Wildlife biometrician earns ‘hero’ nomination for helping inmates


By DEBORAH A. MILES If you ask someone to nominate an


“everyday hero,” a lot of people may think of a firefighter, parole officer or doctor. Chances are, not too many people would recommend a wildlife biometrician. When PEF member Jim Close, an


environmental program specialist 2, thought about the extraordinary volunteer work of Ed Kautz, it just fell into place for him to nominate Kautz, a wildlife biometrician, in the American Federation of Teacher’s (AFT) “Every Day Heroes” contest. For the past 20 years, Kautz has


played an active role in the Alternative to Violence Project, where he conducts and organizes workshops in prisons to help inmates overcome violent tendencies. “Violence comes in many forms,” Kautz


said. “It can range from put-downs to yourself or others, to the taking of a human life. Most of the inmates are receptive to the program, but it takes time. We start the workshop on a Friday and it ends on Sunday, with a total of nearly 30 hours. It’s a big chunk of time.” Kautz holds a workshop two or three


times a year in the prisons. He said the secret to success is to have the inmates “build a community.” To do this, the workshop facilitator leads the inmates in exercises where they share their backgrounds, experiences and types of violence they feel are part of their lives. “This program almost always makes a


difference in their lives,” Kautz said. “They learn to open up and think about the violence and conflicts in their lives and how to deal with them. The exercises


KAUTZ


build affirmation and communication, so the inmates talk about themselves in a positive way.” A maximum of 20


inmates can attend the


workshop. Kautz said they range in ethnic backgrounds, but most of them are in prison on drug-related charges. “A lot of the inmates become active in


the Alternatives to Violence Project after their release,” Kautz said. “The program was actually initiated by inmates who were on death row or had lifetime sentences. This group of inmates wanted to help those who were incarcerated and not serving life sentences. They wanted to develop a program to help learn to deal with conflict in a non-violent way. They didn’t know how to do that, so they invited a group of Quakers to help, as they had a reputation for peace-making. The program was actually launched by the inmates at Green Haven Correctional Facility and the Quakers.” Kautz said the program has morphed


to where many of the workshop facilitators are inmates. “It’s even a bigger plus when someone


is released and comes back to work as a facilitator. When they first get out, they are too busy transitioning back into society. But we have had some who come


back and the inmates really look up to them,” he said. Kautz got involved with the program


because of a tragedy. “When I was 16, my best friend


murdered his parents. I remained friends with him over the years while he was in prison. We communicated through letters. He is a good example of how someone can change their life around. He got an 18-year sentence. He worked in the prison clinic and showed he really cared about improving himself. He had strong support from his former wrestling coach. He ended up getting a college degree while he was in a halfway house, and got into medical school. He is now a medical doctor,” Kautz said. Kautz doesn’t think of himself as a


hero. He said he was surprised to be nominated. He also said he is proud of his work with the inmates, and that if he could get one message across to readers it would be, “inmates are people too.” If you are still wondering what a


wildlife biometrician does, Kautz works with statistics and computer programming related to wildlife. He helps the staff at the state Department of Environmental Conservation design research projects and analyze the data. For more information about the


Alternatives to Violence Project, visit http://avpny.org.


Attention PEF Nurses: Plan now to TAKE YOUR ISSUES TO ALBANY May 24


Be there when PEF meets with state legislators in Albany to urge enactment of bills • Requiring safe staffing, and • Establishment of standards for safe patient handling.


Donʼt wait until the last minute to ask for time off. Go now to the nurses page on the PEF website at pef.org/nurses or call


(800) 342-4306, ext. 227 to reserve your place at this event. (Lunch will be provided. Travel expenses will not be reimbursed, although PEF divisions or regions may sponsor their nursesʼ participation.)


Page 12—The Communicator March 2011 PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445


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