Volunteer Facilitator – Parenting from Jail

Boulder County Jail, Boulder

The Jail Education & Transition program (JET) falls under the Community Justice Services division of Community Services which collaborates with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office running the jail. JET staff offer courses, GED type classes, therapy, meditation and other evidence-based classes to a select group of jail clients in both male and female modules who have met certain behavioral and interest guidelines to be considered in the program. This new offering, supported by Volunteer Enrichment Award funds from the County Commissioners to purchase and print the coursework, will guide clients in the Boulder County Jail as they grapple with how to parent during their incarceration.

Utilizing open-source coursework, Parenting from Prison: A resource Guide for Parents Incarcerated in Colorado, the volunteer will facilitate groups first in the female module of the jail, then the male, switching off after completion of each course. The length of the course will be determined by the volunteer after reading and updating the material and discussing it with staff.

Length of the course will be determined by the volunteer and staff. Coursework Topics for discussion include:

How does being in prison change how I parent? How are my children affected by in incarceration? What can I do to help my children adjust during my absence?

Making custody arrangements for your children

Financial help for the care of your children

Dependency and Neglect Court Cases

Paternity

Child Support

Since this is a new program, we will need to update the coursework written in 2002.

Preparation of Materials – Read the current coursework and research updates to laws/availability of resources. Laws, procedures and availability of resources have changed. Make note of changes and create updated pages for resources to be included in handouts to clients in the class. (Familiarity with Microsoft products or other publishing software will facilitate the creation of these documents.) Work with the JSVP coordinator to finalize the file to be printed.

JET staff will create the class list from approved clients (as mentioned, not all jail clients are eligible for the JET program). Distribute coursework to and meet weekly with the group and moderate discussion.

This is a new offering in the JET program, and we appreciate feedback from clients and the volunteer moderator about the coursework in order to improve the materials and the process moving forward.

Must be 21 or older to apply. Classes take place during M-F business hours. The actual time slot of the course will be determined by room availability as we share real estate for classes with the Sheriff’s Office staff. Some flexibility may be needed if the room selected is only available at certain times/days.

We are looking for someone to commit to a year of programming (Each full course will likely only take several weeks each session, and vacations and absences are accommodated for the volunteer prior to beginning a new session).

Experience leading groups is important. Teaching or instructional experience and working with justice-involved clients are preferred.

Maturity, respect for others, ability to actively listen and direct discussion or redirect discussion if it derails. Openness, curiosity, calm demeanor and ability to de-escalate are valuable attributes we would consider and encourage. Fluid conversational skills in Spanish would be welcome but not required.

Must be comfortable in a jail environment. If you’ve never been in a jail before, think about how comfortable you might be in a restricted building, behind closed doors. (Many of our past volunteers had never been in a jail before and became comfortable with the process while creating meaningful professional relationships with the clients they helped.)

These women (and men) mostly want resources and help understanding their situation. They don’t want therapy in this class. This course is about questions and answers for resources, procedures and basics on how to interact with their children. If you think it would be valuable to invite guest speakers, that could be considered in discussions with the JET supervisor. We have had many dynamic and special courses and people come to speak with our jailed clients, including Jane Goodall through our Roots and Shoots program prior to COVID. Anything is possible!

The selected volunteer will be required to take a three-hour onboarding class in the jail prior to beginning service. The volunteer will be escorted through the jail to the classroom each time, left alone to conduct the class with the clients, and then escorted back out through the jail by a deputy.

Lived experience in the justice system can be a powerful tool when working with our clients. Applicants will be vetted on a case-by-case basis, but no applicants can be considered who have had domestic violence or child abuse/neglect charges or arrests, per current Colorado statutes.

Training and course creation meetings will be mutually agreed upon once the volunteer is selected and accepts the position.

Mary Eldred

JSVP Coordinator

email: jsvp@bouldercounty.gov

telephone: 303-441-3418

Contact Mary Eldred, Justice System Volunteer Program coordinator (JSVP) and request an online application. Submit the application with three references, Driver’s license, resume and a statement about why you’d like to pursue this opportunity, and what you bring to the clients.

Once the reference requests are sent by the JSVP and returned, a background check will be performed. All documents will be sent to the supervisor who will make decisions on interviews and next steps.

Interviews may happen in person or virtually. Once a candidate has been selected and accepts the position, fingerprinting will be required, along with the jail onboarding mentioned before. Onboarding classes take place once per month conducted by Sheriff’s office staff.