Mentoring Ex-Prisoners: A Guide for Prisoner Reentry Programs

• NCJ Number: 225813
• Author(s): Renata Cobbs Fletcher
• Date Published: November 2007
• Length: 67 pages
• Grant Number(s): AF-12986-03-60
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Labor
• Corporate Author: Public/Private Ventures
• Sale Source: Public/Private Ventures
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Technical Assistance
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This manual reviews and provides guidelines for developing the mentoring component of the U.S. Labor Department's Ready4Work program, which was designed to address the needs of the growing ex-prisoner population and to test the capacity of community-based and faith-based organization to meet those needs.

Abstract

Ready4 Work's comprehensive services included employment-readiness training; job placement; and intensive case management that included referrals for housing, health care, drug treatment, and other programs. Ready4Work also had a unique mentoring component that included one-to-one and group mentoring, based in the belief that mentors can help ease ex-prisoners' reentry by providing both practical and emotional support. The Ready4Work program served adult former prisoners in 11 cities throughout the country. Although much remains to be evaluated in this program, this manual draws on the experiences of the Ready4Work sites and promising practices in mentoring in order to improve support for ex-prisoners and enhance the effectiveness of other program areas, such as job placement and retention. One section of the manual focuses on the design of the mentoring component, which entails defining the mentor's role; deciding on a mentoring model; developing an approach for prerelease mentoring; and deciding what to call the mentors, mentees, and the component as a whole. The manual's second section provides guidance for hiring a mentor coordinator. This is followed by a section that presents guidelines for developing initial policies and procedures. These include identifying the mission, goals, and objectives; defining eligibility requirements for mentors; creating a "mentor participation agreement;" and developing a confidentiality policy for mentors. Other sections of the manual provide guidelines for recruiting mentors, training and matching mentors, and the provision of supervision and support for mentors. Appended information on group mentoring, sample forms, mentor training activities, and additional resources