Share your talent or expertise

Changes due to COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 precautions in place, the Monroe County Jail has temporarily suspended volunteer activities, and our Transition Support Center is operating in a limited capacity. We will have webinar trainings for responding to requests within the jail. Stay up to date by following our Facebook page.

Woman sitting with an inmate and looking at text on a paper

Programs in the Jail

New Leaf – New Life facilitates programs seven days a week in the Monroe County Jail. These programs include Re-Entry Workshops, Life Skills Classes, Self-Care/Art Therapy Classes, and Writing Groups. Volunteers facilitate or assist the facilitator with anything they need to run the program for the day. These programs typically last 1.5-2 hours.

Young people standing outside Sample Gates in downtown Bloomington Indiana; busy street.

LIFE SKILLS & RE-ENTRY GROUPS

Our Life Skills Groups focus on addressing 1) Personal Improvement and Skill-Building, 2) Relationship and Community-Building, and 3) Leadership. Volunteers will assist with creating lesson plans, as well as attending the groups at the TSC or in the Monroe County Jail.

Stack of papers and folders

Jail Letter Requests

We receive written requests for services from folks currently incarcerated in the Monroe County Jail. These include requests for: treatment/housing applications, prescription/reading glasses, obtaining birth certificates, and more.

Client trying on reading glasses at the Transition Support Center

Transition Support Center

Staff and volunteers work at our Transition Support Center to welcome and assist formerly incarcerated individuals. Services at the TSC include short-term and long-term assistance, access to community resources, and guidance through the re-entry process with mentors who have relatable lived experience.

Person typing on a laptop computer

Client Technology Support

Staff and volunteers at our Transition Support Center provide assistance to formerly incarcerated individuals with services including setting up phones and email, building resumes, applying for jobs and submitting HIP and SNAP applications.

Volunteers sorting groceries (Image credit: Unsplash.com)

Ad-hoc Opportunities

We often have one-time opportunities for volunteering, such as annual events like our 5K race and our Martin Luther King, Jr. Day activities. To find out about these opportunities, follow our Facebook page.

Ready to volunteer with us?

To get started volunteering, submit the interest form below or check out our Bloomington Volunteer Network page to see current opportunities.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. What makes you interested in working with people currently or formerly incarcerated. Are you interested in volunteering inside the Monroe County Jail, at the Transition Support Center, or both? What kinds of skills, talents, experiences will you bring? If you are a student wanting to volunteer as part of a class or internship, please tell us about your major, your class, and the hours you expect to volunteer.