For decades, DOC facilities have held Impact of Crime Classes, which are mandatory for some inmates to attend based upon their crimes.
Over the past two months, SCI Camp Hill held two ICC classes that featured these speakers:
- On October 16, Ron and Linda Moyer spoke to inmates about their inspirational journey toward healing following the tragic death of their son, Ethan, in a DUI crash. Attendees also included a program researcher from Penn State-Harrisburg and students and faculty from Gettysburg College. On October 24, the Moyers were joined by the inmate in their case to address the ICC Instructor Course at the DOC Training Academy in Elizabethtown.
- On November 13, Michelle Sibert, executive director of the Cumberland County Victim Services Division of the District Attorney's Office, addressed SCI Camp Hill's ICC on the challenges victims face during their involvement with the criminal justice system. Her office aims to assist victims through this process, to help them recover from the physical, emotional, and financial impacts of crime, and to ensure their rights are met and their needs are addressed.
According to the Office of Victim Advocate (OVA), ICC is a voluntary, interactive and educational program designed to raise an inmate's awareness about the impact of crime on victims. It also is designed to increase inmates' levels of accountability and empathy for those they harmed, while providing a healing platform for victims and survivors of crime to share their experiences.
The OVA worked with the DOC to develop a curriculum for the Impact of Crime Program, which reflects what victims and victim advocates throughout Pennsylvania want inmates to know about the effect of crime on victims. This course does not affect an inmate's institutional status or increase an inmate's chances for release as it is a voluntary program.
The curriculum used in Pennsylvania focuses on the following offenses:
- Property Crime and Violations of Personal Security
- Robbery and Aggravated Assault
- Domestic Violence and Stalking
- Sexual Violence
- Homicide
- Hate/Bias crime
- Driving under the influence
This comprehensive curriculum relies on group activities, videos, lectures and speaker presentations. The speakers are victims and survivors of crime who enhance the program through the sharing of their experiences of crime and their journey to recovery.
Individuals interested in becoming a speaker for the Impact of Crime Classes or who have questions are asked to contact OVA at 800-563-6399.