Volunteer Best Practices

Inside the facility, there are best practices we advise you to follow that will make your volunteer experience much better for everyone — you, staff and the facility residents.

First, avoid undue familiarity with people in custody:

• Don’t give or accept any gifts or tokens.
• Don’t share details of your personal life.
• Don’t touch them or allow them to touch you. Brief handshakes are acceptable, but no hugs.
• Don’t pass messages to or from a resident. This includes messages to or from their family.
• Don’t correspond directly with someone in custody, either by telephone, tablet texting or mail. This is prohibited by policy.
• Don’tdiscuss one resident’s circumstances with another.
• Don’task a resident about their crime or become involved in their case.
• Don’t offer money or other financial resources to someone in custody, nor to their family.
• Don’t offer to visit a resident’s home and family.
• Don’t give personal items, including Bibles or other publications.
• Don’t criticize or be led into controversial discussions about prison conditions, policies, or individual staff members.
• Don’t (for any reason) provide your home address, telephone number, or other vital information. 

It is to your benefit to read and follow these additional best practices — our Do’s and Don’ts for volunteers.

• Do be an example of truth, hope, honesty, and optimism.
• Don’t accept a resident’s version of a story at face value. Even if substantially true, it may not be the whole truth.
• Do realize that you have limitations as to how much help, support, and counsel you can provide. You do not want to get pulled into a situation you cannot control or be subject to undue familiarity. 
• Don’t be shocked at what you hear. If you are shocked, don’t show it.
• Do remember that you are helping people in prison. Accept them where they are in life, as they will not always be where they are now.
• Don’t make promises, especially those you can’t keep.
• Do allow someone in custody to claim ownership of their problems.
• Don’t dress inappropriately or provocatively — remember where you are. But do be prepared to handle flirting or romantic and sexual advances.
• Do be a benefit to the facility and to offenders through your actions — more than by your education or your calling.
• Don’t share your personal or work problems.
• Do be extremely careful with information provided by a resident “in confidence.” Remember: When in doubt, report it.
• Don’t air your complaints or concerns regarding prison staff or administration. Address those directly to an appropriate staff member.
• Do remember to bring a valid photo ID and your volunteer blue card when entering.
• Don’t criticize any religion, race, country, sexual orientation or anyone’s transgender status — no matter what your personal feelings are.
• Do choose your words carefully. Some of your everyday language may be offensive.
• Don’t offer to visit an a resident housed elsewhere in the facility. As a volunteer, you are prohibited by policy from visiting anyone in the facility where you volunteer.
• Do call the institution if your group cannot meet at a scheduled time.