Judy Thorne Tapped to Sit on Local Advisory Council to Assist Female Prisoners

Boise- Idaho State University-Boise HIV Education Coordinator Judy Thorne, M.P.A., R.T.C., will serve on a newly created local advisory council to prepare female prisoners aged 18 to 35 for a successful return to society.

The national pilot project - called Women's Re-Entry Initiative - is a program of Easter Seals - Goodwill Northern Rocky Mountain and is funded by Public/Private Ventures, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the effectiveness of social policies, programs and community initiatives.

The goals of the re-entry initiative include:

• Reducing crime and recidivism
• Increasing women's economic viability through employment, training, and work support
• Reduce substance abuse and addiction
• Promote healthy parenting, family relationships and marriages

“It’s exciting for ISU to be a part of a national study like this,” said Thorne, noting that since 1995, Idaho’s inmate population has more than doubled from 3,298 to 6,976.

During that time, Idaho’s male inmate population has increased 100 percent while the female inmate population has increased 275 percent, according to Thorne.

"As a community, it's imperative we take steps to prepare these women for a productive and successful return to society," said Thorne.