Jail Outreach is a BYU student organization dedicated to improving the U.S. incarceration system. Our members include both law students and undergraduate students. Our mission is three-fold:
Option 1) Volunteer at the Metro jail in Murray, Utah. Volunteering will probably look like tutoring inmates to help them pass the GED. Steps:
A) Complete a background check form (pick up from and return to the jail outreach box in the Center for Service and Learning office by Jamba Juice, or print off this form and turn it in at the same location).
B) Email jail.outreach@gmail.com 1) your contact information 2) any questions and 3) your availability with "Metro Jail Liaison" in the subject line.
C) Arrange an in-person copying of your driver's license and obtaining of an access badge (both steps can be done on your first visit to the jail).
Volunteering times are Mon-Fri, 5-8. As of November 2009 the Metro Jail facility liaison is David Romney.
* Commitment expectation: 3 hours every week or every other week (including travel time - carpooling can be arranged). *
***If you are interested in volunteering at the metro jail there is an breakfast meeting at 7:30-8:30 AM Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 2010 WILK (the Center for Service and Learning office across from Jamba Juice, NOT the one adjacent to the Terrace). At this meeting you will get to fill out a background check form and meet the coordinator for the Metro Jail. You don't have to stay for the whole hour - the purpose of this meeting is to take care of background check forms, and there will not be any formal presentation. However, there will be free doughnuts and orange juice provided, so come!!! If you want to fill out a form, please bring your license to this meeting.***
Option 2) Volunteer at the State Prison in Draper, Utah. (Learn more by clicking on the "Utah State Prison" link below). Current needs include 1) literary tutoring, 2) the "packet program" and 3) the "A plus" program. Steps:
A) Email jail.outreach@gmail.com 1) your contact information 2) any questions and 3) your availability with "State Prison Liaison" in the subject line.
B) Plan to attend one of the following mandatory volunteer orientations at the prison in Draper on either 1) 10 November '09 from 2-4:30 pm at the Timpanogos facility OR 2) 14 November '09 from 9-11:30 am at the Fred House Training Academy. Please see "Map of Training Facilities" link and "Directions to State Prison" below.
Volunteering times are Mon-Thurs, 8-11 am or 1-4 pm. As of November 2009 the State Prison facility liaison is Ben Craven.
* Commitment expectation: 2+ semesters. 3 hours every week or every other week. *
Option 3) Volunteer at the Juvenile Detention Center in Provo, Utah. Volunteering will probably look like tutoring adolescents in math, science, and English. Steps:
A) Email jail.outreach@gmail.com 1) your contact information 2) any questions and 3) your availability with "Juvenile Detention Center Liaison" in the subject line.
Volunteering times are Mon-Fri, 8-5. As of November 2009 the Juvenile Detention Center facility liaison is Peachie Jones.
* Commitment expectation: 1-3 hours every week or every other week. *
Of the 2.3 million incarcerated adults in the United States, an astounding 75% do not have a high school level education. Inmates arguably are the most educationally underserved population in the country, and both they and their communities suffer because of it. Studies repeatedly affirm that inmates involved in educational programs while incarcerated are significantly less likely to commit future crimes. Despite the wealth of research confirming this finding, efforts to educate inmates and decrease the 67% U.S. recidivism rate have been woefully lacking. Though certain jails hold classes, the vast majority of inmates never have the chance to participate. Even where classes exist, few inmates receive the remedial, one-on-one attention needed to counteract a lifetime of educational deficiency. And that’s where we step in.
BYU Law School News, November 2008
"I remember tutoring an inmate named Juan at the jail. He was Hispanic, about 35, and exceptionally bright. He really wanted to be there, and as I showed him how to use scientific notation he would sometimes interrupt me to ask a question I hadn't even gotten to yet. He had never even seen the concept of powers before, but by the end of our session he was not only matching scientific notation to written-out numbers but dividing and multiplying them as well. His eagerness and intelligence made a big impression on me." - BYU Jail Outreach, Brad Carmack, 2009
Brad Carmack, '09-10 Program Director. 801-380-9372
Jeremiah Jewkes, '09-10 Program Director. 770-584-5627
To alter or update this page, please contact WebDirect by email at webdirect@law.byu.edu and specify the requested change.
| November | |
| 23 | 5th Annual National Sweatpants Day |
| 26 | Thanksgiving |
