The Community Justice Center (CJC) completed its 15th Restorative Justice “Victims Impact/Empathy/Life Skills Class” at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution (TSCI) on March 13. Ninety-five percent of class participants said they gained insight into the effects their actions had on their victims and communities. “It helped me to understand the full impact of my crime and how to write a meaningful apology, as well as what restoration is,” one graduate said.Read more

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Facility Maintenance Specialist Cal Bittinger plowed snow off a walkway at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women (NCCW) in late January. Bittinger has spent 23 years with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS). His main job duties range anywhere from working on plumbing, to fixing electrical to maintaining the landscape. “I like to see I’m making progress,” Bittinger said. “I know when something gets done, it’s done right.” #NDCSTeamMemberSpotlightRead more

Team members at the Omaha Correctional Center (OCC) recently repurposed and decorated a new mothers’ room, which officially opened on Feb. 15. The room – located just off the break room – offers a quiet, convenient and private place for nursing mothers to pump and store breast milk during working hours. Unit Manager Ronna Courtney and Facility Maintenance Supervisor Jeremiah Barns were instrumental in getting the project off the ground. “(Breastfeeding) is a choice that parents make and you want to be supported in that decision,” Courtney said. This room has given Courtney a space where she feels taken care of and valued.Read more