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The John Howard Association (JHA) is a nonprofit group dedicated to protecting the rights of prisoners in Illinois. The jails, prisons, and juvenile detention centers are overcrowded, understaffed, and underfunded. Many inmates have been incarcerated on questionable charges, are abused during their incarceration, and have no support once they are released. The JHA serves as an advocate for Illinois prisoners.
One program run by the JHA is called the Citizen Visiting Program, which recruits volunteers to visit Illinois correctional facilities. This program is one of the only ways that normal citizens can gain access to these prisons. From the JHA web-site:
“Volunteers find the experience rewarding because of the role they play, as citizen observers, in assuring that corrections operations and conditions are fair, humane and safe. Citizen volunteers are among the few non-corrections professionals who see behind the walls of our jails, prisons and juvenile facilities.”
Volunteer with the JHA and help protect the rights of this hidden population. Break down the barrier between public knowledge and the abuses of the correctional system. All volunteers must undergo a screening and training process prior to thier visit. The JHA provides transportation for its volunteers. For more information on volunteering click here.
If ten people join, we will all train and volunteer as a group
