ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE PROJECT CALIFORNIA INC - GuideStar Profile Page 4 of 11

Prison workshops
in re AVP Certificate
FY1

AVP workshops offered monthly
within CDCR
prisons to volunteer
inmate-participants.

Workshops led by
volunteer facilitation teams of
outside and inmate volunteer facilitators.

An outside volunteer liaison at each
prison,
keeping in regular contact with prison officials and with state
program
representatives to assure the program's success and the maintenance
of
appropriate relationships between inmates and outside volunteers.

Provide an ongoing understanding of
program
concepts to the broadest number of both prison inmates and the local
community
through peer and facilitator
involvement.

Develop ongoing dialogue
sessions/support groups
in prisons where workshops are being offered

Population(s) Served
Offenders/Ex-offenders
Budget

$48,447 - A very expensive Certificate, isn't it?

Community Conflict Resolution/Community building workshops

All AVP prison workshops are designed to function in collaboration with the local community for several reasons: Bringing together diverse groups for safer communities In cooperation with local churches, service clubs, schools, colleges, community centers, parole offices, prison staff, African-American and Latino groups, other agencies, and inmate family groups, a wide range of people with racial, gender, social status and age disparity are enrolled in AVP workshops. In communities where the prison is the main employer, the workplace stress brought into the community is sometimes reflected in the schools and other institutions by increased violence. By introducing these conflict resolution workshops and training local people to facilitate these workshops, AVP ameliorates this impact. Not only are skills introduced to all who attend an AVP workshop, but divergent parts of a community are given the opportunity to listen and learn about one another, thus creating a stronger and more viable community overall. Developing community facilitators for workshops These community workshops are designed to develop facilitators for the prison as well as for schools and other groups in the community. Again, anyone can be trained to be a facilitator. A fee is charged for the workshop, but scholarships are liberally obtained. The money made from these workshops generally supports the ongoing work in the prison by the local groueach local council makes decisions regarding resources and procedures including oversight and orientation of outside facilitators working in prisons in their area to ensure they abide by Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) regulations. Until a sufficient number of trained and experienced facilitators can conduct AVP programs on an ongoing basis, AVP/CA Steering committee functions in lieu of a local group. Local groups also serve as the touchstone for formerly incarcerated AVP facilitators providing opportunities for parolees to facilitate AVP workshops and attend events.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Budget
$967

Teambuilding And Conflict Transformation

TRAINING FOR PRISON
STAFF To complete the circle, AVP/California also offers workshops to prison staff for a reasonable fee. Working in corrections can be very stressful. Studies by F.E. Cheek indicate the life expectancy of a correctional officer to be only 59 years compared with 74 years for the average American. Correctional staff experiences a high level of alcohol abuse, ulcers, heart attacks, high blood pressure, depression and divorce. Although correctional staff will always experience stress on and off the job, the negative consequences do not need to be so alarmingly high. Because of the new focus at the state level on rehabilitation, AVP/CA finds many CDCR employees interested in participating in these programs. The workshops for prison staff use the same model that Conflict Resolution Services, Inc. (CRS) has implemented successfully for the past fifteen years in prisons throughout the U.S. These differ from prison and community workshops, focusing on team building, communication in the workplace, and conflict resolution skills toward improving morale; also, staff learn to take responsibility for their role in the workplace. The reported changes in the workplace culture including reduction in use of force have been astounding. At the workplace Workshops for employees at all levels may be offered at individual prisons. Staff can be trained to be on teams with AVP/CA experienced facilitators or AVP/CA staff can offer the workshops. At the academy CRS also successfully trains new recruits at the academy setting the stage for more effective overall learning. Training at this level is now possible with AVP/CA. In community workshops In locales where community workshops are being offered, prison staffs find value in participating in their local community's AVP workshop though many in the department are interested in developing it wider.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Budget
$9

Where we work New!

Photos