By C1 Staff
CEDAR RAIPDS, Iowa — A program intended to teach offenders about the impact their crimes have on others is being cut after the Iowa Department of Corrections found it wasn’t having the effect they’d hoped.
The class, called ‘Victim Impact,’ connected offenders with victims of violent crimes to show the fallout of their actions on others, according to ABC News.
The course consisted of a 24-week curriculum that used coursework and videos called ‘Listen and Learn,’ one of which you can view below. Victims could also speak directly to the offenders.
There are currently two classes left and offenders participating in them will be allowed to complete the course, but no new programs of this type will be offered. Instead, the IDOC is focusing on a new course called ‘Thinking for a Change,’ which involves role-playing to help offenders walk through how to handle difficult or dangerous situations they may encounter when they’re released.
The IDOC said they are working to include victim advocacy groups into the new programming.