Our Goal & Mission to the Incarcerated

Our Goal is to provide, the soon to be released inmates with the following services. First and foremost, our Main Goal is to develop Community Awareness of the continuing needs of our soon to be released inmates that need our support and guidance.

Many resources that are provided by Federal, State and Local agencies are so over burdened financially, not to mention under-staffed, that without community involvement and support, many inmates without the proper tools, will find themselves resorting to the same things that got them incarcerated to begin with.

And eventually end up living their remaining years behind the walls in our prisons and other institutions, which your tax dollars partially support. We need to educate the community of the rising needs of our ex-offenders, so that we can assist them so they may become viable and productive members of our communities around the state and around the nation.

Below is a list of the growing concerns of our inmates currently incarcerated in our many Federal, State and County Correctional Facilities, which we hope, with your help and support, that we can provide the much needed resources and financial assistance so that these inmates will have a solid foundation from which to build upon for a better future than a disreputable past. This is what we would like to provide....

Housing Search
a) To assist inmates in finding suitable permanent housing or transitional housing (i.e. rooming or boarding housing providing single room occupancy, halfway houses, rehabilitation housing) for all inmates without exclusion (i.e. type of crime)

Job Search
b) To assist inmates in developing associations with different employment agencies, or career development resources.

HealthCare
c) To assist inmates with finding providers in your community or surround area, who accept MAHealth or Commonwealth Care.

Financial Assistance
d) Transportation: To provide financial assistance for transportation to and from a medical related appointment, or provide transportation through outside resources.

d) Housing: To provide financial assistance pertaining to housing needs in the following areas: 1st Weeks Rent for a boarding house, halfway house or transitional housing. (Not to exceed $120.00) 1 Months Rent for a family dwelling. (Not to exceed $725.00) or boarding

Please note: The above listed amounts are primarily based on a national average for the cost of the above housing arrangements. Also be aware that these are estimates only. Each inmate has different needs and living requirements that need to be meet before her or she can be released. (i.e. Probation or Parole Stipulations May Apply)

Counseling Search:
e) Provide assistance in locating suitable Counselors and or Therapists in areas pertaining to the needs of the inmate. (i.e. AA, NA, SOTP and any other required services mandated by the courts)

Attorney Locator:
f) In the event that you need assistance with the SORB (Sex Offender Registration Board) have a very reputable attorney who can assist you, if you so choose, to make an appeal, to the SORB's Level 3 recommendation. Church Locator: f) To assist the inmate in locating a church home, where he or she can continue to build a solid spiritual foundation, based on The Gospel of Jesus Christ, Our Lord & Savoir, whereby all things are possible, for those who seek Him.

Educational Resources:
g) To assist the inmate in continued education by providing resources tailored to his or her particular needs, and to help assist the inmate in finding resources to finance his or hers continued educational or career opportunities. If you would like to assist us by contributing your time, resources or financial contributions please contact us via email at support@prison-ministries.info Or you can make your financial contribution by clicking on link that says "Home." then Click on the Donate Tab.

First off let us first give you the definition of initiative:

NOUN:
The power or ability to begin or to follow through energetically with a plan or task; enterprise and determination.
A beginning or introductory step; an opening move: took the initiative in trying to solve the problem.
The power or right to introduce a new legislative measure.
The right and procedure by which citizens can propose a law by petition and ensure its submission to the electorate.

The driving force behind Prison Ministries Transitional Assistance Initiative is two fold:
1) To spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and
2) To join forces with other like minded organizations to help provide the much needed services for prisoners who are getting ready to leave the confines of there incarceration and return to the community.

The Problem:
State, local and community agencies appear on the surface to provide a multitude of services to inmates who are pending release, but all to often many inmates do not have the knowledge of these organizations. Nor do they have access to "Accurate Up To Date Information" at there disposal.

Many institutions provide a transitional release program which includes the following:

Defining an Action Plan
Intervention Planning
Employment Opportunities
Counseling Objectives
Continued Education
MA Health Applications
Housing Alternatives

This above list is not all inclusive but it gives a ray of hope to those inmates which need direction in taking initiative in there own personal life.

But in a lot of cases inmates do not or are unable to follow through with these plans because they do not know where to turn for the help they need.

So, in lieu of this the DOC (Department of Corrections) in almost all 50 states put together an exhaustive list of agencies and organizations that the inmate can contact while they are incarcerated to ask for assistance or look for guidance.

This booklet lists every organization conceivable that can assist with almost every concern that an inmate may have concerning continued services upon release.

While this is a great resource it lacks in direction and guidance. It does however give the organizations name, address, telephone number and maybe a contact person to which an inmate can send a letter to request more information.

But unfortunately a lot of these organizations are so over burdened and understaffed that they just can not serve every inmate that they come in contact with, and a lot of times, more often than not, the inmate never hears from the organization. Or the organization does send a follow up letter describing there services and to contact them upon release.

This is all well and good and with very good intentions by the organization in question, but still does not solve the problem. The inmate who is pending release needs, in many cases, viable information and resources set in place before they are released. (As is the case for those pending parole)

And what if an inmate has no financial resources, such as money for stamps, paper, envelopes and the like to even make any head way in contacting these organizations? In some rare cases I have seen therapists or advocates that work in these institutions contact these organizations on behalf of the inmate, but this is very rare.

Many organizations are very limited as to what they can offer an inmate in transition. Many organizations (unless they are faith based) will not even make an attempt to help those inmates who have committed sexual offenses. So where are they to turn?

Prison Ministries Transitional Assistance Initiative (TAI for short) would like to change all that.

We are continually searching for organizations that help all inmates regardless of the crime they have committed. Through our research endeavors (which is ongoing) we have found a lot of information and resources that can help bring a ray of hope to all inmates facing the problems of reentry.

Browse through our website and you may find what you are looking for. If you don't find what you are looking for then please send us an email at support@prison-ministries.info  and let us know what you need. We will do everything that is humanly possible to help you solve your problem.

May the Lord Richly Bless You

Timothy Caron (Founder)

Prison Ministries is currently seeking Research Funding sources to assist in extending our scope and to provide the necessary financial considerations to meet the needs of our short term and long term goals.

To meet these goals it is only fitting to let our visitors know of our plans and purpose, and where we stand in all aspects of our organization.

Below is a list of our current needs from the community at large to meet the financial concerns, legal issues, and current tax laws.

Focus: In order to process an application for a 501 (c) 3 Non Profit Tax Exempt Status we must organize a Board of Directors not the current Sole Proprietorship. with this is mind we are looking for Board Members with the following qualifications and experience.

• Human Resources Director: This individual will have at least 3 years of verifiable practice in the field of either Prison Reform & ReEntry or similar work experience. Duties also include researching and linking prisoners with outside services and programs, doing intake surveys, maintain notes on success with programs and services, define and monitor individual service plans.
  
• Tax Consultant: This individual will have at least 3-5 years of verifiable practice in the field Tax Preparation primarily pertaining to preparing, filing and maintaining a 501 (c) 3 Non Profit Tax Exempt Status and help us maintain those guidelines. Provides expert-level guidance on the preparation of Federal and state income tax returns to encompass and ensure compliance with laws and regulations and to minimize the Company's tax liability. Conducts and documents research to apply highly complex tax statutes and regulations to business operations and proposed transactions. Responsible for Federal and state income tax provisions prepared in accordance with FAS 109 and tax reserve calculations maintained under FAS 5. Reviews and analyzes data to predict the impact of proposed tax legislation on the Company. Collaborates with tax auditors to support tax return positions and resolve controversies.
  
• Funding Coordinator: This individual will have at least 3-5 years verifiable experience in preparing the necessary documentation required to obtain Funding from the Federal, State and Local governments. Organize and facilitate and maintain fundraising effort. College degree preferred but related work experience will be considered; experience working in a nonprofit or comparable business setting preferred; excellent oral & written communication skills with demonstrated ability to make presentations to groups of varying sizes; excellent interpersonal skills; proficient in various online business & analytical tools, including the internet and Microsoft Office suite; experience working on donor management cultivation database with willingness to learn new systems; ability to work effectively with a range of individuals; experience managing external vendors & working with marketing to design collateral materials preferred
  
• Medical Transportation Specialist: This person will have a minimum of 2-4 years verifiable experience and will have to meet the following criteria: Provides transportation and transfers of patients. Requires a high school diploma, registered with the EMT National Registry, Licensed by State EMS Authority, and 2-4 years related experience. Must be CPR certified, ALS preferred. Familiar with standard concepts, practices, and procedures within the field. Relies on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals.
  
• Housing & Development Coordinator: This individual must have 5 years of verifiable experience in the field and must meet the following criteria: Research Organizations that provide Transitional or Temporary to Permanent Housing for Prisoners reentering the community. Organizations must not be partial and show no discriminatory practices. Must be able to negotiate and meet with Real Estate Agents and Landlords to assist inmates in providing suitable housing that meets Federal, State and Local guidelines. Must be able to work closely with HUD and the VA in providing housing assistance if the inmate meets there guidelines.
  
• Administrative Assistant: This individual must have 3-5 years verifiable experience and meet the following criteria. Strong administrative skills with demonstrated competency in basic project management. Strong customer service orientation and good interpersonal skills. Strong organizational, problem solving and computer skills, attention to detail. Must have Microsoft Office application skills including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Strong verbal and written communication skills needed. Ability to effectively present information to both internal and external audiences.
  
• Prisoner Liaison: This individual must have strong communication skills, written and verbal, prefer bilingual applicant but not required, in the following languages, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Be willing to look beyond the prisoners crime and be non-discriminatory. Be willing to meet with the prisoner upon release to transport them to there residence and or to an organization that has already been established to work with the transition needs of the prisoner. Maintain records of all correspondence with inmates to include; applications and other forms of communication.
  

All above positions require individuals to have access to the internet and can work together effectively and efficiently via online collaboration software now being developed. All communication, meetings and business activity is solely done on the internet and via telephone, except the following positions; Prisoner Liaison, Medical Transportation Specialist and Housing & Development Coordinator. These positions will require outside activities to meet our goals but will still attend meetings and collaborate with other Board Members via online meetings and or telephone communications.

Though our organization is Faith Based we do have to meet Federal, State and local guidelines.

With this in mind please read our current documentation. All files are in PDF format. Clicking on any of the links below will open Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader you can download it from there website at http://www.adobe.com/ for free.

Statement of Faith Viewed Online
Current Business Plan
Business Certificate

So you can get a clearer understanding of our plans and future goals. This is a work in progress and will change to meet the needs of the community and the needs of our target market. As a reminder, in our business plan under Long Term Liabilities you will find estimated costs for different positions. This is only for future financial considerations and not actual salary descriptions for the positions that are posted here. Salaries for the above positions depend on the efforts of our Grant Proposal and will be posted accordingly.

If you are interested and would like to assist us or be apart of our organization, please submit your resume in PDF or MS Word format to the following email: support@prison-ministries.info or you can send a hard copy to the address listed on our "Contact Us" page.

Partnerships

We are currently seeking individuals and organizations that can assist us in providing the much needed services and resources to help those inmates who are pending release from our institutions and treatment centers across the state, make a smooth transition back into there local communities.

Our current resources financially are very limited so we have to ask for your help.
The below resources are needed so we may better help those who need assistance:

• Landlords who have vacancies who are willing to extend a helping hand in providing a residence to an inmate who is pending release. We would prefer a structured environment that would meet parole requirements and an organization that can provide a spiritual and biblical foundation.
  
• Volunteers that would be willing help be a liaison between the inmate and the organization that the inmate is seeking information or services from. These volunteers must be either already registered by the DOC (Department of Corrections) or be willing to go through their screening and application process. They must also be willing to put all prejudice aside. We would like to have volunteers with a strong willingness to help others, who are lead by the Spirit of God to commit the time or financial services needed to help these inmates. This can also include Pastors & Clergy from the inmates town or community.
  
• Counselors & Therapists who have experience with Drug Abuse, Alcoholism, Sex Offender Treatment Services who have available openings to counsel one on one or in a group environment
  
• Employment Agencies who can assist an inmate in attaining employment before an inmate is released. By this we mean, if an inmate was to inquire about the type of work you offer, you would send an application to the inmate requesting information as to the inmates prior work history. They would in turn return the required information back to you. You would help the inmate by finding an employer who needs this inmates services and would be willing to correspond with him directly so that the prospective employer can get to know the inmate personally.
  
• Career & Continued Education Centers who can assist a prospective inmate in furthering their education and provide career planning and guidance that would help the inmate better his or her future and help them become viable members of there community.
  

We do understand that this is a tall order. And that you may not receive any compensation for your efforts, but that's the meaning of the word "INITIATIVE from a broader prospective. Before we can effect change for others we must be willing to take a step or leap of faith and first extend the hand of friendship. The hope & future of these inmates rests soley upon our shoulders.

If you would like to help us please send an email to support@prison-ministries.info and let us know what area from the list above that you can support. we look forward to hearing from you.

And May the Lord Richly Bless You
BBrother Timothy Caron (Founder)

Online Collaboration

Prison Ministries has developed an online collaboration website where everyone who offers services to our inmates as an "Initiative Volunteer, Landlord, Counselors & Therapist, Career & Continued Education Providers" or "Board Members" can meet to discuss current and future plans of our organization.

This we feel can be a very valuable tool in bringing everyone together in one place for one single purpose. This is also where we can effect change in peoples lives. Even Jesus Christ himself collaborated with His disciples on how to spread His message and sent them our in pairs or groups to heal the sick and worried lost souls.

We in essence would be doing the same thing.
Please join us in our efforts by contacting us at support@prison-ministires.info and take that leap of faith.

Faith CAN Move Mountains
Brother Timothy Caron (Founder)