STEPUP
Our Mission
The Jobs Plus StepUp mentoring program helps residents of Hamilton County Correctional Facilities make a positive transition to their communities through affirming personal relationships.
Who We Are
- A faith-based mentoring initiative of Jobs Plus that is expanding with the help of OneCity
- Jobs Plus:
- Provides job opportunities for individuals in low-income communities
- Coordinates a network of support and accountability for healthier lifestyles
- Is one of the most successful job placement agencies for hard-to-find candidates
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- OneCity:
- Seeks to tackle city-wide issues:
- Builds city-wide collaborative programs based on best-in-class research
- Increases the impact of the local Church (churches working collectively)
- Mobilizes and empowers volunteers and mentors toward positive life change
What We Do
StepUp provides former inmates the opportunity to re-establish their living situations, employment and relationships with family and friends by pairing them with mentors who provide practical help, kindness and encouragement.
The Need
- 600,000 prisoners are released from correctional institutions each year
- 67% of ex-offenders are re-arrested
- Two million children are growing up with a parent in prison
[Source: US bureau of Justice Statistics]
The Impact
When prisoners are prepped for their return to the outside world and mentored upon release, the benefits are significant:
- Former prisoners are 10 times less likely to return to prison than those who were not mentored
- Mentoring programs cost five times less per year than the annual cost of returning to prison
[Source: study conducted by TOP prison mentoring program, 2005]
We have the power to reverse the vicious cycle of recidivism which perpetuates broken families, unsafe communities and unnecessary expense.
How It Works
Who Can Mentor?
Mentors care about prisoners and their families and are 22+ years of age
Role Description
Mentors focus on building friendships, helping meet spiritual and emotional needs while in prison, and assisting with the prisoner’s transition from confinement to the community. The relationship begins two to four months prior to release and continues for a minimum of three months post-release.
Responsibilities
- Facilitate and develop a positive relationship with an inmate
- Establish and help inmate work towards achieving personal goals
- Communicate progress/issues with small group leader via goal sheets
Time Commitment
Mentors meet with their mentees a minimum of two times per month prior to and after release and connect via phone (if available) after release.
Total time: 3-4 hours per month
Training
Jobs Plus will provide training on Mentoring Components, Cultural Awareness and Stereotypes, Cultivating Relationships, Setting Personal Goals and Conflict Management. Training is monthly and TBD.
Support
All StepUp mentors will be placed on a sub-team of four to six people and a leader to offer help and support. The team will meet quarterly and connect periodically via e-mail. Each mentor will receive local service provider information.
How to Get Started
- Email: stepup@onecity.org
- Fill out an application
- Attend a training
- Meet your sub-team
- Begin mentoring!