Volunteer
The Community Justice Project partners with the Minneapolis Police Department to train volunteer mentors to work with men and women prior to their release from the Hennepin County Adult Correctional Facility and walk with them on their journey back to the community. The mentors help ex-offenders navigate through social service and government channels. They offer practical advice on job hunting, budgeting and housing issues.
What does this program do for mentors?
- Mentor Anne King reports that she feels like she is doing something useful. She likes watching her mentees take the steps to get their lives back. She states that mentoring has taught her a lot. She has learned what it is like to make a transition after being incarcerated and the problems encountered in that process.
- Mentor Bob Klanderud works with the Father Program at the Division for Indian Work. He likes being a mentor because it is soul satisfying to help people who are down on their luck and without hope. He knows what it is like to be incarcerated and wants to be there to help inmates make it through this hard time.
What does this program do for mentees?
- Individuals working with mentors as they return to the community comment on how important it is for them to know that their mentor has committed to walk with them on their journey out of the correctional facility.
- A mentor may be able to identify housing and employment resources for his/her mentee. A mentor can provide emotional support during the immediate transition from incarceration to community.
What does it take to be a good mentor?
Patience, listening skills, a sense of humor, trustworthiness, and a sense of adventure all contribute to making a good mentor.
Visit News & Events for a schedule of upcoming mentor trainings.
View the Community Justice Project Video below for more information about mentoring through the Community Justice Project.
Other GMCC Volunteer Opportunities
