About Mitch Libster
Mitch worked for over thirty years as the managing attorney for the Marion Branch of the Legal Aid Society of Columbus. He retired in 2013, but still works for Legal Aid on a part-time basis. In addition to his legal work, he was involved with many community organizations, including The Boys and Girls Club of Marion. Additionally, he served on the Children Services Board of Directors, the Marion Metropolitan Housing Authority board and was appointed by the former Governor of Ohio to serve on the Board of Trustees of Marion Technical College.
When a Bridges Out of Poverty program formed in Marion, Ohio, he became active in the organization “Marion Matters.” This experience led him to facilitate numerous “Getting Ahead” classes in the Marion Community.
Marion Matters formed a Felony Assistance team to look at barriers to returning citizens from making a successful reentry. Mitch and Getting Ahead while Getting Out co-author Michelle Wood became co-chairpersons of the team. Through the team’s work, the community and employers were educated about the importance of giving citizens returning from incarceration an opportunity to obtain employment.
This led to a team meeting with the Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, where ideas were discussed about bringing Getting Ahead classes into a state prisons. The Director supported the idea, which subsequently led to Michelle and Mitch facilitating three series of classes at the Reintegration Camp of the Marion Correctional Institution, a state prison located in Marion. More recently, the Marion County Adult Probation Office contracted with Michelle and Mitch to facilitate Getting Ahead classes at a Community Based Correctional Facility in Marysville, Ohio.
In addition to facilitating classes, Mitch has been appointed by the Marion County Common Pleas Court Judges to serve on the Governing Board of the West Central Community Based Correctional Facility (where he is also facilitating classes).
