SCARTA tours correctional center

The Oct. 27 meeting of the Stutsman County Area Retired Association was held at the James River Senior and Community Center with 25 members in attendance.

Following the business meeting, Tom Norman, president, and several SCARTA members discussed their tour of the James River Correctional Center. Members touring said they were impressed with the positive changes in the correctional methods. Security for the visitors was strict. They had to submit a request to visit a week in advance so a security check could be made on all of them. The prisoners are not locked in individual cells but are housed in more of a dormitory arrangement. The visitors got to see the activities and projects that the cooperating prisoners can take part in.

Prisoners can improve their education, work of their GEDs or other training that can help them become a part of society once they have served their time.

Volunteers are needed to help with the educational programs.

Speaker of the day was Daphne Drewello, Alfred Dickey Public Library director. She described the City-County Library Board as a group of hard-working individuals who are trying to find a site large enough to provide adequate parking, be easily accessible and have adequate space for all the library needs of today’s society. The community voters indicated that they wanted a joint library with a bookmobile and that is what they are working to develop, she said.

The next regular meeting of SCARTA will be Nov. 24.

Tags: community, clubs, scarta