested in a career in government. It was the test administrator who first introduced him to SPEA and its connection to work in the public sector. Dant reached out, met with a SPEA advisor, and enrolled in SPEA’s civic leadership program, focusing on nonprofit management.

While Dant’s six years away had provided career clarity, the hurdles he and other nontraditional students face can be daunting. Since he worked during the day, he could only take courses part time in the evenings. He was 25 years old and recently married, yet motivated to get his degree.

So he made another life-altering decision. He quit his job and took a position as a third-shift custodian with IUPUI. He worked at night so he could attend classes full time during the day.

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Nonprofit leaders enhance their skills through Executive Education

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Leslie Wells

Group of participants for the 2018 La Porte Nonprofit Leadership Academy — Participants in the Executive Education Nonprofit Leadership Academy learn skills to better lead their organizations and help the community.

The Healthcare Foundation of La Porte knew there were skills gaps in the city’s nonprofits. Local nonprofit leaders had told them they needed more knowledge and experience to properly run their organizations and increase their impact. The Foundation searched for a solution and found it in SPEA Executive Education’s Nonprofit Leadership Academy.

The 10-month, on-location program covers practical topics designed to increase the leadership capacity of nonprofits executives. Those who complete the course receive an Executive Education Nonprofit Leadership Certificate from Indiana University.

Pastor Nate Loucks attended the Academy in La Porte. He leads the Pax Center, a nonprofit that focuses on food injustice and insecurity, runs a food pantry, provides free community gardening space and support, and hosts weekly community meals.

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