This is OLD, old news..... About the prison NOT helping us or getting involved -Sad!

5-02-11 (after meeting with Craig and others) Craig to me

Karl,

First off, I want to commend you for your strong desire to give back and to also "pay it forward" with your scholarship idea.  DIO Director Turley and I have shared your scholarship concept and ideas with UDC Executive Staff and we have received their approval for you to proceed.  Here are a couple of things to remember as you proceed:

 

1.  This scholarship is not sponsored by the Utah Department of Corrections (UDC).  At no time, will the scholarship fund receive funding from UDC.  The scholarship foundation can not use UDC logo or name on any scholarship documents (flyers, mailings, and other related documents).  Staff members of UDC are welcome to contribute if they so desire. 

2.  All written material for posting in UDC Visiting rooms will be pre-approved by the Director and the Programming Director prior to posting.

3.  No mass offender fund raising will be allowed inside the UDC facilities.  Each offender will be allowed to contribute to the scholarship fund if they so desire and if they have the funds.

 

I am sure there will be others items that we will have to discuss as you and your team moves forward on creating this scholarship foundation.  Again, we appreciate your efforts to make a difference in the lives of offenders' children.

 

Thanks,

Craig Burr, Director

Division of Programming

Utah Department of Corrections

801-545-5709

craigburr@utah.gov

5-02-11 my reply

THANK YOU

I never planned on using the UDC logo or name or have the prison handle that money in anyway. 

Absolutely, before we print anything for the UDC visiting rooms we will be ran past you (do you want me to run it past you specifically?  Or someone else?) 

Are we, or can we still post a [small one page nothing fancy 8 ½ x 11 black and white] notice in the Prison sections?  -Like application deadlines, the number of scholarships that are being handed out or the number of scholarships handed out this year and/or in total so far, sort of thing.  So maybe two or three Notices a year?  

Also, once the Selection Committee starts verifying if the child’s parent was in prison and/or their parents arrest record, how will be the best way for them to do that? –Through you/UDC?   (We won’t be ready until next spring)

Anything else you can think of right now?

I appreciate and look forward to working together with you on this.  (And if you have any suggestions on how to make this even better, I’m open to suggestions). 

Karl     

And 5-04-11to Craig

I did add a disclaimer of sorts to my website: 

If you have any questions about the Prison Policies on this Scholarship, please contact Craig Burr out there (801-545-5500).  Thank you - They are not involved with any part of the Scholarship itself.   

Let me know if I need to change any of that that (and/or to add your email address)

 

Karl

 

5-23-11(to Craig)

Just a reminder, I'd like to keep this moving on
 
This is what I'm planning for the 11 x 17 poster on a heavier, nicer glossy poster paper - What do you think?  Looks good.
How do you want me to get them to you - or to the visiting rooms?
How many visiting rooms or pre-visiting rooms do we have? counting all the different ones in Draper, then we still have Gunnison and St George.   How do you want to do them?
 
Thank you, Karl

5-24-11 (from Craig)

Karl,

Both poster look good, but some of the wording is confusing.  On the large one, what do you mean "that one out of every four will receive a scholarship"?  I have had several people review the large poster and all of them say the same thing.  The flyer doesn't state the name of the scholarship  or who is eligible to apply.  Has the Granite Scholarship Foundation reviewed both announcements?

 

And 5-25-11 reply; See if these are better

5-25-11 (from Craig)
Much better.  One suggestion - there is not a website listed on either sample.  You mention the website or say "download" an application, but there is no website for them to access.

5-30-11 to

Craig          

I’m sure that you are busy with all your regular business out there

 

But May is over its June with July breathing down our necks, I would really like to get those posters printed and posted before July.  How many do we need/visiting rooms or pre-visiting room waiting areas Draper, Gunnison, St. George (two posters in a big area??)  How do you want me to get those ‘good-11x17’ Posters to you or Gunnison and St. George?  And can we just use either downloadable ones and/or ‘prison volunteers’ to get the 8.5x11 flyers and notices to everyone/or every place else?

 

>>> Karl W Winsness <kwwinsness54@hotmail.com> 06/10/2011 7:47 AM >>>

Craig

Did you get a chance to look at that poster (and flyer/notice) I sent out there? 

Two; did you get a chance to talk with Steve and Tom and/or whoever all needs to approve it? 

Once it gets approved if it’s easier I can work with and through Lt. B. [I don’t want to get anyone in trouble here so the actual nane is removed]

 Congratulations on getting your inmates graduating, now let’s make sure that their children are graduating and hopefully going on to college  

 

 

6-14-11

Karl,

After thorough review, we as a Department have decided to deny your request to display flyers and posters at UDC facilities.  We commend you for your efforts and your desire to make a difference; however, it is our suggestion that you distribute flyers and posters to school districts throughout the state and ask that they be shared with high school counselors.  This is where your message can get to your target audience.  Other possible locations to promote the scholarship fund could be: 

Local community boards, recreation centers, city centers and local food stores as well as contacting city and community councils

 

We wish you the best in your future endeavors and if you help even one child, you will have made a difference.

 

Thanks,

Craig Burr, Director

Division of Programming

Utah Department of Corrections

 

My 6-16-11 reply

Craig

Me, saying that I’m disappointed in your discussion to not allow me to post those posters and flyers at your two main facilities would be an understatement at best. 

I don’t imagine that there is an appeal process on your/this decision (or is there a specific person I need to convince of the importance of this)?  

Certainly I want to get the word out to as many school, church, state and community agencies and organizations as possible (and I send out dozens of emails weekly to people and places like that). 

But I fail to follow your logic; Instead of putting up ten posters in your two main [Draper and Gunnison facilities] in or near the visiting rooms and a dozen flyer/notices in the various sections (or units) where our real target audience is [3-out-of-4] Scholarships for children of inmates doing time … And looking for the bulk of our donations to support this from the inmates [allowing the inmates to actually contribute back to society and their kids]  

Especially where most kids really don’t want to tell everyone/a stranger that they have or have had a Mother or Father incarcerated or suffered years of child sex abuse [would you?]  How would the school counselors even know who to approach?  (It will almost have to be the other way around; the student going to the counselor saying “I saw this new scholarship … I’d like to know more about it"- even more so if we are trying to start encouraging and recruiting kids from around the 7^th grade.) 

Seriously, how many ‘at risk’ kids/children of inmates (and their Mother/Dad or Grandparents) goes straight to the ‘community boards’ and/or check their local food stores for scholarships available for these kids, right after visiting a parent in prison vs seeing it right there.    

This Scholarship is still going forward with or without your help/cooperation.  I believe that you are passing up an excellent opportunity and looking at a PR disaster by not getting with this early on. Especially With your thought that I should post thousands of them in every city, county, school and food store across the state instead of ten or twelve in your two main facilities (and I can get them to most the county Jails latter on, on my own) Why would you not want these kids and inmates to know about this Scholarship?

I hope that you reconsider your decision and I still look forward to working with you on this and other issues, you know how to reach me. 

Thank you for your time and considerations, Karl