Judy Hutt is passionate about helping others. She works with women in prison to develop the life skills they need to become productive members of society.
Hutt, who earned a master’s in Administration and Human Services at WilmU, was selected by Ashley Biden, executive director of the Delaware Center for Justice and founder of Livelihood, to be the instructor for the center’s Women In Transition Moving On program.
She teaches at the Hazel D. Plant Women’s Treatment Facility in New Castle. The goal is to reduce the women’s rate of recidivism through a curriculum that utilizes evidence-based models focused on risks that lead women to crime, including environmental, behavioral and family factors.
“They are transitioning back to society, some to their former neighborhoods and communities,” says Hutt. “It’s imperative that each woman is equipped with the skills she needs to succeed. The program gives women the skills to develop personal and social resources that promote healthy living and equip them to better deal with the stresses in life.”
Women also benefit from All About Me, a component of the program designed to help women realize their self-worth.
On a personal level, Hutt embodies the power of positive change. She enrolled at WilmU when her oldest child began studies at Delaware State University. Hutt worked full-time while she pursued her undergraduate degree in Behavioral Science.
“You want to bring change? Be the change,” she says.
In addition to her work with the Delaware Center for Justice, Hutt is employed full-time at Children & Families First as a community educator, where she facilitates workshops for early childhood educators. Her topic: Family Engagement on the Front Line, Breaking Barriers and Bridging the Gap.
“I am taking my Human Services degree and doing good in the world,” she says. “Wilmington University was my pathway and now the sky is the limit.” WU
—Eileen Smith Dallabrida