VOA Indiana Mentoring Project

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) helps to address these significant challenges by providing comprehensive responses to the significant number of incarcerated adults who are returning to communities from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities. Programs funded under the Second Chance Act help to promote public safety by ensuring that the transition individuals make from prison and jail to the community is successful. Section 211 of the Act authorizes grants to nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Indian tribes that may be used for comprehensive wrap-around services/programs which incorporate the use of trained mentors to promote the safe and successful reintegration into the community of adults who have been incarcerated.

The Comprehensive Community-Based Adult Reentry Program Utilizing Mentors is aimed at promoting more effective and successful reentry for formerly incarcerated individuals through the utilization of comprehensive, evidence-based wrap-around reentry plans which address the identified needs of the individuals and are supported by trained mentors. These needs are often related to housing, employment, substance abuse, and mental health.

Volunteers of America Indiana will use their 2014 Second Chance Act Comprehensive Community-Based Adult Reentry Program Utilizing Mentors funds to support a Fatherhood/Motherhood Mentoring Program. The mentoring program will serve 250 adults being released from prison or jail. They plan to implement a research-based mentoring program designed to meet the needs of incarcerated mothers and fathers in the community, namely the city of Indianapolis (Marion County) and the nearby counties of Boone, Hancock, Hendricks, Hamilton and Morgan. Three hundred (300) adult volunteer mentors will be recruited and trained for this specific population.

CA/NCF