'Miss E' works for successful inmate re-entry into society

If ever a person has embodied the saying "talk the talk, walk the walk" it is Elain Ellerbe known simply to prison inmates, those behind bars and those who have made successful re-entry into society, as Miss E.
Many from Jackson know Elain and they knew her husband, the late Michael Ellerbe, as the founders of Refined by Fire Ministries, a l prison ministries organization founded in 1989 by the couple and their daughter, Ari, who is now a criminal defense attorney in Georgia.
Refined by Fire Ministries' initial mission was to provide religious programming in adult and juvenile corrections facilities. But over the several years that followed, RBF would expand to include the Reentry Benefiting Families Initiative that focused on pre-release and post-release educational programs for the incarcerated who were approaching release dates and returning to their families and communities to live, work and raise their children.
The Ellerbes committed their lives to this mission, and after Michael died last May from cancer, Elain briefly pondered how she would go on without her husband, friend and business partner of 36 years, but realized eventually that she must continue to soldier their work alone.
She says her faith is strong and her late husband used to say, "we've come too far to have God drop us on our butts now," he was known to inmates and ex-offenders as Mr. E.
Today, Elain says she is compelled to do what she does - provide programs to incarcerated and under-resourced parents to assist them in reconnecting with their children and ultimately improving their quality of life.
Ellerbe is unafraid, full of resolve, perseverance and action. She is extremely passionate about the work she does and is literally in the trenches making a difference in not only the lives of offenders, but their families and their childrens' lives as well.
When you hear her speak about the programs that work and those that don't, it seems logical, since we're all affected.
Ellerbe has been asked by the Pointe Coupee Detention Center's Rick Covington, who knew that the Ellerbes were on the cutting edge of the work they were doing, to start a program there. "It's more than just teaching work skills. These men must believe and trust in you. It's about speaking respectfully to people of different races, backgrounds and cultures and building a relationship with them. That's the difference in the programs that work," said Ellerbe.
She believes in people helping people, inmates helping inmates, ex-offenders helping others and all of them continuing to train and work together.
She jokes that she's been the adoptive mother to young black men long before Hollywood said it was cool.
One inmate befriended by the Ellerbes is Walter, 38, imprisoned at DCI for dealing drugs. He has been one of those who works with other inmates and has been trained as a program facilitator. He is one of Ellerbe's right hands, helping lead the programs inside the detention centers when she cannot be present.
He has been under the guidance and leadership of Elain, and formerly of Michael, for the past eight years and he's like family. "I first met Miss E when she convinced me to take a parenting class at DCI. I was skeptical of her at first," said Walter. "And now, after eight years of knowing her and learning from her, I consider her my second mom."
Walter's release date is in August. Ellerbe will take him into her home until he can get on his feet. "I know some people may think that's crazy," said Ellerbe. "But I'm safe. What we do works, I know that."
Ellerbe has pioneered several programs including the Nurturing Parent program that over the past 10 years has been taught to nearly 6,000 incarcerated men and women.
She has trained staffs at 12 different correctional facilities to teach the Nurturing Parent program and began the "Read to Me, Daddy" program, which allows inmates to be videotaped while reading books to their children. The DVD of the fathers' storytelling is then sent to the child.
That program expanded to the "Read to Me, Mommy" program for women incarcerated at St. Gabriel's.
Other programs spearheaded by Ellerbe include juvenile programs for young boys and men.
Prisons statewide have adopted her programs and correctional centers nationwide are interested in her programs as well.
'If you can believe it," Ellerbe says, "these programs are not funded and there are no state dollars for this. I'm lobbying to change that."
Ellerbe has received help with funding her programs in the past two years from the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation and the Greater Baton Rouge State Fair Foundation.
In 2012, she earned a grant to implement a pilot program that involved a parent-child project at Delmont Elementary in North Baton Rouge.
Other funding comes from donations.
Last week, Ellerbe won another award. She and Michael have won numerous awards over the years in recognition of their work together. This one she received was the Louisiana Hero of Excellence award on May 27 from the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus Foundation at the 2014 Women of Excellence Awards ceremony.
"The element that's missing is teaching life skills and work skills to offenders. There is a lot more that those church groups can do that they're not doing. I just want to shine a light on what we do, because it's not pretty," said Ellerbe. "But when people hear about what we're doing and they understand it, they get it. They agree that yes, this is something that needs to be here."