Click Here to see a recent Powerpoint Presentation: California's Prison Crisis; How Should the Church Respond?
VOLUNTEER MENTORS NEEDED
Interested in becoming a mentor to a man being released from prison or jail? Mentors invest 1-3 hours each week in the life of a man who will be re-entering from incarceration within the next six months.
For more information about becoming a mentor, click here.
Since beginning in late January, 2013, the PRO Mentors classes at East Mesa Reentry Facility (EMRF) and Vista Detention Facility (VDF) have had nearly 350 men participate in the 90-minute class. Many of these men have been released into the community. The class includes prayer and Bible study, as well as discussion about reentry.
EMRF is the County Jail where sentenced inmates will serve no more than 18 months of their prison terms. It is a “local custody” facility. If not for the recent changes to laws in California, many of the men now at EMRF would be in a state prison.
EMRF is the only one of the men's jails in San Diego County that focuses on re-entry. Some of the programs there are so innovative that officials from all over California and even from Arizona have come to EMRF to observe. Because of this innovative thinking, PRO Mentors is given unprecedented access to the prisoners. Our program focuses on getting to know the inmates so we can give them a Christian mentor who will meet with them while they are incarcerated, and then continue meeting regularly after they are released. They will all be released in San Diego County.
We began the class at VDF in January 2016 with two men. The class draws from selected housing units, including the Incentive-Based Housing (IBH) and the Trustee dorms. Inmates in IBH are required to take classes that will help them when released, and in return are given certain incentives--better sleeping conditions, access to vending machines, and similar perks. The PRO Mentors class meets twice monthly at VDF.
Volunteer Mentors visit one-on-one with inmates, during scheduled visitation times at the two jails. The counselors at each facility screen the inmates, and limit participation to 20 men at a time.
You can read more about EMRF here. The County added 400 new beds to the facility in June of 2014. You can read about VDF here.
Background
In May of 2011, the Supreme Court of the United States declared the California Prison System unconstitutional. The prison system was at 211% of capacity, which was determined by the Court to be cruel and unusual punishment.
The State’s solution has been to move prisoners and parolees out of the state prisons and make them the responsibility of the County where the offense was committed.
AB109, the Public Safety Realignment Act, changes the definition of a felony, shifts housing for lower level offenders from prison to local jail, and transfers supervision of designated parolees from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to County Probation.
Felons who have committed non-violent, non-serious and non-sex offenses will be housed in local jails. Those released from state prison, Post Release Offenders (PRO), will be supervised by Probation.
The Need
Inmates who are involved in religious programs during incarceration are much less likely to re-offend upon release. Released offenders who are able to continue to have religious influence are also much less likely to re-offend. Probation and Parole officers can supervise the legalities of a released offender, but should not be expected to help find a religious community. The Church should provide accountability for released offenders who volunteer for Christian help during their time under supervision.
VOLUNTEER MENTORS NEEDED
Interested in becoming a mentor to a man being released from prison or jail? Mentors invest 1-3 hours each week in the life of a man who will be re-entering from incarceration within the next six months.
For more information about becoming a mentor, click here.
Since beginning in late January, 2013, the PRO Mentors classes at East Mesa Reentry Facility (EMRF) and Vista Detention Facility (VDF) have had nearly 350 men participate in the 90-minute class. Many of these men have been released into the community. The class includes prayer and Bible study, as well as discussion about reentry.
EMRF is the County Jail where sentenced inmates will serve no more than 18 months of their prison terms. It is a “local custody” facility. If not for the recent changes to laws in California, many of the men now at EMRF would be in a state prison.
EMRF is the only one of the men's jails in San Diego County that focuses on re-entry. Some of the programs there are so innovative that officials from all over California and even from Arizona have come to EMRF to observe. Because of this innovative thinking, PRO Mentors is given unprecedented access to the prisoners. Our program focuses on getting to know the inmates so we can give them a Christian mentor who will meet with them while they are incarcerated, and then continue meeting regularly after they are released. They will all be released in San Diego County.
We began the class at VDF in January 2016 with two men. The class draws from selected housing units, including the Incentive-Based Housing (IBH) and the Trustee dorms. Inmates in IBH are required to take classes that will help them when released, and in return are given certain incentives--better sleeping conditions, access to vending machines, and similar perks. The PRO Mentors class meets twice monthly at VDF.
Volunteer Mentors visit one-on-one with inmates, during scheduled visitation times at the two jails. The counselors at each facility screen the inmates, and limit participation to 20 men at a time.
You can read more about EMRF here. The County added 400 new beds to the facility in June of 2014. You can read about VDF here.
Background
In May of 2011, the Supreme Court of the United States declared the California Prison System unconstitutional. The prison system was at 211% of capacity, which was determined by the Court to be cruel and unusual punishment.
The State’s solution has been to move prisoners and parolees out of the state prisons and make them the responsibility of the County where the offense was committed.
AB109, the Public Safety Realignment Act, changes the definition of a felony, shifts housing for lower level offenders from prison to local jail, and transfers supervision of designated parolees from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to County Probation.
Felons who have committed non-violent, non-serious and non-sex offenses will be housed in local jails. Those released from state prison, Post Release Offenders (PRO), will be supervised by Probation.
The Need
Inmates who are involved in religious programs during incarceration are much less likely to re-offend upon release. Released offenders who are able to continue to have religious influence are also much less likely to re-offend. Probation and Parole officers can supervise the legalities of a released offender, but should not be expected to help find a religious community. The Church should provide accountability for released offenders who volunteer for Christian help during their time under supervision.