Recently, the 7th Step Foundation, out of Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP) hosted around 20 outside employers and resource providers for their “OSP Fair Chance Career Fair.” The 7th Step Foundation is an adult in custody (AIC) run club with a mission to provide information and resources to bring about positive change. Their mission is supported by the following four pillars: Education, Career, Transformational Healing, and Leadership.
Oregon Corrections Enterprises (OCE) Administrator Ken Jeske recently brought a tree into the OCE Administration office for staff to enjoy. When the office AIC worker Michael arrived for work, the two put up the tree and had quite the conversation. Ken asked Michael how long it had been since he put up and decorated a tree. We hope you enjoy his story:
AIC Buell stands next to the OCE Christmas tree
“My name is Michael Buell and I am currently an AIC at Santiam Correctional Institution (SCI). Having the opportunity to work for OCE has been a tremendous blessing. It gives me a sense of normalcy and purpose everyday which is extremely important to me. For example… When I came into work the other day, I noticed they had brought in this Christmas tree that you see in the picture. They showed me where the decorations were and asked if I wanted to set it up and decorate it. After struggling with burnt out strands of lights for a couple hours I finally got it all done, and the finished product is what you see here.
It occurred to me while I was decorating the tree, that the last time I had done something like this was over three years ago with my two daughters and it definitely brought back a lot of memories for me. Moments like that are special and you cannot put a price on them.
Adult in Custody Desserrey Cheney poses with her award certificate
This quarter’s STAR award, given to a Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF) DMV agent for outstanding work at the call center, was presented to Desserrey Cheney. Cheney is an adult in custody (AIC) at Coffee Creek, and her role as a DMV call center agent is made possible by the Oregon Department of Correction’s (DOC) partnership with Oregon Corrections Enterprises.
Two of the artists pose with one of the DMV call center murals
This article was written by agents at the Customer Assistance Call Center located at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF) and modified for the DOC blog. The agents, who are all incarcerated at Coffee Creek, hope there is a shared enjoyment when reading about their journey and the artwork it produced.
The mural that started it all
The journey of the murals began when the DMV Coffee Creek Call Center (CCCC) was preparing to celebrate 30 years of success as part of the Customer Assistance team. The team floated many ideas for the theme and decorations, but ultimately the final decision was made by vote. The result: a bridge, linking CCCC with the larger DMV operations and the slogan, “Driving the bridge to success for 30 years.” Spanning the bridge is a vehicle for every CCCC agent, with salmon swimming in the river below. Decorated with paper, colored pencils, crayola markers, kindergarten scissors, and tape, this became the team’s first mural, and remained up (with facility approval) for an entire year.
On June 12, adult in custody (AIC) Niya Sosa-Martinez received the STAR award for her outstanding work at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility’s (CCCF) DMV call center. The STAR (Star to Agent Recognition) award is given quarterly to an AIC who demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills, leadership, and initiative; and goes above and beyond the standard. AIC Sosa-Martinez was nominated and voted on by her peers, other phone agents at the DMV call center, and enjoyed a commendation and luncheon with Superintendent Paula Myers, Section Manager Connie Crapser, and Center Manager Tammy Matthews.
