Permanently Re-Entering Offenders (PRO)
Christian Mentoring Initiative
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, contact us.
The Powerpoint from our May 31, 2014 Orientation and Training is here.
Since beginning in late January, 2013, the PRO Mentors class at East Mesa Reentry Facility (EMRF) has had over 90 men participate in the 90-minute class. Several of these men have already been released into the community. The class includes prayer and Bible study, as well as discussion about reentry. For a breakdown of the latest statistics, click here.
EMRF is the County Jail where sentenced inmates will serve no more than 18 months of their prison terms. It is primarily a “local custody” facility. If not for the new laws in California, many of the men now at EMRF would be in a state prison.
EMRF is the only one of the eight 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, we are being given unprecedented access to the prisoners. Our program focuses on getting to know the inmates so we can give them a mentor to meet with them first while they are incarcerated, and then when they are released. They will all be released in San Diego County.
PRO Mentors meets as a group twice monthly on Monday afternoons inside EMRF. Volunteer Mentors will visit one-on-one with inmates. The counselors at the facility are screening the inmates, and will limit participation to 20 men at a time.
You can read more about EMRF here. The County has recently added 400 new beds to the facility.
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. Several thousand inmates have already moved from the supervision of CDCR to the supervision of San Diego County. The County estimates that 75% of those released to County supervision are “high-risk” offenders. To see the County's statistics on PROs in the community, click here.
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 voluntarily apply for Christian help during their time under supervision.
The Initiative
Purpose: to establish a system that helps in Public Safety by providing accountability for male Christian Re-entering offenders.
Objective: use one-on-one mentoring and small groups to help offenders in their spiritual lives. Meetings would include study of Scripture, prayer, and sharing.
Goal: involve male volunteers from five or six churches in the county, to work with reentering inmates for six to 12 months. Mentors meet their "PRO" inside EMRF, and will continue to meet with him for at least six months after release. PROs are enfolded into church communities when appropriate.
Means:
• Working with the jails and parole agents, circulate information and applications to PROs. • Screen applications, conduct interviews, outline expectations.
• Select churches, recruit and train volunteers
• Volunteers meet regularly
• Meetings with PROs should be weekly; at least voice contact weekly.
• Report problems to appropriate agency.
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, contact us.
The Powerpoint from our May 31, 2014 Orientation and Training is here.
Since beginning in late January, 2013, the PRO Mentors class at East Mesa Reentry Facility (EMRF) has had over 90 men participate in the 90-minute class. Several of these men have already been released into the community. The class includes prayer and Bible study, as well as discussion about reentry. For a breakdown of the latest statistics, click here.
EMRF is the County Jail where sentenced inmates will serve no more than 18 months of their prison terms. It is primarily a “local custody” facility. If not for the new laws in California, many of the men now at EMRF would be in a state prison.
EMRF is the only one of the eight 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, we are being given unprecedented access to the prisoners. Our program focuses on getting to know the inmates so we can give them a mentor to meet with them first while they are incarcerated, and then when they are released. They will all be released in San Diego County.
PRO Mentors meets as a group twice monthly on Monday afternoons inside EMRF. Volunteer Mentors will visit one-on-one with inmates. The counselors at the facility are screening the inmates, and will limit participation to 20 men at a time.
You can read more about EMRF here. The County has recently added 400 new beds to the facility.
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. Several thousand inmates have already moved from the supervision of CDCR to the supervision of San Diego County. The County estimates that 75% of those released to County supervision are “high-risk” offenders. To see the County's statistics on PROs in the community, click here.
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 voluntarily apply for Christian help during their time under supervision.
The Initiative
Purpose: to establish a system that helps in Public Safety by providing accountability for male Christian Re-entering offenders.
Objective: use one-on-one mentoring and small groups to help offenders in their spiritual lives. Meetings would include study of Scripture, prayer, and sharing.
Goal: involve male volunteers from five or six churches in the county, to work with reentering inmates for six to 12 months. Mentors meet their "PRO" inside EMRF, and will continue to meet with him for at least six months after release. PROs are enfolded into church communities when appropriate.
Means:
• Working with the jails and parole agents, circulate information and applications to PROs. • Screen applications, conduct interviews, outline expectations.
• Select churches, recruit and train volunteers
• Volunteers meet regularly
• Meetings with PROs should be weekly; at least voice contact weekly.
• Report problems to appropriate agency.