The Equal Justice Initiative is a private, nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to indigent defendants and prisoners who have been denied fair and just treatment in the legal system.
Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS) is a volunteer visitation program to Federal and Military prisoners throughout the United States With almost 200,000 prisoners in the 120 federal and military prisons, most prisoners are too far from their homes to get visits from family and friends. More than 25% of federal prisoners are foreign nationals and have virtually no visitors from outside the prison. How prisoners spend their time while incarcerated and what, if any, relationships they have with people on the outside often determine whether they will commit further crimes and return to prison.
Approximately 300 PVS volunteers nationwide provide friendship, encouragement and a listening ear to prisoners who get no or few other visitors. Volunteers:
1) Reach out to a prisoner in a spirit of mutual respect, trust, and acceptance
2) Are independent of the prison system, yet never break prison rules
3) Visit usually once a month
4) Are good listeners
5) Are clear about their roles with prisoners and staff
6) Do not impose their religious or philosophical beliefs on prisoners
7) Do not promise prisoners what they cannot fulfill
8) Are supported by people who care about making a difference
PVS is the only organization authorized by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Department of Defense to visit all federal and military prisons. Although sponsored by many religious groups, PVS visitors do not impose a particular religion on prisoners. They accept prisoners as they are, not questioning how they got into prison but trying to support their self-growth.
Contact National Office of PVS: Eric Corson, Director1501 Cherry St, Philadelphia, PA 19102, 215-241-7117 PVS@afsc.or ,Regional recruiter Chuck Barrett, elrojo@windstream.net. Wisconsin contact for people interested in visiting at FCI Oxford as PVS volunteers: jyrios1@tds.net
Mary House is based on a Catholic Worker model of voluntary service.
The Catholic Worker Movement began simply enough on May 1, 1933, when a journalist named Dorothy Day and a philosopher named Peter Maurin teamed up to publish and distribute a newspaper called “The Catholic Worker.” This radical paper promoted the biblical promise of justice and mercy.
Grounded in a firm belief in the God-given dignity of every human person, their movement was committed to nonviolence, voluntary poverty, and the Works of Mercy as a way of life. It wasn’t long before Dorothy and Peter were putting their beliefs into action, opening a “house of hospitality” where the homeless, the hungry, and the forsaken would always be welcome.
Over many decades the movement has protested injustice, war, and violence of all forms.Today there are some 223 Catholic Worker communities in the United States and in counties around the world.
The 11X15 Campaign to decrease the number of incarcerated people in Wisconsin and promote alternatives to incarceration is a project of WISDOM. WISDOM includes nine congregation-based justice organizations across the state. WISDOM belongs to the Gamaliel network. WISDOM’s beliefs are summed up in its “prophetic declaration“.
Do you know anyone that has a felony or a misdemeanor conviction that may be hindering them from employment, school and/or housing ? Clean Slate – Milwaukee, Wisconsin INC 414- 219-9086 or 608- 807-1685 or find Clean Slate Wisconsin on Facebook
Established in 1986, The Sentencing Project works for a fair and effective U.S. criminal justice system by promoting reforms in sentencing policy, addressing unjust racial disparities and practices, and advocating for alternatives to incarceration.
Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) is a grassroots organization that was founded in Texas in 1972. It became a national organization in 1985.
We believe that prisons should be used only for those who absolutely must be incarcerated and that those who are incarcerated should have all of the resources they need to turn their lives around. We also believe that human rights documents provide a sound basis for ensuring that criminal justice systems meet these goals.
Projects include re-entry support for former inmates and programs for children of incarcerated parents in Wisconsin.