Upcoming Events
Past Events
Community Film Showing – Wednesday, February 12th
All Essex and Westford residents are invited to a FREE film showing of The Hate U Give on Wednesday, February 12th at 6:00pm in the auditorium of Essex High School. Based on the best-selling novel, The Hate U Give tells the story of Starr Carter, who lives in two worlds: the poor black neighborhood where she resides and the mostly white prep school she attends.
The event is being organized by Voices for Inclusion in Essex and Westford (VIEW) and will be followed by a facilitated dialogue about addressing racism in our communities. VIEW is a group of Essex-Westford volunteers dedicated to promoting community conversations around inclusion and equity. The group, launched in September 2019, meets monthly and is staffed jointly through the Essex Community Justice Center and Essex Westford School District.
Registration is not required in order to attend. Please contact Karen Dolan at the Essex Community Justice Center with any questions or to learn more about VIEW: (802) 662-0004 or kdolan@essex.org
The panel discussion can be found here: https://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/programs/panel-discussion-sex-offender-status-treatment-and-accountability-vermont
Panelist Biographies
Sharon Fialco lives in the NEK and has volunteered with 2 Circles of Support & Accountability (CoSAs). Her first
CoSA ended early when the core member violated his terms and was returned to prison. Working with Earl in
her 2nd CoSA has been a longer and more satisfying experience. She feels privileged to be his neighbor and to
witness to his successes rejoining their community.
Earl, formerly incarcerated, completed his CoSA in September of this 2017.
Kathy Fox is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Vermont. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from UC
Berkeley. She has been conducting research within Corrections for 20 years, more recently studying reentry
for formerly incarcerated citizens. In particular, has conducted research on the Circles of Support &
Accountability (CoSA) program in Vermont, contracted to do an evaluation for the State of Vermont. In 2013,
she went to New Zealand on a Fulbright award to study restorative justice, reentry, and CoSA there.
Gary Marvel, LICSW, MA, serves as the Vermont Treatment Program for Sexual Aggressors (VTPSA) Chief for
the Vermont Department of Corrections. His responsibilities include oversight of supervision and case
management for sex and domestic violent offender populations in VT. He oversees sex offender pre-sentence
investigations, law enforcement and community notifications, sex offender registry compliance, the high risk
sex offender committee and is Co-Director of the Vermont Center for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual
Abuse. In previous rolls Gary has been a Probation & Parole Officer of sex offenders and the Director of the
Orleans County Child Advocacy Center/Special Investigative Unit in Newport VT Child Protection Investigator
in Newport VT.
Toni Monsey, Ph.D., is a Developmental Psychologist, Mutual Awakening Teacher, and Spiritual Director. Her
family-of- origin has both offenders and victims of sexual abuse. Her vision, and lived experience, is that we
have what it takes to end sexual abuse and violence in this generation. She shares her life story, and devotes
her professional skills, to cultivating the highest potentials in people so that we can live within communities
that are safe and work for all of us.
Bess O'Brien is the director/producer of the documentary film The Hungry Heart based on the prescription
drug crisis in Vermont and the compassionate work of Dr. Fred Holmes. The film won the American Society of
Addiction Medicine 2015 Award for outstanding media, the PRISM AWARD from the Entertainment Industry
Council in Hollywood and was honored by Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin as the film that served as a
catalyst for opiate addiction awareness in the state of Vermont. Bess O’Brien’s latest film is All of Me a new
film on eating disorders. The film is currently in release. Bess is currently editing her latest film on COSA-- a re-
entry program through the Community Justice Centers working with folks returning to the community from
prison. That film will tour Vermont in the fall of 2018.
Other award-winning documentary films by O’Brien include: Ask Us Who We Are, a powerful documentary
about foster care in Vermont. This movie won the 2011 Voices For Vermont’s Children Youth Advocacy Award
in recognition for O’Brien’s dedicated, creative and artistic advocacy on behalf of VT children