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  1. Jericho Circles in 2011: An Update

    Last year we took steps toward expanding the scope and effectiveness of what we do.  This year we have been consolidating and deepening our understanding of what men on the inside need and the skills they need to pass on their gifts within and beyond the institutional environment.

    Highlights:

    • · In March of this year JCP co-sponsored a workshop at Suffolk University Law School in Boston entitled “The Hard Road Home: Welcoming Ex-Offender Back to the Community.”  Panelists discussed the legal and social context of reentry as it relates to the transitional process from prison to community.
    • · Our 6th Weekend Intensive Training (2-days) was held at Bay State Correctional Center, April 2-3.  Facilitators for this workshop came from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Florida, Wisconsin and California.
    • · Our 7th Weekend Intensive Training (3-days) was held at FMC Devens, June 24-26.  This workshop included a sweat lodge hosted by Native Americans at the institution.
    • · This January, JCP inaugurated a new program at Souza-Baranowski Correction Center– a maximum security institution operated by the Massachusetts Department of Correction.  Targeting a Lifer’s Unit, this circle is offered an opportunity for JCP to address the needs of longer term inmates.
    • In February of this year, for the first time, JCP offered an Inside/Outside Workshop for inmates and outside facilitators at MCI-Norfolk.  This weekend included a special program designed to deepen the experience and skills of inside men and train facilitators in cutting-edge techniques for personal transformation behind the walls.
    • In September of this year, JCP will be offering our third annual intensive weekend at MCI-Norfolk.  This workshop will be the largest in our history, involving 40 men from both sides of the wall.  The program at this institution has expanded to two inside circles, featuring opportunities for inside men to develop skills and pass on the lessons they have learned.
    • This year, our tenth in operation, JCP has expanded and diversified its Board of Directors (see Home page) to better serve its mission, communities and clientele.
  2. Jericho Circles in 2010: An Update

    Last year we took steps toward expanding the scope and effectiveness of what we do.  This year we have been consolidating and deepening our understanding of what men on the inside need and how to better serve them as they return to the community.  Highlights:

    • · In March of this year JCP co-sponsored a workshop at Suffolk University in Boston entitled “Wearing the Scarlet Letter: The Challenges and Possibilities of CORI Reform”  Panelists discussed the legal and social context of reentry as it relates to the transitional process from prison to community.
    • · Our 5th Weekend Intensive Training (2-days) was held at Bay State Correctional Center, March 14-15.  Facilitators for this workshop came from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Florida, Wisconsin and California.
    • · Our 6th Weekend Intensive Training (3-days) was held at FMC Devens, June 25-27.  This workshop was facilitated by men from Massachusetts, Rhode Island,  New York and New Jersey.
    • · Our 2nd Weekend Intensive Training at MCI-Norfolk is scheduled for September  25-26.
    • This year, as in the past, men from our facilitators teams traveled to Wisconsin to support our brothers in the T.R.U.T.H. project (To Restore Understanding Trust and Hope).  Our collaboration with T.R.U.T.H. gives members of our team greater insight into and appreciation of the power of our inside work.
    • · A new volunteer-based project at the Dallas County Jail entitled the “New Tools Circle” has been inspired by JCP. This program applies the approaches and techniques developed in our prison circles to men serving time in Texas.
  3. August 2009 TRUTH Intensive

    Two men from Jericho Circle were on staff for the August TRUTH Project Intensive at the Racine Correctional Facility in Racine, WI. This was the third Wisconsin Intensive supported by Jericho men.

  4. May 2009- JCP Submits Proposal to DOJ

    On May 21, Jericho Circle submitted a proposal to develop the Jericho Reentry Project.  The proposal for a $300,000 grant from the Department of Justice calls for community circles and mentors to support returnees. Jericho hopes to reduce recidivism through this effort.

    Update: No proposals submitted to this program were funded in Massachusetts.

  5. May 2009 – Massachusetts DOC Agreement

    JCP has arrived at an agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Correction to develop a pilot program at Pondville Correctional Center. This program begins with the creation of a Jericho Circle at the institution that will be paired with a Community Circle in the Boston area.  The Community Circle will enable JCP to develop a reentry initiative that supports men being released in the months ahead.  The community circle will have both a group and an individual mentoring component to assist men who have done work inside with their reintegration.  This collaborative efforts represents a turning point in closing the circle between the inside work and support services in the community.

    Update: Our program at Pondville Correctional Center is no longer in operation.