Between 1993 & 1995, I was volunteering time working with the NJ Department of Corrections program called Stress Reduction Thru Behavior Modification. This 10-session workshop teaches methods of relaxation and stress reduction , self-esteem, communication & social skills, I led a number of workshops at the Mountainview Youth Correctional Facility, a minimum security prison in Annandale, NJ, until the State began requiring it of inmates as a condition of their parole. I felt it was more effective as a voluntary program, but when inmates were there because they "had" to be there, I felt it lost it's effectiveness and lost interest in "teaching" it. However, I did work with the Director, Gloria Nouri, to rewrite and update the course material and published a new manual in 1996.
In 1994, after attending an Alternatives to Violence Workshop, I took further training and in 1995 became a Lead Facilitator for the Alternatives To Violence Project (AVP). Between 1995 & 1998 I was part of facilitating teams for over 60 three day, AVP Workshops at Federal Correctional Institution at Fort Dix, The NJ State Prison in Trenton and the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Institution in North Brunswick as well as at a number of community and school locations. Hope to continue working with AVP after my move to Vermont.
Recently, I merged my interest and activities in prisons with a longer standing interest of facilitating Bereavement Support Groups, by beginning an eight session Grief Support Group at the NJ State Prison in Trenton. As a result of a pilot group in December, 1996, I wrote a manual for conducting Bereavement Support Groups for Prisoners which was used, validated and further revised during a second group which ended in March, 1997. Prisoner's outlets for expressing grief are certainly more limited than those available to the general population, and the session plans & handouts reflect these unique circumstances. During July & August, I helped train 14 inmates to be bereavement group leaders and additional groups conducted by inmate facilitators started in October, 1997.
In 1999, after my move from New Jersey to Vermont, I was appointed to serve on one of the Vermont Reparative Justice Boards. The Reparative Program is relatively new and is made up of volunteer citizen boards in each county who work mostly with first time non-violent offenders assigned to Reparative Probation by the courts. Board members work out a contract with the offender which acknowledges the offense, identifies ways to repair the damage to the victim, makes amends to the community (usually by performing community service), develops ways to avoid reoffending and helps the offender reintegrate into the community.
Based upon a general model originally developed for hospice support groups.