Probation & Parole
EAST Project Presentation
Group Members:
Laura Wynn
Meloni Carter
Whit Sheppard
Juan Martinez
Stacy Rudd
EAST Project
What is EAST Project and how are we
involved?
 Environmental
 And
 Spatial
 Technologies
 EAST Project is commonly used by high
school students, but was recently
introduced to college students.
Laura
EAST Project
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We were given 1 semester (11 weeks) to
complete our project.
For several weeks, we had the opportunity
to spend 1 class period dedicated to our
project.
Total hours spent on the project between
all group members = 100+ hours
Laura
EAST Project
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The criteria for our project selection:
 It must be relevant to the field of
probation & parole.
 It must serve a need in the community
and be able to successfully meet that
purpose.
We had a general idea for our project, and
once we talked with Mr. Russell, a more
organized plan began to form.
Laura
EAST Project – Relevant to
Probation & Parole
Our project is an extension of Employment
Resources group training program piloted by
Steven Russell from the Washington County
Probation/Parole Office.
Laura
EAST Project – Relevant to
Probation & Parole

Current program contains 8 modules that
assists selected P & P candidates in
learning about:
 Career planning
 Interests and skills
 Incorporating those interests and skills
into a career
 Learning decision making skills
 Researching the needed education and
training
Laura
EAST Project – Relevant to
Probation & Parole

Our group project was a “Testing Module 9”
in which we assisted in jumpstarting their
careers by:
 Utilizing the information and skills they
learned in the previous modules and
incorporating into a actual interview.
 Helping them “Dress for Success”
 Increasing employment opportunities
 Teaching them to make a good first
impression
Laura
EAST Project – Community
Aspect

We are assisting the community in many
ways by:
Helping recently released felons become
an independent, productive member of
society.
 Teaching them not to rely on public
assistance, but rather provide them with
job opportunities.
 Giving them the opportunity to use the
skills they learned in order to avoid
becoming repeat offenders.

Juan
EAST Project – Why we chose
this project

There are many repeat offenders, and we
chose a program to assist in finding a
solution to this problem.
This project provides a positive reinforcement
 It serves as a need within the community
 Assists probation and parole officers to
reduce their workload
 Assists offenders that may not know how to
go through this process
 We are testing a key part of the Employment
Resources Group Training program

Juan
EAST Project - Results
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Our first initiative was to work with Mr. Steven
Russell to develop possible candidates for our
program.
We decided to call our program: P&P Staffing
Services.
Once we had viable candidates for the
program, we gathered 8 basic interview
questions that would be used during all
telephone interviews.
The candidates answers would then be
entered into a “Newsletter” that would be sent
to local organizations for recruiting use.
Whit
EAST Project – Results Cont.
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We interviewed a total of 9 candidates.
Our goal was to help those that were on
probation, understand their qualifications
and really think about what careers or
jobs they would like to look into.
Everyone was interviewed individually, via
speaker phone.
This process helped us understand that
several people, although they may have
been felons, were qualified for many jobs
available in today’s workforce.
Whit
EAST Project – Results
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The technology used was different than
what we originally had planned.
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We did not use a video camera for the
interviews. We used a speaker phone and on
two separate days interviewed a total of 9
individuals.
We had limited camera use for pictures. Mr.
Russell took the pictures of the candidates
that we interviewed and e-mailed them to us.
These pictures were used in the newsletter.
Meloni
EAST Project - Results
Continued….

Through our initiative, Mr. Russell has
partnered with Juan to create a web
page. Although the web page is still in
the infancy stage of development, the
result with a valuable tool in which
potential employers can access.
Meloni
EAST Project – Bottom Line
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As a group, we learned how to delegate
projects and the “to-do’s” for deadlines that
had to be done.
We learned the importance of communication
with each other and in keeping the line of
communication open among the group
members.
We learned the importance of being
respectful and giving everyone another
chance regardless of what mistakes they may
have made.
Meloni
EAST Project – Bottom Line
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We learned how we can make a difference
in peoples’ lives.
We learned how working as a group can
accomplish so much more than working
individually.
We learned how an idea can become a
project and in turn can have the
opportunity to change lives.
Meloni
Community Contacts
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Steven Russell, Staff Development
Specialist with Washington County
Probation and Parole, Fayetteville, AR
Jerry Rose, Program Coordinator for
Criminal Justice, Northwest Arkansas
Community College
Dianne Phillips, EAST Project Facilitator,
Northwest Arkansas Community College
Meloni
Mr. Steven Russell
Staff Development Specialist with
Washington County Probation and
Parole, Fayetteville, AR
What I learned from the EAST
Project – Laura Wynn
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I learned that school projects can really make
a difference in the communities.
I learned that for those people that do try,
they just need to have a few doors opened
for them.
I learned that there are many people out
there, such as Mr. Russell, that took time out
of his busy schedule to listen to us and to
hear our idea.
This project helped me to open my mind
about various opportunities within the
probation and parole system.
What I learned from the EAST
Project – Juan Martinez

What I have learned about the project is that it
makes me feel good to help others, especially
those in need of a second chance. It also helps
me to develop my skill in communications with
others not only in our group but also in society. I
learned that communication is the key to
success, and that is what we did during this
project, I am glad to be part of this EAST
Project.
What I learned from the EAST
Project – Whit Sheppard

I feel that this EAST project has opened
my eyes to what other people go through
when they make a serious mistake. For us
to help these people be able to get a job
back is great. They have already proved
to society that they are willing to change
their old behaviors, so I feel that society
owes it to them to give them a second
chance.
What I learned from the EAST
Project – Meloni Carter
The EAST project led me to understand the plight of
those who are on probation and parole. I never
really placed myself in their shoes in order to see
how hard it was to get back on your feet. Everything
you need to do begins with getting a job. So many
have self-esteem issues and are ashamed of the
crime they committed whether it is from addiction or
a bad choice in their life. The project itself has
allowed me to delve into this issues and hopefully
create an easier way for these people to gain
employment and become an active member in their
community and the lives of their families.
This is so important to our community as it grows
bigger, to lower the crime rate by hopefully lowering
the amount of repeat offenders that we have
involved in them.