Full Text of HR0046 101st General Assembly
HR0046 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | HR0046 | | LRB101 07260 ALS 52299 r |
|
| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives wish to commend Sister Vivian Whitehead for the | 4 | | success of the Center for Correctional Concerns and her work to | 5 | | help incarcerated men and women build a pathway to productive | 6 | | and fulfilling lives; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Sister Whitehead was born and raised in Chicago; | 8 | | she attended St. Dorothy Grade School and Lorette Academy in | 9 | | Woodlawn; she received her bachelor's degree from the College | 10 | | of St. Francis and later earned a Doctor of Philosophy in | 11 | | Biology from St. Bonaventure University in New York; she became | 12 | | a Franciscan sister in 1947; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Sister Whitehead began her career in education as | 14 | | a high school teacher at St. Mary's in Columbus, Ohio; she | 15 | | later taught at St. Francis Academy in Joliet; in 1968, she | 16 | | served as an administrator for her congregation; from 1976 | 17 | | until 1979, she worked as a counselor at the University of | 18 | | Notre Dame, where she ministered to the spiritual needs of the | 19 | | students; during her time at Notre Dame, she developed an | 20 | | interest in criminal justice; she later attended the Benedict | 21 | | Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she gained practical | 22 | | experience in jail ministry; as a result, she realized that in | 23 | | addition to substance abuse treatment and mental health |
| | | HR0046 | - 2 - | LRB101 07260 ALS 52299 r |
|
| 1 | | counseling, many jail residents needed a second chance for an | 2 | | education; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, Sister Whitehead returned to Joliet, began her | 4 | | work with the Will County Jail, and founded the Center for | 5 | | Correctional Concerns in July 1979; a not-for-profit agency, | 6 | | the Center is funded largely by grants and donations; she | 7 | | headed the Center from 1970 until 1988, when she left to work | 8 | | in Appalachia as an adult education and family literacy | 9 | | teacher; she returned to the Center in 1999 and continues to | 10 | | minister to the men and women in the Will County Adult | 11 | | Correctional Facility; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Under Sister Whitehead's leadership, the Center | 13 | | has greatly expanded; it is fully staffed with administrators, | 14 | | counselors, teachers, and volunteers; in its 40-year history, | 15 | | more than 2,500 students have earned their high school | 16 | | equivalency diplomas; the pass rate of the Center's students is | 17 | | 30 percent higher than those in similar area agencies; the | 18 | | Center offers literacy training for non-readers and enrichment | 19 | | classes; when necessary, the Center also offers a Spanish Tutor | 20 | | and a Spanish version of the test; although education is the | 21 | | Center's first priority, spiritual counseling and guidance, | 22 | | along with substance abuse counseling and treatment, are also | 23 | | provided; the Center also works with lawyers, public defenders, | 24 | | and social service agencies on behalf of the incarcerated; |
| | | HR0046 | - 3 - | LRB101 07260 ALS 52299 r |
|
| 1 | | therefore, be it
| 2 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 3 | | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 4 | | we commend Sister Vivian Whitehead for the success and | 5 | | long-term impact of the Center for Correctional Concerns and | 6 | | its work helping incarcerated men and women find hope and | 7 | | purpose; and be it further
| 8 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 9 | | presented to Sister Whitehead as an expression of our esteem | 10 | | and respect.
|
|