This is my Story

Written by Karen J


Continued from page 1

On February 14, 1990, I was arrested for crimes committed during a drug and alcohol induced black out. I still only have vague bits and pieces from time to time, but no real memory. I was sentenced to State Prison. Truly I was rescued; and my parents were going to be safe. I was released 18 months later, had a gorgeous little boy, who is my very heart and soul, and had a beautiful relationship with my prison consular, (who is my son’s father). I had a life, three phone business (legal) from my home, and most importantly, a family.

My mother died in may of 1993, and I relapsed on Crack. I had also been givenrepparttar extra-ordinary information that my mother was actually my biological grandmother. My father was actually my step-grandfather. My biological mother committed suicide in my presence when I was three tears old, and at last notice (1970) my father was inrepparttar 132683 Army. I would love to find my birth father and have all of my adoptive records. I just don’t know where to begin. On top of all of this, my son’s father, who I had just married, was already married to someone else.

I binged for a few months, and spent a great deal of money. But then I did manage to get sober, get to meetings, get it together. When I relapsed I was also arrested for violation of Probation. I refused to sex my parole officer, so he violated me. Once I got all of that mess taken care of, I was back home, getting myself back together and everything was cool for a few months, three if I am not mistaken. Then I got a call that my dad/step-grandfather was ill. I must get from central Florida to north Florida immediately. Well, I borrowed a friend’s car; I drove to my hometown and was pulled over for speeding (just 5 mph overrepparttar 132684 limit). I was concerned about my dad. After pulling me over, this police officer I didn’t know proceeded to search my car, “because he felt like it”. He reached underrepparttar 132685 front seat ofrepparttar 132686 car and stuffed in there was a soda can that had been altered to smoke crack with. I figured I would tell himrepparttar 132687 truth, it wasn’t my car, it is borrowed, and my dad is sick, I had to hurry to make sure my dad was okay, you see? He didn’t want to hear it. He put me inrepparttar 132688 back seat of his patrol car and took me way out on a back road. He said, “You suck my dick real good and this can will suddenly disappear.” I figured to myself that I done more for less and I didn’t want to violate my re-instated probation, if I did I would be going back to prison. Well, he lied. I did what he wanted and he submittedrepparttar 132689 can for evidence and it gave me two parole violations.

Right now I have been in prison for eight years, maximum security, and close custody. I will be released in approximately two years, with gain time. I was sentenced to 27 years in prison for those violations of probation and 5 years forrepparttar 132690 can. Yes my sentence is very illegal, excessive, and unconstitutional. They just don’t care about you if you don’t have a influential, reputable attorney for your representation. And that takes money. I can’t even buy a stick of deodorant much less afford an attorney. I have been fighting my case- and all motions except one have been denied. I have no where to call home, no family (except my son who is with his father).

I do have a great deal of gratitude though. After all that I’ve been through, I didn’t contract Aids, Hepatitis, Herpes, and ECT. I am very healthy and I’ve received and education in here that money simply couldn’t have bought. Yes, I am a very jaded woman. But I can still laugh, stop and smell flowers and seerepparttar 132691 magic and beauty in a precious sunrise, sunset andrepparttar 132692 face ofrepparttar 132693 Full moon.

Well that is my story… oh one other thing… a priest that used to come torepparttar 132694 prison to hold Mass once told me that “Cocaine isrepparttar 132695 Devils Spit”. I am Wicca and do not believe is a devil, per say. But it isrepparttar 132696 single most evil thing that I have seen in my 32 years. I am guilty of surviving abuserepparttar 132697 best way I could. I am a survivor. And I am a damn good woman too!

Karen is a lady inmate in Florida who has written this article about her life. The article is graphic in conter and readers whould be warned. It explains how women get involved in drug use, prostitution and utimatatly incarceration.


Social Program: Management & Evaluation

Written by Timothy Farrell, PhD


Continued from page 1

The “people who we serve” arerepparttar major stakeholders in all of our planning, strategies, programming, activities and evaluations.

By any definition,repparttar 132681 “people who we serve” are decision makers and information users, and this applies to evenrepparttar 132682 most “passive” beneficiaries. In over 30 years of international development work all overrepparttar 132683 world, I have yet to find a “client” who didn’t make some sort of decision about participation in a program or have questions about it.

These arerepparttar 132684 key decision-makers in any program activity. In English, there is a saying, “You can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink”. The horse makesrepparttar 132685 final decision. As an analogy, you can provide allrepparttar 132686 program and program support you wish, butrepparttar 132687 final decision to participate or “benefit” comes fromrepparttar 132688 “client”, notrepparttar 132689 program, sponsors, donors, orrepparttar 132690 boards of directors.

Certainly a good deal of information comes from program implementation staff, and most programs provide as much information as possible for “clients” to be able to make those decisions with respect to participation or “acceptance” inrepparttar 132691 case of beneficiaries .

Nevertheless, once a program is accepted and activities begun, there is often little if any systematic effort to maintainrepparttar 132692 participants informed, and even less in terms of on-going activity decision-making.

The concept and definition of accountability and responsibility to “stakeholders” requires that our local decision-makers be fully informed aboutrepparttar 132693 progress and interim results of program or project activities. Most NGOs submit a variety of monthly, quarterly and special reports to their donors and internal (executive level) stakeholders. They mostly do a poor job, however, of maintaining their principal stakeholders – participants and beneficiaries – informed. Stakeholder Information for Participants and Beneficiaries

Client-stakeholders – participants, beneficiaries, customers or whatever term is appropriate to your organization – can be informed and consulted with a minimum of resources but it takes considerable internal political will to achieve.

Figure 2 is a generalized diagram of how a more complete stakeholder system might appear.

Figure 2. A more robust model of stakeholder accountabilities and responsibilities.

It should be clear that participants and community leaders are not alwaysrepparttar 132694 same group, and in many instances, project or program target populations and community leaders are at odds with one another. That is, their interests may not coincide or overlap and in some cases may be opposed .

One Strategy for Getting Participants intorepparttar 132695 Accountability - Sustainability Circle

A. Plan for it 1.Develop an agenda 2.The main thing is to invite them

B. Design for it 3.Outlinerepparttar 132696 main points ofrepparttar 132697 project or program

C. Holdrepparttar 132698 Meeting 4.Specify in detail what your organization wants do, why and when 5.Specify in detail what you expect ofrepparttar 132699 participants

D. Find out whatrepparttar 132700 attendees think 6.Establish a schedule for feedback and decision-making meetings

E. Review their opinions, doubts, objections and observations 7.Review your operational plan with participants and get their opinions and advice 8.Make appropriate changes in your current activities if possible

F. Hold review meetings 9.Review your operational plan with participants and get their opinions and advice

G. Determine howrepparttar 132701 program or project activities have progressed to this point 10. What to participants think of progress 11. What suggestions do they have for improvement

H. Reviewrepparttar 132702 results and make decisions on remaining activities ofrepparttar 132703 program 12.How can this information plusrepparttar 132704 technical findings of your regular work plan be used to improverepparttar 132705 rest ofrepparttar 132706 activities planned underrepparttar 132707 project or program?

I. Implementrepparttar 132708 changes and maintainrepparttar 132709 accountability system.

Tim Farrell is an expert on strategic planning, management and evaluation of voluntary, non-governmental, social development programs.

He is a private consultant and lives and works in Guatemala, Central America.


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