Circles of Care Restorative Justice Ministry

Circles of Care Ministry

Introduction
The Interfaith Coalition of Advocates for Reentry and Employment (ICARE) “Circles of Care” ministry program assists communities of faith in developing supportive relationships with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men and women.

In collaboration with chaplains of New York State Correctional Facilities, ICARE connects people in prison with a “Circle of Care”: three or four members of a congregation who commit to encouraging an individual through letter writing, and to supporting him/her upon release from prison.

Training
ICARE staff will meet with Circles of Care members to provide an initial education and training session. This introduction includes a description of the prison experience, the need for emotional and spiritual support during incarceration, and appropriate boundaries to maintain in correspondence. During the letter-writing period, ICARE staff is available to answer questions and provide resources to Circles of Care members.

Prior to the individual’s release from prison, ICARE staff will give an intensive training to Circles of Care members on the reentry process, including a description of barriers to employment, housing, health care, and other challenges.

Commitment
ICARE asks that each "Circle of Care" member write a monthly letter until the individual with whom they are corresponding is released from prison. Each Circle of Care volunteers a “point person” who is responsible for coordinating correspondence logistics: paper, stamps, envelopes, and mailing the letters.

When an individual is released from prison, Circles of Care members commit to welcoming him/her into the congregation and introducing him/her to people who may be able to connect him/her to informal networks, so as to help that person build relationships and community.

ICARE has a formal collaboration with The Fortune Society, an established non-profit organization with housing, employment readiness and placement, and educational programs. Circles of Care members are not expected to provide reentry services.

For further information, please call Susan Mareneck, Acting Executive Director, at 212/280-1386.

Prison Education Ministry

ICARE facilitates book collecting for higher education ministries in prisons throughout the state of New York. Congregations can sponsor book drives for several copies of an identified text or to bolster prison libraries. For more information, please contact our office at 212/280-1386.