A. To form a circle of support for A. To form a circle of support for families who have love ones families who have love ones incarcerated in jails, prisons, or incarcerated in jails, prisons, or penal systems.penal systems.

B. To encourage one another as B. To encourage one another as they encounter pain, isolation, they encounter pain, isolation, fear, and anger do to having a fear, and anger do to having a love one in prison.love one in prison.

C. To give prisoner’s families an C. To give prisoner’s families an opportunity to share their opportunity to share their common experiences and to common experiences and to assist in finding ways to rise assist in finding ways to rise above situations.above situations.

D. To join their voices unto a D. To join their voices unto a unified force that might be heard unified force that might be heard by the prison to effect policy by the prison to effect policy change.change.

E. To seek the spiritual strength E. To seek the spiritual strength needed to them through this needed to them through this crisis in their lives, as well as the crisis in their lives, as well as the lives of others.lives of others.

A. Families believe for everyday A. Families believe for everyday that their loved ones are in that their loved ones are in prison. They are in a prison of prison. They are in a prison of their own.their own.

B. They are literally in a B. They are literally in a separate prisonseparate prison

C. Their prisons are not built of C. Their prisons are not built of walls and bars, but of loneliness, walls and bars, but of loneliness, isolation, fear, anger, social isolation, fear, anger, social ostracism, and financial burden.ostracism, and financial burden.

1. Establish a core group.1. Establish a core group.

A. The individuals of this group will A. The individuals of this group will be your steering committee.be your steering committee.

B. The steering committee will B. The steering committee will make critical decisions regarding make critical decisions regarding how the group will be formed.how the group will be formed.

C. The steering committee shall C. The steering committee shall be composed of the sponsoring be composed of the sponsoring organization and designated organization and designated families of inmates.families of inmates.

D. The steering committee shall D. The steering committee shall choose a name and design a logo choose a name and design a logo for the support group.for the support group.

2. Find a place to meet.2. Find a place to meet.

A. Choose a central locationA. Choose a central location

B. Choose a place that will be B. Choose a place that will be family friendly, non intrusive, and family friendly, non intrusive, and transportation accessible.transportation accessible.

3. Your meeting place must 3. Your meeting place must have:have:

A. A small comfortable room in A. A small comfortable room in which chairs can be placed in a which chairs can be placed in a circle.circle.

B. A large open room in which B. A large open room in which child care can be offered.child care can be offered.

C. A rent free place to meet C. A rent free place to meet provided by the church or a provided by the church or a business.business.

4. Choosing a time and day to 4. Choosing a time and day to meet- factors to consider:meet- factors to consider:

A. Find out the visitation schedule A. Find out the visitation schedule at the local prison and jailat the local prison and jail

B. Don’t schedule meetings in the B. Don’t schedule meetings in the middle of visitation hoursmiddle of visitation hours

C. Start all meetings after work C. Start all meetings after work hourshours

D. End all meetings before D. End all meetings before children bedtimeschildren bedtimes

E. A recommended meeting time E. A recommended meeting time is 6:30 pm to 7:30 pmis 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm

5. How often should you meet5. How often should you meet

A. Your support group should plan A. Your support group should plan to meet once a week.to meet once a week.

B. If weekly meetings are not B. If weekly meetings are not feasible, consider meeting once or feasible, consider meeting once or twice a month.twice a month.

C. The ideal group size is 8-15 C. The ideal group size is 8-15 people.people.

D. If the group is much larger, D. If the group is much larger, start a second group.start a second group.

6. Typical Weekly Meeting6. Typical Weekly Meeting

6:00pm - 6:15pm – Gathering, 6:00pm - 6:15pm – Gathering, visiting, and enjoying visiting, and enjoying refreshments.refreshments.

6:15 – The meeting is called to 6:15 – The meeting is called to order when a group member order when a group member reads the purpose of the group reads the purpose of the group and starts the introduction and starts the introduction around the circle. The around the circle. The introduction should include the introduction should include the first name, and why you are first name, and why you are here.here.

6:20pm – 7:15pm – 6:20pm – 7:15pm –

First ask if anyone in the group First ask if anyone in the group has a concern or something that has a concern or something that they need to discuss. If not, they need to discuss. If not, follow the subject on the follow the subject on the quarterly program schedule.quarterly program schedule.

7:15pm – Announcements7:15pm – Announcements

7:20pm – Closing. Each group 7:20pm – Closing. Each group shall decide how it will close. shall decide how it will close. Invite everyone to join hands Invite everyone to join hands together in a circle, including together in a circle, including children.children.

8. Child Care8. Child Care A. Child is a mustA. Child is a must B. Look for volunteers to provide B. Look for volunteers to provide

care on meeting nights.care on meeting nights. 9. Transportation9. Transportation

A. Be prepared to offer A. Be prepared to offer transportation if needed to families transportation if needed to families who have no means of who have no means of transportation.transportation.

B. Designate a person to be over B. Designate a person to be over transportationtransportation

10. Group Coordinator10. Group Coordinator A. Group coordinator plans and A. Group coordinator plans and

leads the meetingsleads the meetings B. The leader doesn’t do all the B. The leader doesn’t do all the

talkingtalking C. The leader makes sure that C. The leader makes sure that

everyone has a chance to be everyone has a chance to be heardheard

11. Budget11. Budget

A. To cover expenses ( postage, A. To cover expenses ( postage, copying, transportation, special copying, transportation, special trips, etc…trips, etc…

1. I recommend that the steering 1. I recommend that the steering committee meet every three months committee meet every three months to plan the groups program for the to plan the groups program for the upcoming quarter.upcoming quarter.

2. Program Ideas2. Program Ideas

A. Make sure that this is a group A. Make sure that this is a group project and everyone has an project and everyone has an opportunity to participate.opportunity to participate.

B. Program ideas and plans areB. Program ideas and plans are

3. Community Support People – 3. Community Support People – Area of responsibilityArea of responsibility A. Group NurtureA. Group Nurture B. Community education and B. Community education and

relationsrelations C. Find other community support C. Find other community support

people to work with other childrenpeople to work with other children D. Help families with program D. Help families with program

planningplanning E. Fund raisingE. Fund raising F. AdvocacyF. Advocacy

Community support people are Community support people are responsible for bringing responsible for bringing organizational skills and organizational skills and knowledge to the group. knowledge to the group. Community support people Community support people should never give money to should never give money to group members.group members.

4. Group Facilitator4. Group Facilitator

A. One person should be A. One person should be designated as group facilitator.designated as group facilitator.

B. The group facilitator must have B. The group facilitator must have good group facilitating skills.good group facilitating skills.

5. Advocacy5. Advocacy A. Organize an advocacy A. Organize an advocacy

committee to develop group committee to develop group advocacy positions that affect advocacy positions that affect inmate families and other visitors.inmate families and other visitors.

B. Any policy developed by the B. Any policy developed by the advocacy committee must be advocacy committee must be agreed upon by everyone, where agreed upon by everyone, where possible.possible.

C. Advocacy empowers the C. Advocacy empowers the group to work for their own group to work for their own rights and needs.( you may rights and needs.( you may need to bring in attorneys, need to bring in attorneys, correctional officials, mental correctional officials, mental health professionals, to educate health professionals, to educate the group regarding their rights the group regarding their rights to the social system).to the social system).

6. Special Events6. Special Events A. Many families of prisoners are A. Many families of prisoners are

to busy surviving that they rarely to busy surviving that they rarely do anything for themselves.do anything for themselves.

B. Arrange for social events during B. Arrange for social events during or outside of normal meeting timesor outside of normal meeting times

C. Look for free community C. Look for free community events such as concerts in the events such as concerts in the park, museums, free tickets to park, museums, free tickets to games or fairs, inexpensive games or fairs, inexpensive restaurants etc…restaurants etc…

1. Leadership Guidelines1. Leadership Guidelines

A. The steering committee serves A. The steering committee serves as the guiding body of the group.as the guiding body of the group.

B. Members of the steering B. Members of the steering committee should be elected by committee should be elected by the membership. the membership.

C. Only committee should serve C. Only committee should serve on the steering committee.on the steering committee.

D. Nominations for the steering D. Nominations for the steering committee should come from committee should come from the membership. Nominees the membership. Nominees must be willing to serve of their must be willing to serve of their names are put on the ballot. names are put on the ballot. Terms of service 1 – 3 yearsTerms of service 1 – 3 years

E. Members should be elected E. Members should be elected by secret ballot.by secret ballot.

F. Members who resign from the F. Members who resign from the steering committee must submit steering committee must submit a letter of resignation.a letter of resignation.

G. Any member of the G. Any member of the committee who misses two committee who misses two consecutive meetings, may be consecutive meetings, may be removed from the office by a removed from the office by a majority vote of the steering majority vote of the steering committee. Any member may be committee. Any member may be removed for good cause by a removed for good cause by a majority vote.majority vote.

2. Responsibilities – includes 2. Responsibilities – includes but not limited to the following:but not limited to the following:

A. Coordinate programs for A. Coordinate programs for weekly meetingsweekly meetings

B. Coordinate special events such B. Coordinate special events such as retreat’s and mom’s night outas retreat’s and mom’s night out

C. Approve advocacy policiesC. Approve advocacy policies D. Coordinate fund raisingD. Coordinate fund raising E. Keep group financial recordsE. Keep group financial records F. Coordinate group development F. Coordinate group development

(New Members)(New Members)

G. Coordinate group nurtureG. Coordinate group nurture

H. Facilitate leadership H. Facilitate leadership development (getting everyone development (getting everyone involved)involved)

I. Resolving conflict that may I. Resolving conflict that may arise in the unitarise in the unit

3. Steering committee meetings3. Steering committee meetings A. Decide where to meet and what A. Decide where to meet and what

time to meet.time to meet.

B. Decide what makes a forum B. Decide what makes a forum

C. Suggest holding quarterly C. Suggest holding quarterly meetings meetings

4. Emergency Vote4. Emergency Vote

A. Voting by phone when a A. Voting by phone when a meeting can not be called.meeting can not be called.

B. Any emergency vote should be B. Any emergency vote should be unanimousunanimous

5. Steering Committee Officers5. Steering Committee Officers

A. Coordinator – Responsible for A. Coordinator – Responsible for the action of the steering the action of the steering committee, serves as a liaison to committee, serves as a liaison to the board, notifies steering the board, notifies steering committee members of meetings, committee members of meetings, setting agenda for meeting, and setting agenda for meeting, and facilitates committee meetings.facilitates committee meetings.

B. Secretary – Takes minutes, B. Secretary – Takes minutes, responsible for all written responsible for all written committee communication, committee communication, supplies, the editor of the supplies, the editor of the newsletter with group information newsletter with group information and files and compile records.and files and compile records.

C. Treasurer – Maintains group C. Treasurer – Maintains group financial records and submits financial records and submits financial reports at each steering financial reports at each steering committee meeting.committee meeting.

D. Developer – Encourages new D. Developer – Encourages new members, recruits new members, members, recruits new members, distributes flyers at local jails and distributes flyers at local jails and prisons, keeps the secretary prisons, keeps the secretary abreast of the physical spiritual abreast of the physical spiritual and emotional status of members.and emotional status of members.

A. Introduce yourself to the A. Introduce yourself to the department of corrections, jails department of corrections, jails and penal institutions in your area.and penal institutions in your area.

B. Send letters to all local B. Send letters to all local wardens, head counselors, wardens, head counselors, volunteer coordinators, and volunteer coordinators, and chaplains, enclosing information chaplains, enclosing information about your support group.about your support group.

C. Contact at least one of the C. Contact at least one of the person’s named above at the person’s named above at the institution.institution.

D. Plan to visit your contact and D. Plan to visit your contact and find out how he or she can help find out how he or she can help you communicate your support you communicate your support availability to families to availability to families to prisoner’s.prisoner’s.