Agencies Working on Criminal Justice Related Issues

CENTER FOR COMMUNITY JUSTICE
Elkhart, Indiana
Phone: (574) 295-6149
Contact: Colleen Dyck

** Volunteers are needed for two of the Center's programs:

VORP - The Victim offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) was developed in Canada in 1975. It is a program that seeks to bring a criminal offender and the victim of the crime together to work out a solution that is agreeable to both parties. Volunteers, unless they have prior experience, are given 13 hours of training to qualify as mediators. They then arrange meetings between victims and offenders, mediate those meetings and report their outcome to the VORP Director. Volunteers can do as many or as few cases as fit their schedule. Each case usually involves 4-6 hours work. Most volunteers mediate one case per month.

JUVENILE OFFENDER PHONE CALLS - Volunteers make daily phone calls to juvenile offenders under house arrest to ensure that they are at home. Calls can be made from volunteer's residence. Volunteers make 1 or 2 calls a day for six weeks.

DISMAS HOUSE
521 South St. Joseph Street
P.O. Box 4571
South Bend, IN 46634
Phone: (574) 233-8522 / e-mail: michianadismas@cs.com
Contact: Maria Kaczmarek

BACKGROUND: Dismas House was founded in 1985 by people from the community in partnership with Notre Dame students and staff to create a community to assist ex-prisoners and college students in making a smooth transition into the community. University students and former prisoners share in a common, supportive living situation. The house, located approximately ten minutes from campus, accommodates 16 residents and provides a co-ed housing opportunity. All residents pay a monthly fee that includes room and board.

MISSION:
The mission of Dismas House is to reconcile former affenders to society and society to former defenders through the development of a supportive community.

VOLUNTEERS:
Volunteers are needed to cook for the residents on week nights. Students are also needed to live at Dismas. Most students commit themselves to living at Dismas House for one semester. Residents are required to eat dinner at the house five nights per week, do one chore per week and wash dishes approximately once a week. Volunteers also needed to teach basic computer skills and GED tutoring.

LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM OF NORTHERN INDIANA, INC.
105 East Jefferson, Suite 600
South Bend, IN 46601
Phone: (574) 234-8121

Contact:

BACKGROUND: The Legal Services Program of Northern Indiana is a private, nonprofit corporation founded by private attorneys and interested community leaders in 1953. It now provides free legal representation to low-income individuals in 24 northern Indiana counties. Legal Services assists people who cannot afford a private attorney with legal problems in areas such as housing, public benefits, consumer, health, and family law.

MISSION: The Legal Services Program provides comprehensive legal services and advocacy for low-income clients by providing the following services:
*Representation of individual clients
*Representations of groups
*Community legal education
*Outreach services

VOLUNTEERS: Student volunteers usually serve as an Intake Worker. The person is responsible for:

*Obtaining accurate statistical and financial information from clients who telephone or come to the office for assistance
*Obtaining accurate information about the client's problem, and write a detailed narrative for attorney review
*Completing necessary forms and cards for each client
*When experienced, completing a second "full" interview with eligible clients
Hours expected of volunteers: 7 hours a week (2 shifts)

PARKVIEW JUVENILE CENTER
Phone: (574) 235-5437

BACKGROUND: The St. Joseph County Juvenile Probation Department has been providing support services to youth since October 1981. Volunteers Improving Parkview (V.I.P.) programs offer opportunities to over 50 volunteers annually who dedicate their time and talent to the youth of our community.

MISSION: The purpose of Parkview Juvenile Center is to ensure public safety and provide appropriate intervention for youth under the age of 18. The Parkview Juvenile Center consists of three components: Probation, Detention, and Support Services. The St. Joseph County Probate Court oversees all three. The V.I.P. Programs link community volunteers with youth in need of support services. To enable clients to become contributing members of society, they offer counseling, education, assistance in preparing for and finding employment, and other opportunities for community building.

PROGRAMS OFFERED:
*S.T.A.T. (Start Turning Around Teens)- A 2 week curriculum to improve communication between youth and their parents. Volunteers and families develop a contract to change problematic behavior; parents work to develop positive parenting techniques. Volunteer caseworkers work a minimum of one year, four hours a week, dealing with three families on a weekly basis.
*Shoplifting Deterrent Clinic- This is a four week education program that runs ten months a year. Community volunteers lead small group discussions. We work on building resilient youth through decision making activities and goal setting. The program is open to 20 youth each month. Volunteers must commit to one hour per week.
*Partners- Volunteers provide positive role models for the youth and assist the youth and family to develop appropriate social interactions. Volunteer Partners spend 2-4 hours a week in leisure activities with the youth. Monthly training seminars assist the volunteer in their work.

*T.A.P. (Teens As Parents)- This program is a 16 week open-ended group for teenage women who are currently pregnant or have recently delivered. The youth in this program must be "at risk" for drug, alcohol, or tobacco use. Volunteers assist in the weekly program topic, collecting urine drug screens, and administrative follow-up duties. Volunteers must commit to 1.5 hours per week.

*Juvenile Substance Abuse Prevention Program (JSAPP)- Designed to combat drug abuse among teens. Services provided through education, support, and monitoring. Volunteers assist youth to develop strategies to reduce high risk behaviors.

*Detention Assistants- Volunteers provide recreational activities for detained youths. Development of appropriate interactive skills are a focus of volunteer involvement. Volunteers provided support to the professional detention staff.

*Truancy- A pilot program for elementary students at Lincoln School who are exhibiting difficulty with school attendance. The volunteer assists the Probation officer assigned to the program. The volunteer works six hours a week.

*Internships- Intern job responsibilities vary from school to school and field of study. Th Saint Mary's College Social Work internship is a full academic year placement for 16 hours a week. This intern handles a full community service caseload. She is responsible for interviewing youths, placing them at not-for-profit agencies in the county, and monitoring their behavior. Other interns have assisted in follow-up phone calls for youth who have been referred on runaway or ungovernable charges. They have also helped in administrative duties and learned more about the field of probation.

SEX OFFENSE SERVICES (SOS) - MADISON CENTER
Phone: (574) 234-0061 x1308
Contact: Laurel Eslinger

BACKGROUND: The Sex Offense Services (SOS) program at Madison Center provides services to victims of sexual assault and their families, and acts as a community resource to increase public awareness.

VOLUNTEERS:
Volunteers answer the 24-hour helpline, make prevention program presentations, and a few co-facilitate support groups. Volunteers give a minimum of 6 hours a week. Each volunteer receives 33 hours of training spread over 11 sessions of 3 hours each Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Training covers issues of sexuality, abuse, rape, and harassment, looks at the leagal and medical aspects of sex offense, teaches crisis intervention skills with a lot of role-playing and lots of interaction, as well as providing training on specific programs.
289-HELP VOLUNTEER PROGRAM trains volunteers to provide crisis intervention and emotional support to victims of rape, incest, child molestation, sexual harassment, obscene phone calls, and indecent exposure.

PREVENTION PROGRAMS:
1. Project C.E.A.S.E. (Pre-school and elementary) and "Little Bear" play teaches children to say "no" and to tell someone if they are being abused.
2. Touchy Subject (fourth through sixth grades)
3. Subject Sexual Abuse (middle schools)
4. "No" Means "No" (high schools)