Northwest Correctional Complex Celebrates Volunteers

TIPTONVILLE – Northwest Correctional Complex (NWCX) held a special banquet Wednesday night, to recognize individuals who volunteer at the facility throughout the year.  Out of the 14 facilities across the state, volunteers at NWCX donated about 8 % of the 32,000 hours given by volunteers during 2018.

Kurt Gross, Chaplain at NWCX, said volunteers provide positive services and add value to the staff, inmates and Jackson Day Reporting participants.  “I wanted to have a banquet to recognize all the volunteers who come into the facility and make a difference.  I want them to feel appreciated and recognized.  We want to honor people at Northwest for their time and dedication.  Everyone is a blessing here and makes my job easier.”

Volunteers travel from nine different states to donate their time to the facility.  NWCX has 250 active certified volunteers and 120 special event volunteers working at the facility and at the Jackson Day Reporting Center.  Some of the volunteers provide education, life skills, mentoring, outside clergy, religious activity, substance abuse, and victim impact areas.

Kevin Thomas, an individual volunteer said he found a need for peer volunteer’s at the facility.  He is a former inmate at NWCX and volunteers his time to give other inmates hope.  “Since I was an inmate here for six years, I saw that there was a need for a type of peer guidance.  I come back to show them it can be done.  You can get out and lead a successful life and I offer them guidance,” said Thomas.

Volunteers were presented with wooden name plates and framed certificates of appreciation that were made by the inmates in the wood shop at the facility.

Three volunteers, Kim Montgomery, Oma Gardener and Mike & Connie Boling, were recognized as Volunteer Of The Year and were given a certificate and handmade clock.