New Foundations Nonviolence Center

ONE-TO-ONE INMATE VISITATION PROGRAM

Through One-to-One Inmate Visitation Program, volunteers respond to inmates’ requests by visiting with them and help them by providing informal counseling and/or community resource referrals. The informal counseling aspect of the program reduces isolation, maintains community ties, lowers levels of anger, assists in setting and working towards goals, and may explore alternative, non-violent ways of managing conflict. We also provide community resource referrals to inmates and their families, including the location of alcohol- and drug- treatment centers, half-way houses, and other necessities upon release. Additionally, volunteers have assisted some inmates with the process of getting bonded out of jail while awaiting trial. This action can result in the inmate’s ability to keep her home or job, thereby promoting self-sufficiency. Some volunteers and inmates build relationships that develop into a support base for the offender’s return to the community.

New Foundations has had the One-to-One program since the organization’s founding in 1987.
Through One-to-One, volunteers visit with inmates at the Denver County Jail in response to
inmates’ requests and work with them in a variety of ways. The informal counseling aspect
of the program reduces isolation, builds more positive self-concepts, lowers levels of anger,
helps with positive goal making, and may explore alternative, nonviolent ways of managing
conflict. We also provide community resource referral to inmates and their families. For
instance, several inmates request and receive help in finding drug-and-alcohol treatment
centers, half-way houses, and other housing upon their release. Volunteers have assisted
some inmates with the process of getting bonded out of jail while awaiting trial. This action
can result in the inmate’s stability and economic self-sufficiency.

This program offers hope and services that no other group provides (eg, Narcotics
Anonymous, G.E.D., church groups). Says Dwayne Burris, Denver County Jail Program
Coordinator: “This special group of volunteers meets needs that other organizations often
overlook. The one-to-one counseling keeps tension levels down and this organization helps
inmates’ families.”

During the past year we have been very focused on improving the capabilities
of our One-to-One program. We have added continuing education and training
sessions for our volunteers and, at the beginning of 2005, we appointed our
first intern dedicated solely to the One-to-One program. Approximately
75 persons were visited through this program in 2007-2008.

With the pre-release service of One-to-One, we help inmates keep their housing and
belongings while in jail so they have a place to go when released. Examples of assistance
with housing include making phone calls on behalf of inmates to landlords to make
arrangements for inmates to keep their apartments or houses. If this is not possible, we can
assist in obtaining and storing essential property such as identification, personal photos,
business papers, etc., for a period of up to six months.

The informal counseling aspect of One-to-One provides the support and training to help
inmates work on their goals of self-sufficiency. This assistance takes a variety of forms
including the provision of guidance and assistance in the formulation and implementation of
personal and vocational goals. The type of help is dependent upon what the inmate needs
and the skills of the volunteer. For example, one of our volunteers is a co-active personal
coach and does a brilliant job in providing peer mentoring to inmates.

The re-entry component of One-to-One consists of volunteers making appropriate referrals
to community resources. While we receive a variety of types of referrals, 50-70% are for
housing and other community referral services. In addition to residential services, several of
our clients request referrals to drug and alcohol treatment centers upon release.

New Foundations Nonviolence Center is a Tax Exempt 501(c)3 Not-for-Profit Organization. Our federal tax-exempt number is available upon request. To support NFNC, click on the "donate now" button below. You can choose your amount. Thank you so much.

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