Prison Outreach Ministries
Prison
Outreach Ministries
Roughly
20% of the homeless clients already served
by Friendship House are also
involved with the courts and the department of corrections in some capacity.
Some are awaiting trial; others are on probation; but most are recently
released prisoners lacking the resources to maintain an independent lifestyle.
Besides offering these individuals the same variety of services that are
available to all our clients, Friendship House has also tried to design some
programs that address the specific needs of soon-to-be-released prisoners.
Most are employment-related, but some
address the need for structured supervised housing within a supportive
community.
Employment
Preparation
Identification, Home
Base, and Work Cloths
Most homeless
men and women getting out of jail or prison, even after only 30 days,
have lost everything they owned, including their I.D.
Without the proper identification (birth certificate, social security
card, DE State identification card or driver’s license), people cannot hope to
find a decent job. Friendship House
is constantly helping people to acquire I.D., but the process typically takes
two to six weeks (depending upon state of birth) and costs about $20 per person.
Our challenge is to identify soon-to-be-released prisoners in need of I.D., so
that we can help them acquire this employment-required documentation before they
are released. We have the necessary
forms and know the process. We are
happy to assume the application costs. We simply need some group of
social workers, chaplains or volunteers willing to inform their clients
of this service and supply us with necessary data to process the application
forms.
Upon their release,
such clients can come to the Friendship House Day Center and immediately begin
the job search process. Our
staff can prepare their resumes. Through
our Homebase Program, we can supply them with a mailing address, phone messaging
service and a fax number. Through our clothing bank, we can assist them with
appropriate work clothing.
Employment
New Job
Program, H.I.P. & Clothing Bank of Delaware
Through its
New Job Program, Friendship House can usually find full employment for
individuals with the proper I.D. within two weeks of their first
interview. It is allied with two
“stepping stone” job programs – H.I.P. for men and The Clothing Bank of
Delaware for women. Both offer
clients ninety days of full-time, day-time employment performing various
community service projects. We
use this time to allow new workers to make their rookie mistakes, re-orientate
themselves to 40 hour work weeks, take care of their transitional social needs
(child care, probation/parole, housing, etc.) and find a better job.
We have about a 50% success rate.
Transitional Housing
More than Just A Cheap Place To Live
Participants of our New Job Program who demonstrate a willingness to address the underlying causes of their present condition may also be offered residence in one of our seven transitional housing programs. For ex-offenders, these tend to be active participants from one of the Department of Correction’s recovery programs (C.R.E.S.T., the KEY Program and/or the Village). Many begin their jobs on work/release and then move into housing after they have established a track record with Friendship House. Such clients can spend up to nine months in our housing program depending upon their commitment to and participation in our very intensive programs that include budgeting, credit restoration, parenting, decision-making, relationships and recovery.