Concordia Nebraska criminology class visits Nebraska Correctional Center for Women

Concordia Nebraska Professor of Sociology Dr. Kathy Miller’s Criminology class recently traveled to the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women (NCCW) in York, Neb. The 275-bed center is Nebraska’s only secure correctional facility for women and houses minimum, medium and maximum-security inmates. 30 Concordia Nebraska students had the opportunity to learn about the center’s unique nursery program, tour the facility and talk to two female inmates during a class trip in January.  

Concordia Nebraska’s Criminology course is designed for students in the social sciences that examines theories, causes and responses to crime. It explores crime among different age groups, genders and regions of the United States. Miller said that most of her criminology students are majoring or minoring in psychology or criminal justice.  

"My goal with taking the students is to give them an example of a small women’s prison and one that has a nursery program,” Miller said.  

Junior Yaire Ojeda was one student who went on the trip. She said that the experience contributed to her understanding of the justice system and will help her in her professional endeavors.  

“I can see this trip contributing to my future professional life because in criminal justice, you are working with a variety of people, and each person has their own experiences; not everyone has the same story,” she said. 

I can see this trip contributing to my future professional life because in criminal justice, you are working with a variety of people, and each person has their own experiences; not everyone has the same story.

According to Miller, only nine such nursery programs exist in the United States. Women who are pregnant and committed a nonviolent crime and have a sentence of 24 months or less can participate in NCCW’s nursery program. They are provided with training in parenting and bonding with their children; if the women have other children, they are allowed to visit. The goal of programs like these, according to Miller, is to reduce recidivism (re-offense) rates and prevent the children of incarcerated women to become incarcerated themselves later in life.  

“More connections between parents and children help both of them,” Miller said.  

The group had the chance to talk with two female NCCW inmates who shared their stories and discussed the challenges of family relationships during incarceration as well as factors and influences on their journeys. The students also heard from staff members who worked with these inmates and shared their reasons for entering and staying in the criminal justice field.  

Students then toured the facility and had the opportunity to see the nursery area, the substance abuse unit and cornhusker skill-building industries. They toured women’s rooms, housing units and other living spaces, gaining a glimpse into what their lives at NCCW looked like.  

“Being able to visit and even sit down with two women who shared their experiences really put into account the amount of open-mindedness, or empathy you need in this career,” said Ojeda. “The most interesting thing I learned on this trip is that these women have put the work into themselves to become better...I thought that was amazing; not many incarcerated individuals receive opportunities like [the ones at NCCW]!”  

The women also discussed programs in which they’d been able to take part at NCCW, such as the dog program and one that allows them to take community college classes.  

According to Miller, less than five percent of inmates who participate in the NCCW’s nursery program will re-offend, as compared to 66 percent nationally. This trip allowed students in Concordia Nebraska’s criminology class to gain unique insights into programs with outcomes like these.  

“Dr. Miller’s Criminology course provides important information on the complex nature of crime, justice and the social factors that drive criminal activity,” Ojeda said. “It offers a deeper understanding of the causes of incarceration, the effectiveness of rehabilitation and the wider consequences of criminal justice systems...In the end, it gives me the information I need to more carefully consider crime and its effects on society.”  

The criminal justice program at Concordia University, Nebraska prepares students to enter graduate school or the workforce by providing them with hands-on and academic experiences that bolster not only their resumes, but their skills in communication, problem-solving and more. Learn more about the criminal justice major here.