Thousands of in-kind donations of time from volunteers, jail residents, and friends are what sustain VHJR's programs, as well as contributions of $1 to $200 from generous individuals, churches, organizations, and businesses.
One Ellsworth, ME business, The Maine Grind www.mainegrind.com donates a free meal certificate for each Post-Release Packet provided by VHJR to newly released jail residents, ensuring an early morning snack and coffee.
VHJR also works closely with other service organizations in the Ellsworth-area community. Prior to receiving the recent grant from the Maine Community Foundation, VHJR gratefully received a grant from MCF in 2004 to assist with program enhancement, post-release services, VHJR's new volunteer-mentoring program, and relationship building in greater Hancock County.
In 2002, VHJR was awarded a planning grant from Maine Initiatives Foundation and a grant from the Self-Education Foundation. And in 2003, the Maine Coalition on Smoking and Health contributed a counseling and education grant that allowed us to begin group chemical addiction counseling for the jail residents. Since that beginning we have received assistance from Maine Community Foundation, St. Francis Church Community Building Fund, Coastal Hancock Healthy Communities, Union River Healthy Communities, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Sparkplug Grant, and a generous array of caring groups and individuals.
This early introduction of rehabilitation services by VHJR has now grown into a full-service rehabilitation program. As of February 2004, Open Door Recovery Center of Ellsworth, Maine started providing the first in-jail rehab in the state of Maine. We are grateful to Open Door, to the Hancock County Jail administrators, and to the Jail Residents for making this possible.
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Here is a positive and well written article from Bangor Metro Magazine,
"Help Behind Bars." (Small corrections: There is mention here that VHJR has been paid for our work -- we haven't -- and that staff is needed to protect us. While this is correct in theory, since 2001 we've never had a single safety incident with a jail resident).
Hope Magazine featured our volunteer work -- how we started and how we all
benefit from our jail programs -- in "Bridging the Gap."
Working Waterfront summarized VHJR's goals and programs
in "Downeast Volunteers Keep Jail Residents Connected."
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Radio Interviews about VHJR Programs:
Click HERE for RadioActive about Jail Residents' Art Show, Bo Lozoff and VHJR programs.
WERU-FM Community Radio, 89.9 Blue Hill, ME
Click HERE for other stories about VHJR on RadioActive - WERU FM
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If you are interested in finding out more about Volunteers for Hancock Jail Residents
please contact us at -- bluehillme@roadrunner.com
or call 207-374-3608
but first, please read through our website to find out more about what we do.
Volunteers
for Hancock Jail Residents (VHJR)
The residents of Hancock County Jail have unique talents and resources, as well as the courage to improve their lives. They are our friends, neighbors, and relatives who will rejoin us on the "outside" after their sentences. Many of the jail residents are young and many have chemical addiction illnesses. Others are there because they owe fines and cannot bail themselves out.
Regardless of the reasons for incarceration, VHJR volunteers are interested in incorporating our incarcerated citizens into positive roles in the community by providing restorative assistance. But rather than entering the jail with the idea of "changing" anyone, we are simply there to share community support, friendship, and a greater feeling of belonging.
Hancock County Jail is located in Ellsworth, Maine. As Volunteers for Hancock Jail Residents (VHJR), we are dedicated to building a communication bridge between jail residents and the larger outside community. We are a nonsectarian, nonprofit, all-volunteer organization under the fiscal sponsorship of HOME, Inc., a 501c3 charitable organization.
Post Release Re-Entry News
VHJR volunteers, in conjunction with others in Hancock County, have been involved for several years
with Re-Entry and Post Release needs -- "The Landing Project."
Funding for strategic planning has been received from
Maine Community Foundation's Hancock County and Saxifrage Funds, and VHJR has also
received funding from St. Francis Church Community Building Fund for post-release efforts.
If you would like to offer suggestions, space for a small center,
or assist with ongoing re-entry mentoring and networking, please contact us.
Call 207-374-3608 or email
"Incarceration in Maine -- What Can We Change?
Building Community from the 'Inside' Out"
Bangor Daily News article for more about post-release planning.
Listen to an Interview on WERU Radioactive News: VHJR 4-6-06
"Inside Art"
Read about... An Art Exhibit by Hancock Jail Residents
"Mandala with Eye" by George Taylor IV
Art lovers enjoy the unique artwork at The Grand's Gallery. The “Inside Art” exhibit featured a variety of artwork by current and former residents of Hancock County Jail.
Staff Photo by Cathy Shane, The Ellsworth American
Welcome!
Announcements. . .
-- Everybody Eats: A Free Community Meal, Mondays, 3-7
Next Planning Meeting: July 14th, St. Dunstan's, 4 p.m. For Info
-- Writing by Hancock County, ME, Jail & Prison Residents.
For more writing, and art, order copies of Notes from Inside
Volumes 1, 2, & 3 ($5 per copy, tax deductible)
-- M-PAC / MAINE PRISONER ADVOCACY COALITION
-- MAINE VOICES: Solitary confinement cruel to prisoners
-- Hellhole - Long term Solitary Confinement
-- Maine Supermax inmates hunger strike
-- Prisoner Advocates rally against solitary confinement - News - WCSH TV-6
“How sad it is that we give up on people who are just like us.”
-- Fred Rogers, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood
