New leadership for Jail Literacy Program set

    Mark Harrington of Mequon is the new board president of Ozaukee County Jail Literacy Program, succeeding Holly Ryan of Cedarburg, who served in the role for almost a decade.
    Harrington said he intends to expand awareness and support for the program throughout Ozaukee County.   
    “We’re trying to help people get the second chances they deserve.  Small steps, big impact,” Harrington said.
    The organization also has three new board members — Mitchell Braverman, Cedric Rembert and Kerry Smith.
    They join board members Mary Albrecht, Grace Eernisse, Sigrid Dynek, Myra George, Terri Haas, Mark Harrington, Judy Jepson, Holly Ryan, Kathleen Schneider and Nina Walker, co-founder of the Jail Literacy Program.
    The program has provided educational opportunities to incarcerated adults in Ozaukee County for more than 25 years.  The program focuses on GED and HSED completion, basic literacy and career readiness, financial literacy, computer skills, life skills including problem solving, goal setting, critical thinking, and mindfulness, art, health, and civics.
    The program uses no taxpayer funding but instead is funded through donations and private grants.
    Students who have been through the program have a recidivism rate that is 37% lower than the national average.