Bonners Ferry is our farthest north unit in Idaho, Inland District.  We are a very active and growing unit comprised of members and non-members but active women in the church—and women who attend NO church. 

I want to highlight one of our programs this year that stimulated great discussion. Our guest speaker was the Middle and High School Resource Officer.  I was delighted to learn that his main goal is to gain the trust of the youth in order for them to want to come to him for help.  I immediately thought of our School to Prison Pipeline.  This officer strives to keep our youth on the right path to avoid going into the “system.” 

Our County is also fortunate to have a program through our Victim Services (Crisis Line) that partners with Juvenile Probation, essentially giving boys and girls the tools they need to keep from going on into the adult system when they age out of Juvenile Probation.  Both parents and youth participants have applauded this new program as one that helps the entire family. 

Both of these “School to Prison Pipeline” prevention programs will be on our next year’s list of special guest speakers so that we might know what progress they are making in this very important work.

Judy Dirks,
Bonners Ferry UWF President