Final Post

May 29th, 2009 Warsaw, Poland. It is nearly six am here in Poland. Our stay in this country is coming to an end. Cathy and Lori are now at the airport. Cathy has a 7:30 am flight Rome. She'll spend several days there before travelling on to London. Lori has a 9:15 am to Munich where she'll join her husband and son. The Traegers will visit Munich, travel to Italy and on to Austria before returning to the states. As for myself, this kid is homebound. In 12 hours I hope to have my arms around Linda, look into her eyes and say, I love you. I've missed you. I am glad to be home.

Several groups of people and many individuals came together to make this trip possible. We are very grateful for your efforts. We hope that we've taken the time to address your contribution. Please understand that we've taken every opportunity to share your contribution to this trip with our hosts in Poland. As we gave a presentation, shared a gift or discussed the nature of this series of staff exchanges, we explained that you and/or your organization made a substantial contribution to making this exchange a reality.

There are two groups of people that we wish to thanks. First, our families. Without your encouragement and support, none of this would happen. We appreciate your commitment to our relationships and the work we've chosen. Secondly, our co-workers. We know that not being in the workplace to make our contribution creates more work for all. We thank you for your sacrifice. We hope to return the great favor someday.

Poland is a place of great pride. They have every reason to love their country. Poland has survived through the ages, intact, vibrant, strong. As for myself, I will not die in peace until I have had the privilege to return to this great land with Linda. We need to experience this place and its people, together.

Thank you for joining/visiting the blog. We've tried to focus on corrections related items for our co-workers. By the same token, we've wanted to share with you the strength, grace and majesty that is Poland. We hope that we you've enjoyed the posts. We've enjoyed the process. If there are questions that you have about aspects of this trip, we'll be happy to answer those questions as best as we can. Either see us personally or send an email to iowansinpoland2009@gmail.com. We'll respond to questions at this website for the next 30 days. Many Thanks. Much Love.

Peace,

Sam

Poland's Capitol City

We spent the day Thursday touring the sights of Warsaw. It is important to understand that nearly everything in Warsaw was destroyed in WWII. The city was rebuilt after the war, recreating the original wall around the old city, the original palace for royalty, and many other buildings. We began our tour by walking to the Old Market Square area.



We visited the palace that housed Poland's royal families and then went to the royal gardens, where we enjoyed views of smaller palaces, the ampitheater, and the peacocks who roam the grounds.





After this we went to the downtown Warsaw area, to see the Palace of Culture and Science, a building given to Poland by Russia after WWII. We ended the day at the very modern shopping center, Golden Terraces.

Poland's

Dinner with members of the Ministry of Justice

Wednesday evening we joined six judges from the Ministry of Justice for a traditional Polish dinner. Two of the judges, Kryzstof and Slowic, were present in Cedar Rapids two years ago. We enjoyed very interesting discussions about the structure and practice of the judicial system in Poland. The judges shared with us that they are the Next Generation of judges in Poland, as many of the former judges left their posts with the fall of communism. Because of this they were in a unique position to take positions of great distinction in their country early in their career. In depth discussions were had regarding residential facilities, domestic violence, victim issues, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. During dinner we were serenaded by a performing group playing Czech music.

Train Ride to Warsaw

Wednesday morning, we departed Poznan and traveled to Warsaw by intercity train. It was an interesting and new experience for all of us. We rode in a compartment of six people, and we were able to see the countryside as we traveled.



When we arrived in Warsaw, we proceeded to the Pedagogium, part of a private University in Warsaw, to join a conference on stress and burnout. Lori and Cathy presented to the professors present on the topic of stress and burnout, while Sam presented a brief overview of the Hope House.

Fairwell Dinner in Poznan - Do Widzenia!

Tuesday evening we joined Chief Szostak, Dorota, Professors Ambrozik, Barczykowska, and Stepniak, and Sonia, our student interpreter, for a wonderful dinner in the Old Market Square. We spent time discussing our visit, the possibility of future visits, and saying our goodbyes. We handed out gifts to thank our hosts and hostesses, including gifts for the victims of domestic violence provided by Rape Victim Advocacy Program (RVAP) and Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP). Thank you to Mary Ann Pedde and her group members who donated the handmade bookmarks. Our hosts and hostesses generously gave us tokens by which to remember our time in Poznan.

Correctional Center

Monday morning we visited Zaklad Poprawczy in Poznan, a reformatory for juvenile boys that would be equivalent to Iowa's state training school in Toledo. There are 26 of these training schools in Poland and there will also be a re-entry center for juvenile boys opening in September of this year. Every officer that works at this facility is trained as an educator, and the focus of the center is "resocialization", which we would refer to as rehabilitation. The center under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. The Vice Director, Sebastian Dec, was our tour guide for the morning.







Clients at the center study, receive vocational training, and are also allowed to leave on passes and "holiday", or lengthier passes. The program is based on a token economy and all passes and priveleges are based on behavior. Clients at the center are there as the result of a legal charge received before age 17, and can stay as long as age 21. There is room for 72 boys in the facility.

We also had the opportunity to eat lunch at the facility, and the food was wonderful - not at all what we would consider institutional food!







In the afternoon we visited the Remand Center for juvenile boys in a neighboring town. This would be the equivalent of our juvenile detention centers, and boys age 13-21 stay there for 3-6 months while going through the process of being sentenced. There is room for 36 boys in the facility. They were housed in groups of 12, and the groups are assigned a color that they use to categorize the boys by age. All clients study and do activities with their color group during the day, and are allowed in their bedroom (shared by all 12 clients) only to sleep. They are not given actual vocational training due to their length of stay, but are given basic training in how to use tools of various vocations.

On the way back to Posnan, Chief Officer Szostak invited us to visit the Museum of Miniatures, where we saw miniature reconstructions of all the major sights around Poznan that we have visited.

Europe through the Back Door

The Rick Steves tour guide series encourages travelers to experience "Europe through the Back Door", meaning to get off the beaten path and interact with the locals. Here are some examples of ways that we have fully experienced Europe.



Frustrated by the triangle and circle denoting bathrooms, Sam takes comfort in this universal sign.



We find a new logo for the AnCHOR Center.



Lori and Lydia change the direction of a windmill. Here's to Going Green!



Sam makes a late-night beer (piwo)run, knocking on the 18th century version of a drive-up liquor store.



5 stories in the air, after climbing through rafters, Lori emerges from the top of the windmill to enjoy the view.



Cathy makes new friends in Posnan. Gary, we met these people and struck up a conversation about our jobs. There were no citations, there were no arrests, this was just a social exchange. If we ever need a background check on a Polish person, we've got connections.

Sightseeing in Lednica and Gniezno

Today's sightseeing started with a trip to Lednica, a reconstruction of an 18th century village. Original structures were brought to the site to construct a full picture of a village from that era. Both the way of living under Russian rule (poorer living) and Prussian rule (wealthier side) were represented. Our guides today were Lydia, a probation officer from Posnan, and Jarik, a probation officer from Gniezno who has also worked as a tourguide at this site.







Next we visited the town of Gniezno, the country's first capitol 1000 years ago. We saw the old market area of the town and visted the Gneizno Cathedral. This cathedral is very important to Polish Catholics, and is connected with the origins of Polish Christianity in 966. The highest bishops are buried here, and Pope John Paul II visited the site twice during his reign, once in 1979 and once in 1997. Note in these pictures the size of the cathedral. We were able to climb to the top of the highest steeple to enjoy the view. The steeples are 64 meters tall, about 210 feet or 20 stories in the air.







We also had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant in the Rynek Square in Gniezno. This is a restaurant frequented by presidents of many countries when they visit Poland.



We completed our day by being received at the home of Chief Probation Officer Irena Scostak. We were met with great hospitality, served with coffee, cakes, and other treats. She shared with us the various artifacts she has collected from the many countries throughout the world that she has visited.

The Kornik Castle

It was here that the three of us were able to tour our first castle, moat and all. Asia was our driver and tour guide for the day. Asia works as a lawyer and a instructor at the university. Built back in the 13th century, the castle was initially the home of Polish kings and princes and then changed hands in the late 19th century, becoming the home of a local, wealthy family. Later, it was donated to the government, in the will of the last family member. As we entered the castle (most of us through the entrance)



we were required to put on the latest shoe fashion. Prosze (please) see the photo below. This is a novel idea that we are bringing back to the States, as it is a quick and easy way to clean and shine the floors! My daughter, Andrea, will grimmace at this.



There are many pictures of the inside of the castle in photobucket, as there were many beautiful things. Outside the castle there was a festival going on. There were activities for children, Polish rap singers, and a motorcycle rally.



On the grounds of the castle there was a large park with many types of trees and plants that are not typically found in Poland. There were many beautiful gardens of rhododendrens and azaleas which were in full bloom.

Adam Mickiewicz University

Saturday morning we visited Professor Agnes' graduate class. Sam presented to the group on Hope House, and Cathy and Lori presented on Stress and Burnout in the field of Corrections.



We were able to have dialog with the students, many of whom are working as teachers, volunteer probation officers, etc. about what we do. The students seemed to find the information engaging, and found the information new and helpful. After our presentations, Professor Wieslaw Ambrozik, Professor Agnes and two students took us on a tour of the university campus. There are 50 buidings that are a part of the university, five of which were on the campus we were on today. We visited their library and saw their lecture halls.



Professor Ambrozik shared with us some of his experiences teaching and living in the Communist Era. We hope to interview him in more depth on this subject next week.



This university division has a very active Student Association. We were impressed to learn that some of the students have been able to present at conferences internationally, and have well formed ideas for future research.

St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Poznan

May 22nd, 2009. Situated on the island of Ostrow Tumski, between the Warta and Cybina rivers, goes back to the dawn of Christianity in Poland, i.e. to the second half of the 10th century.

The first Cathedral, originally called St. Peter's church, was erected on the site of the present Gothic structure in the year 968. This church has been destroyed by fire and rebuilt two different times. On February 15, 1945 in the battle to liberate Ostrow Tumski, 65% of the cathedral was burnt down. There are crypts in the lower level that are the final resting place of several Polish Bishops and Polish Royalty.

Poznan Criminal Probation Unit

Friday May 22nd. Once we left Judge Hejduk's office we visited a criminal probation unit in Poznan. We found out that each probation office is an extension of the Poznan District Court. So... The officer could meet with a client in one room of the office building, then escort the client to the next room for a hearing with a Judge. The Manager of this unit, Anna Wysocka and her staff shared casefile composition and their approach to offender supervision. The Professional Probation Officer's caseload in this unit runs between 130 to 150 offender. On average, each officer conducts 15-20 environmental interviews. An environmental interview seems to be an LSI interview conducted in the home of the offender. Professional PO's must supervise 30-35 cases directly while volunteer Probation Officers (Volunteer Officers are assigned to the Professional Probation Officers)handle much of the other face to face contacts for the Professional Probation Officer's caseload. Most face to face contacts during the course of each supervision take place in the home of the offender. Officers usually conduct these visits alone. Rarely do they fear for their safety.

Once the Professional Probation Officer receives the files, that officer has seven days to conduct an environmental visit with the offender. The conditions of supervision in Poznan are similar to ours. We had an indepth discussion about fines and restitution. Most of the focus was in getting the three of us to realize that they maintain close to a 100% collection rate. If the offender has stolen more than they can pay before expiration of probation, they may receive an extension. If it is not paid then, the offender WILL go to Prison. Same rules apply to child support. This was very different.

Re-entry thought of the day: Parolees are eligible for financial assistance from the country of Poland. Assistance comes in the form of vouchers for food, transportation, housing. Additionally, offender families are eligible for financial assistance while an offender is incarcerated if the incarcerated person was the primary breadwinner.

While in prison, Polish inmates can be granted leave from prison (up to six months) under the following conditions:

1. If he is the main breadwinner of the family.
2. If he is not eligible for social services.
3. If he has older family members that require care.
4. If he has ill family members that require care.
5. If the Judge orders the offender to work in order to provide the family financial assistance.

Pozan Criminal District Court

Friday, May 22nd. Today we went to the District Court in Poznan. We were warmly received by the Chairman of the District Court, Judge Jozefowich. He is appointed to this position by the National Minister of Justice. The Chairperson of Court in each district serves a six year term. A Chairperson cannot serve more than one term. Once Justice Jozefowich's term is over he will return to his duties as a national appellate court justice.

While walking through the courthouse we observed the court docket displayed electronically on walls throughout the courthouse. Much like flight schedules in airports. After our reception, we met Judge Hejduk of criminal court. Judge Hejduk was a member of the first Polish delegation to visit Iowa 2 years ago. Judge Hejduk escorted our party to a probation revocation proceeding. The probationer represented pro se, the prosecutor did not say a word. Though we could not understand the words said between the Judge and Probationer, the Probationer's body language was quite revealing. We were convinced that he was lying when answering the Judge's questions. The court continued the matter so that probationer could address the conditions of probation. Interesting tidbit, the judge used the actual probation casefile to review the probationer's progress of supervision. Think about that.

Court room attire: Judge, Prosecutor, Defense all wore black robes. Each robe had a different colored cravat (big broad bowtie, see wikipedia). Judges were purple cravats with big gold chains, Prosecutors wore red cravats and Defense attorneys wore green cravats.







Judge Heyduk took us to the criminal court were the most serious offenses are heard. This court room seats 300 people and features a balcony. There will be no jury of peers here. Five justices hear the cases before this court. Their decision determines the dispostion of these cases.