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OPEN, INC. (Offender Preparation & Education Network, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
correctional service agency founded in Dallas, Texas, in 1979. Our mission is to motivate
and prepare persons with a criminal history to adopt and maintain a socially responsible and
personally rewarding lifestyle. Our organization is guided in its mission by a volunteer Board
of Directors composed of active business and civic leaders and has been supported by a
wide range of individuals, businesses, and foundations who serve as advisors and financial
sponsors of OPEN's work.
OPEN believes the current approach toward crime and punishment actually makes the
problem worse. We can never hire enough police to protect us, and we can't afford to lock up
every criminal for the rest of his or her life. We need a new approach toward the problem, one
that looks beyond popular solutions to find the real key to change.
From our beginning, OPEN has studied the causes of repeat crime in order to find a way to
break that negative cycle. Our first eight years were spent developing projects to serve as
models for effective correctional programming. These projects included human development
training for Dallas County jail inmates, orientation classes for Travis County probationers, job
placement for Denton County probationers, a support group for inmates' families,
counseling, information and referral services, and a parole preparation program for inmates
and families.
Out of these experiences, OPEN has developed an approach that can introduce positive
change into what has been a destructive cycle. Our approach is based on education and self-
help – not as a favor to criminals but for the good of society. Punishment of crime serves a
necessary social purpose, but punishment by itself has not been effective in bringing about
positive change in offenders’ lives or any improvement in our crime rate. The truth is if we
want offenders to act better after release from supervision than they did before they were
convicted we have to show them how to act better. And even more important, we must show
them that it is in their own best interest to change. Offenders are much more motivated by
their own self-interest – the reward of a positive future – than they are by any legal
punishment or forms of coercion we can devise.
The OPEN Information Series
Therefore, OPEN has developed the OPEN Information Series, a collection of educational
materials and programs designed to promote positive change in the attitudes and
perceptions of public offenders, thus leading to positive behavioral change. The Information
Series consists of books, tapes, and training programs that encourage offenders to re-
evaluate their past attitudes and actions and develop the personal commitment and skills
needed to become a contributing member of society.
The core of the Information Series is a set of four books:
Information Series books follow a self-help format so they can be used by individual
offenders who are motivated to turn their lives around. To increase their effectiveness and
reach a much wider audience, OPEN has developing training programs that will help
teachers and counselors present the material in a small group setting. Training programs
are currently available on Reentry (99 Days and A Get Up) and Dependency (Life Without a
Crutch), and OPEN is currently developing a training program based upon Man, I Need a
Job.
In addition, OPEN has begun the development of the OPEN Information Video Series.
Joining OPEN's perennial reentry video, Preparing for Success, is Why Bother?, a
motivational presentation designed to help offenders find constructive answers to the
question, “Why Bother?”
OPEN’s materials are unique because they are written from the offender’s perspective. Thus
they address the core concerns that offenders face in terms they recognize and are
comfortable with. This increases the credibility of the materials in the eyes of the end user
and helps overcome the natural resistance prisoners feel toward any recommendations
from prison staff, no matter how well-informed or well-intended.
OPEN's Public and Client Services
In addition to sales of educational materials, OPEN provides informational and educational
services to corrections professionals and the general public.
We do this via a newsletter (INSIGHTS) featuring articles on successful correctional
programs and issues of current interest in corrections; the newsletter is distributed to
approximately 7,500 corrections professionals. We also maintain this website which
includes current issues of the newsletter along with concept papers on issues of concern to
corrections and the general public.
OPEN’s executive director provides training services at professional conferences and on-
site workshops at correctional agencies. In addition, OPEN responds to requests for
information and donates copies of our self-help handbooks to inmates and their loved ones
who are unable to purchase them.
OPEN's Impact
The goal of the OPEN Information Series is to encourage positive growth and promote the
successful community adaptation of public offenders, thereby reducing the likelihood that
they will commit new crimes. The materials provide information on how to cope with the
correctional process itself, how to face and deal with personal problems, and how to develop
the skills necessary for survival and growth in the free world. Recognizing the important role
that family and loved ones play in helping offenders adjust to society, OPEN's books also
offer insight and guidance to help loved ones cope with their own problems and their
relationship with the offender.
OPEN's materials are now used in correctional programs in Texas and across the country,
including local jails, state and private prisons, pre-release and community corrections
programs, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Since the program began in 1987,
approximately half a million books have been placed in service. In 2006, approximately
10,500 copies of our materials were sold; in addition, approximately 699 books were
donated to indigent offenders and their loved ones.
The growing interest in OPEN's materials indicates that our work is highly valued by
correctional programs and clients across the country. Feedback from individual offenders
and correctional practitioners indicates that our materials provide a unique combination:
information that meets the needs of the correctional system, in a form that is meaningful to
correctional clients and their loved ones. As use of our work becomes more widespread, the
OPEN Information Series can be a vital source for positive change in corrections.
Support for OPEN
OPEN needs financial support from contributions, as well as from sales, to continue
developing our educational programs. OPEN is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, so all
contributions are tax-deductible.
You can make a contribution by mailing a check to OPEN, INC. at the address at the top of
this page, or contact us by phone or email to discuss donating by credit card. Also be sure to
let your public officials know your viewpoints on criminal justice issues.
Introducing DonorBridge!
DonorBridge connects people who want to make a difference – you – with nonprofit groups
doing important work. But it’s not just about feeling good. It’s about being smart and
investing wisely in the organizations that appeal to you and are making the biggest impact in
your areas of interest.
There, you can easily find many levels of information to help you give your time and
resources more strategically.
DonorBridge is a project of Communities Foundation of Texas in partnership with the Center
for Nonprofit Management and with support from The Dallas Foundation.
At DonorBridge, you can easily make a donation in support of OPEN, INC. Click HERE to
learn more!
correctional service agency founded in Dallas, Texas, in 1979. Our mission is to motivate
and prepare persons with a criminal history to adopt and maintain a socially responsible and
personally rewarding lifestyle. Our organization is guided in its mission by a volunteer Board
of Directors composed of active business and civic leaders and has been supported by a
wide range of individuals, businesses, and foundations who serve as advisors and financial
sponsors of OPEN's work.
OPEN believes the current approach toward crime and punishment actually makes the
problem worse. We can never hire enough police to protect us, and we can't afford to lock up
every criminal for the rest of his or her life. We need a new approach toward the problem, one
that looks beyond popular solutions to find the real key to change.
From our beginning, OPEN has studied the causes of repeat crime in order to find a way to
break that negative cycle. Our first eight years were spent developing projects to serve as
models for effective correctional programming. These projects included human development
training for Dallas County jail inmates, orientation classes for Travis County probationers, job
placement for Denton County probationers, a support group for inmates' families,
counseling, information and referral services, and a parole preparation program for inmates
and families.
Out of these experiences, OPEN has developed an approach that can introduce positive
change into what has been a destructive cycle. Our approach is based on education and self-
help – not as a favor to criminals but for the good of society. Punishment of crime serves a
necessary social purpose, but punishment by itself has not been effective in bringing about
positive change in offenders’ lives or any improvement in our crime rate. The truth is if we
want offenders to act better after release from supervision than they did before they were
convicted we have to show them how to act better. And even more important, we must show
them that it is in their own best interest to change. Offenders are much more motivated by
their own self-interest – the reward of a positive future – than they are by any legal
punishment or forms of coercion we can devise.
The OPEN Information Series
Therefore, OPEN has developed the OPEN Information Series, a collection of educational
materials and programs designed to promote positive change in the attitudes and
perceptions of public offenders, thus leading to positive behavioral change. The Information
Series consists of books, tapes, and training programs that encourage offenders to re-
evaluate their past attitudes and actions and develop the personal commitment and skills
needed to become a contributing member of society.
The core of the Information Series is a set of four books:
Information Series books follow a self-help format so they can be used by individual
offenders who are motivated to turn their lives around. To increase their effectiveness and
reach a much wider audience, OPEN has developing training programs that will help
teachers and counselors present the material in a small group setting. Training programs
are currently available on Reentry (99 Days and A Get Up) and Dependency (Life Without a
Crutch), and OPEN is currently developing a training program based upon Man, I Need a
Job.
In addition, OPEN has begun the development of the OPEN Information Video Series.
Joining OPEN's perennial reentry video, Preparing for Success, is Why Bother?, a
motivational presentation designed to help offenders find constructive answers to the
question, “Why Bother?”
OPEN’s materials are unique because they are written from the offender’s perspective. Thus
they address the core concerns that offenders face in terms they recognize and are
comfortable with. This increases the credibility of the materials in the eyes of the end user
and helps overcome the natural resistance prisoners feel toward any recommendations
from prison staff, no matter how well-informed or well-intended.
OPEN's Public and Client Services
In addition to sales of educational materials, OPEN provides informational and educational
services to corrections professionals and the general public.
We do this via a newsletter (INSIGHTS) featuring articles on successful correctional
programs and issues of current interest in corrections; the newsletter is distributed to
approximately 7,500 corrections professionals. We also maintain this website which
includes current issues of the newsletter along with concept papers on issues of concern to
corrections and the general public.
OPEN’s executive director provides training services at professional conferences and on-
site workshops at correctional agencies. In addition, OPEN responds to requests for
information and donates copies of our self-help handbooks to inmates and their loved ones
who are unable to purchase them.
OPEN's Impact
The goal of the OPEN Information Series is to encourage positive growth and promote the
successful community adaptation of public offenders, thereby reducing the likelihood that
they will commit new crimes. The materials provide information on how to cope with the
correctional process itself, how to face and deal with personal problems, and how to develop
the skills necessary for survival and growth in the free world. Recognizing the important role
that family and loved ones play in helping offenders adjust to society, OPEN's books also
offer insight and guidance to help loved ones cope with their own problems and their
relationship with the offender.
OPEN's materials are now used in correctional programs in Texas and across the country,
including local jails, state and private prisons, pre-release and community corrections
programs, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Since the program began in 1987,
approximately half a million books have been placed in service. In 2006, approximately
10,500 copies of our materials were sold; in addition, approximately 699 books were
donated to indigent offenders and their loved ones.
The growing interest in OPEN's materials indicates that our work is highly valued by
correctional programs and clients across the country. Feedback from individual offenders
and correctional practitioners indicates that our materials provide a unique combination:
information that meets the needs of the correctional system, in a form that is meaningful to
correctional clients and their loved ones. As use of our work becomes more widespread, the
OPEN Information Series can be a vital source for positive change in corrections.
Support for OPEN
OPEN needs financial support from contributions, as well as from sales, to continue
developing our educational programs. OPEN is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, so all
contributions are tax-deductible.
You can make a contribution by mailing a check to OPEN, INC. at the address at the top of
this page, or contact us by phone or email to discuss donating by credit card. Also be sure to
let your public officials know your viewpoints on criminal justice issues.
Introducing DonorBridge!
DonorBridge connects people who want to make a difference – you – with nonprofit groups
doing important work. But it’s not just about feeling good. It’s about being smart and
investing wisely in the organizations that appeal to you and are making the biggest impact in
your areas of interest.
There, you can easily find many levels of information to help you give your time and
resources more strategically.
DonorBridge is a project of Communities Foundation of Texas in partnership with the Center
for Nonprofit Management and with support from The Dallas Foundation.
At DonorBridge, you can easily make a donation in support of OPEN, INC. Click HERE to
learn more!
| About OPEN |
| Contact Us |
| About OPEN |
| OPEN Staff |
| OPEN, INC. Board of Directors |
|
Copyright © 2006-2009 OPEN, INC. All rights
reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part
without written permission from OPEN, INC. is
prohibited. Permission is expressly given for
reproduction of information on this site for
non-profit educational purposes on condition
that proper credit is given, that the material is
reproduced with the copyright notice, and that
it is not used for financial gain.
reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part
without written permission from OPEN, INC. is
prohibited. Permission is expressly given for
reproduction of information on this site for
non-profit educational purposes on condition
that proper credit is given, that the material is
reproduced with the copyright notice, and that
it is not used for financial gain.
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| Board Only |