(I volunteered/Interned at Friends Outside over my 4 years at UC Santa Cruz and worked for them as…read morea Jail Librarian) Friends Outside is a National Non-Profit org. (in Santa Cruz, housed under the Volunteer Centers of SC County.) whose mission is to provide assistance to those incarcerated in local jails: "Our goal is to help lessen the trauma of incarceration for inmates & their families, to provide information that can lead to positive changes, & to assist ex-offenders with their re-entry into the community." http://www.friendsoutside.org/ Santa Clara: http://www.friendsoutsideinscc.org/ POST-RELEASE: If someone you know has been incarcerated or is on probartion/parole, contact FO! They are HELPFUL with: ~ Property retrieval & storage - Liaison between attorneys, family & other agencies - Confidential visits with a knowledgeable & supportive volunteer - Information about community services & drug/alcohol programs - Helping with emergencies caused by incarceration - Bring in resources such as dictionaries, reading glasses, bus passes, & writing tablets - Help with limited legal & financial situations - Begin planning post-release resources & referrals through the Aftercare process Everything from short & long-term case management which includes access to clothing & food vouchers, obtaining/applying for SSI & DMV I.D., housing applications & rent assistance, medical benfits & General governmental assitance, contacting your Parole/prob. agents & or family members, & registering to vote. We also visit prisoners ON THE INSIDE. After release from jail or prison, a client can meet with an Aftercare case manager for a one-stop resource & referral. Case managers offer support and advocate for clients, help facilitate post-release plans and provide applicable services. We make every effort to provide the information needed in the first few days of release. Friends Outside is unable to offer financial assistance; however, we may be able to connect clients to the appropriate agencies and churches. You may leave a message for a specific volunteer at 831 425-3434 or call for an appointment at 831 427-5078. We can help in the following areas: - Basic hygiene products and reading glasses - Information on food resources, voicemail, community programs, mental health and health-related services, education, counseling and shelters - Clothing vouchers / clothes - Bus passes (limited rides to court or appointments related to probation compliance) as well as maps and bus schedules - Assistance complying with probation to prevent unnecessary incarceration (WRAP) - Court accompaniment - Information on local and statewide legal and criminal justice agencies - Informal assistance with a job search - Free copies of the Friends Outside Resource Guide (which I created!) - Outreach and educational presentations about our services as appropriate Over the course of my time working for them as a case manager and jail librarian, I was able to access those incarcerated in Blaine Street Jail (minimum security for Women), the Main SC County Jail (Men and Women's Medium Security), "The Farm" and The Rountree Men's Facilities in Watsonville (Medium Men's jails). The experience was eye-opening, and got me into the work I am doing now as a Case Manager for Centerforce, San Rafael. I still work with Friends Outside, who contracts out of the Visitor's Center at San Quentin State Prison. We provide books, dictionaries (Spanish-English), and reading glasses to the jails through donation drives that we hold annually. Children's Events: Kids' Days! We love these days- so fun to volunteer and be a part of a positive event INSIDE the jail with families and children- Fun activities, crafts, and treats for children visiting their incarcerated parents during holidays (X-mas, Halloween, V-Day). Fliers announcing these events are posted at the Farm and at Blaine Street a few weeks ahead, so prisoners can inform their families on visiting day about the event (during the winter holiday season, we work with Toys for Tots gathering gifts for children with an incarcerated parent.) Please DONATE! As a typical struggling non-profit, they need all the support they can get to continue doing amazing, hard, and incredibly important work in the community!!! FOR NOW, NOT FOREVER I woke up today in a cold cement cell, No one to hold me so I hold myself. As I lie there, all alone in my bed, I am numb to my surroundings, I am lost in my head. I dream, I think, I fantasize, I try not to hear my heart's little cries. There in my mind, I learn to sever, myself from reality, for now, not forever. -Incarcerated client Santa Cruz location, Contact: Heidi Canales/Talia Stoessel at 831-427-5078. ~ scFriendsOutside@hotmail.com ~ fovolunteer@gmail.com Friends Outside in Santa Clara County: 551 Stockton Avenue San Jose, CA 95126 Phone: (408) 295-6033 , Fax: (408) 295-2907

I interned at Friends Outside in 2004/2005 as a jail visitor. It was an amazing experience that I…read morewill never forget. FO is a great resource for people who are incarcerated and their families. This is one of those rare nonprofits that makes their money go a really long way by using it for the clients rather than paying a bunch of administrators. Even though I am a poor graduate student I make it a point to donate every year (even if it's only a little bit), and I would encourage you all to do the same!