OVM invites the community to act with restorative practices by corresponding with an incarcerated person. Many people in prison want to better themselves, and can benefit from consistent support from someone with a fresh outside perspective.
Staff will match you with an inmate from our waiting list. You commit to write at least one letter per month for at least one year. If for any reason you decide you do not want to write after all, please let us know as soon as possible! One letter a month may seem like a small thing but that envelope is significant to an inmate who has limited contact with the outside community. Your commitment says, “I care; you can depend on me.”
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Volunteers should be caring, relational people who value and foster friendship.
Your goal is to provide support and friendship during incarceration. Volunteers are not expected to be therapists, financiers, legal advisors, or parole sponsors. They are friends who enjoy wholesome relationships and who like to see and encourage good in others.
The pen pal relationship facilitated by OVM ends with the incarcerated person’s release from prison. Our experience has shown that this offers safety and healthier relationships both for our volunteers and for the residents. We encourage prison residents to navigate the transition to public life within established re-entry programs. We can help provide information about available re-entry resources if you like.
You can communicate via postal mail or electronic mail. You may opt to use OVM's office address as an intermediary, to protect the privacy of your home address.
We will provide training and support, including suggestions for how to write to establish common ground, and more detailed policies & procedures.
