Mass Incarceration Outreach Opportunities

Mass Incarceration Outreach Opportunities Compiled for Equipping the Saints, January 21, 2017

The devastating effects of mass incarceration (over-incarceration) can be addressed on several fronts: + pre-incarceration: providing tutoring and mentoring for children and teens to help them avoid getting caught up in crime and jail time. + incarceration: providing tutoring for men and women in prison so they can increase their chances of succeeding upon release from prison. + post-incarceration: helping men and women find jobs, housing and support upon their release from prison. Below is a list of organizations already engaged in these 3 areas. We are encouraging people to connect with one of these organizations and then recruit others to join you in the volunteer opportunities listed below: PRE-INCARCERATION: Men for H.O.P.E. 966 Broad Street, Trenton Menforhope.org, Patrick Hall, Director, 609.610.1897, [email protected] Tutoring youth in all core subjects 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Sat. & Sun. admin. help (i.e. recreating intake forms, in-putting information, creating a better brochure, sending out thank-you letters).

Urban Promise 801 West State Street, Trenton Urbanpromisetrenton.org, Georgia Koenig, volunteer coordinator, 609.566.4673, [email protected] Homework helper, Tutoring, Recreational aide, Resource person, Handyman, Photographer, Videographer

Isles Youth Institute 10 Wood Street, Trenton Isles.org, Craig Bell, Deputy Director of Isles Youth Institute, 609.341.4780, [email protected] Mentoring or tutoring youth

Westminster Presbyterian Church 1140 Greenwood Ave., Trenton, 609.498.7419 Get SET program: after school program for K-8, M-F 3-5:45 p.m.; homework help, mentoring, crafts.

1 INCARCERATION:

Petey Greene Program 9 Mercer Street, Princeton Peteygreene.org Contact: Nicole Simet, 201.953.5343, [email protected] GED tutoring at Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility or Garden State Youth Correction Weekly time commitment of 7:30-10:30 a.m. or 12:30-3:30 p.m. Tuesdays door-to-door from Princeton University campus.

Letter-writing to inmates: Writeaprisoner.org

POST-INCARCERATION: Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (T.A.S.K.) 72 Escher Street, Trenton Contact: Kelly Hansen, 609.695.5456, x.107, [email protected] Need volunteers to teach in their Adult Education Program; flexible hours and flexibility on subjects taught. New Jersey Association on Correction (NJAC) 986 South Broad Street, Trenton Angel Perez, Executive Director, 609.396.8900, x.16, [email protected] Clinton House, a pre-release halfway house under the purview of NJAC 21 N. Clinton Ave., Trenton Volunteer options: offer G.E.D. tutoring, resume writing, and/or tax preparation for working, male returning citizens. We would need to devise what we want to offer and be vetted through NJAC and the Dept. of Corrections.

Westminster Presbyterian Church 1140 Greenwood Ave., Trenton, 609.498.7419 ESL program, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays

Other organizations engaged in Mass Incarceration Outreach Efforts:

Campaign to End the New Jim Crow – Trenton/Princeton Chapter http://endnewjimcrownj.org/

New Brunswick Presbytery Mass Incarceration Task Force Contact/chair: Bill Wakefield. 609.306.5299. [email protected]

“You can’t understand most of the important things from a distance. You have to get close.” Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption