As noted by TechPoint, a total of 15 award winners and honorees were chosen from the 129 outstanding people, places companies and products that were selected as nominees for their achievements during the 2019 calendar year. Forty-eight independent, volunteer judges spent more than 850 total hours evaluating applications, interviewing nominees, and selecting this year’s winners. Judges included company founders, CEOs and presidents, CTOs, CIOs, and other subject matter experts.
The Community Impact award presented to the department of correction recognized the life changing impact of The Last Mile (TLM) computer coding program has had on incarcerated persons working to learn valuable skills to better their opportunity for employment after incarceration. This unique life altering program is now offered to qualifying offenders at five different correctional facilities across Indiana, inclusive of the Indiana Women’s Prison as well as the Putnamville, Rockville, Plainfield and Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facilities.
Leadership at the IDOC sought to be a nominee for the Community Impact Mira Award by competing in a rigorous nomination process that began in December of 2019. Each nominated organization was required to make an in-person presentation to see if they’d make the final cut to be a selected nominee for one of 15 awards being presented. The IDOC was ultimately selected as one of 12 Community Impact nominees based on the strength of the presentation prepared and delivered by three graduates of The Last Mile program at the Indiana Women’s Prison. Jennifer Browning, Jennifer Fleming and Talesa Howell made a knock-out presentation that brought tears to the eyes of the judges. Now, today, Jennifer Browning and Talesa Howell are part of the IDOC family of employees and Jennifer Fleming is employed with the Indiana State Department of Health. Talesa Howell's story is presently feature on The Last Mile website.
You can read the full story about the IDOC TechPoint Mira Award on this section of the TechPoint website.
Visit the IDOC YouTube channel to see the virtual moment when the Community Impact award winner was announced.
About the Mira Award Name
The Mira Awards are named after the first of the brilliant variable stars to be discovered – the Mira Star. It is also the Latin root meaning “worthy of admiration, wonderful, marvelous.” The awards represent the best of tech in Indiana each year.
Since the Mira Award event was virtual, Anna Rauh, with TechPointe and pictured center, made an in-person delivery of the award to IDOC employees Talesa Howell, far left, and Dave Bursten. Not available for the photo were co-winners Jennifer Browning, also employed with the IDOC and Jennifer Fleming, with the Indiana State Department of Health.
Looking for a new career? We are hiring now!
Call or email Recruitment and Retention Coordinator Carlos Williams during business hours at 765-524-7743 or CarlWilliams@idoc.in.gov
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