Stopping the Cycle of Abuse
Gadsden Correctional Facility turns victims of abuse into survivors
“For some women, incarceration is a rescue.”
Such a sentiment might be unexpected, but that's what Laura Bedard, assistant warden at CCA's Gadsden Correctional Facility, says about an innovative rehabilitation program offered to its female offenders.
“Many of them say they would have been dead if they had not been sent to prison,” she says. At Gadsden, located in Quincy, Fla., many women are not only surviving – they’re also thriving, thanks to a class called ESUBA (“abuse” spelled backwards).
The name was inspired by the desire to “turn abuse around,” Bedard explains. “We find overwhelmingly that our offender population suffers from some form of abuse – physical, mental or sexual.”
Bedard, who holds a doctorate in social work, co-wrote the curriculum with three Florida State University students 20 years ago. She later assumed leadership of the program, rewrote the curriculum for male offenders and implemented it in multiple facilities under the Florida Department of Corrections, where it still operates. When Bedard joined Gadsden as assistant warden in 2008, she implemented ESUBA and expanded it from two to 15 hours weekly, with more in-depth session topics.
“ESUBA is designed to educate inmates about violence and increase their awareness of its effects,” says Bedard. “If inmates don’t learn that there are other ways of living, they tend to go back to the same situations.”
The 24-week class is divided into two 12-week phases. The first phase provides an introduction to the various forms of abuse, highlighting a different topic each week. In the second phase, students research a topic and find creative ways to present it to the rest of the class. The course also features music therapy, discussions, individual and group exercises and movies. Additionally, representatives from Refuge House, a local organization that provides direct services to battered women, their children and sexual assault survivors, presents information and resources.
“It’s the first time the light bulb goes off, and it’s the beginning of their process of healing,” Bedard says. Marva McCall, ESUBA instructor at Gadsden, knows firsthand how such outlets can rehabilitate victims of abuse. “I’ve been in some domestic violence situations myself, so I’m able to relate to what my students have been through,” she says.
Students’ responses demonstrate the program’s success.
“I was in an abusive situation for quite a long time, and I learned to keep silent,” says Gabrielle Cunningham, who has taken the class. “Coming into the class allowed me to share. We were able to console and inspire one another.”
“It’s an excellent program,” says Amy Holloman. “I know if it helped me, it can help others. I was in such a shell, and now I’ve opened up and come out. I didn’t think that would ever be possible.”
Students are working to start a new cycle – one of healing, rather than hurt.
“It’s been a domino effect; the lessons my students have learned will help others down the line,” McCall says. “Some women have decided to go into the community and help other women come forward with abusive situations.”