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Banking and Securities Employee Educates Waymart Inmates on Money Matters

Tags: Waymart
June 27, 2022 12:00 AM
By: DOC Staff

A group of inmates sit watching a speaker at the front of a classroom

Staff and inmates at SCI Waymart learned about money matters on June 13 as taught by Becky MacDicken, outreach specialist for the PA Department of Banking and Securities Financial Services. MacDicken enthusiastically delivered multiple presentations on financial literacy to more than 50 inmates.

Participants learned the difference between banks and credit unions, the importance of budgeting, how to navigate online banking tools, the need to monitor one’s credit and how to communicate with lending institutions. MacDicken also provided her audiences with concrete examples of how to improve one’s credit score as well as how to damage it.

Staff from education, reentry and treatment services attended the presentations. These staff members will use the information from the presentations to help prepare those with whom they interact to be financially aware and prepared as reentrants. Did you know that 73 percent of successful reentrants had a bank account and only 39 percent of parole violators and individuals who reoffend had one?

Participants asked questions and took notes – a sure sign that they were interested in the content of the presentation.  Thanks to MacDicken, participants will be better equipped to successfully manage multiple money matters. She left SCI Waymart exhausted but promised to return to its Career and Reentry Fair in September.


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