Centerforce
The Centerforce mission is to strengthen individuals and families affected by incarceration through a comprehensive system of education and support.
Centerforce provides services for prisoners, ex-prisoners, and family members of prisoners through direct services, its annual conference and, through consultation and training for government agencies, community-based organizations and correctional facilities across the country and internationally. Direct services for clients are provided by our four Service Areas: Children and Families Services, Transitional Services, Prisoner Service, and Informational Services.
Description:
Children and Family Services: Centerforce staff and volunteers provide services to children and other family members of incarcerated individuals. Supported projects include Mother's Day bus brigades and a video project entitled "What Does He Do in There?"
*San Quentin Visitor's Center
The House on the Hill Visitor Center is part of a statewide network of visitor centers administered by Friends Outside National Organization. At San Quentin State Prison, Centerforce coordinates the Center and provides services including transportation, emergency clothing exchange, children's activities, waiting area, snacks, information regarding visiting and referrals to local resources for people visiting loves ones at San Quentin
*Families Moving Forward
Weekly parenting groups, family re-unification services and community re-integration services focus on challenging issues for incarcerated parents at the Marin County Jail.
*Leaders In Future Environments (LIFE) Project
The Leaders In Future Environments (LIFE) Project is a mentoring program that aims to strengthen and promote leadership in youth impacted by parental incarceration. The LIFE Project serves youth between the ages of 11 and 18 who live in the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra-Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties). LIFE provides one-on-one mentoring, group activities every six weeks, and an annual weekend retreat. By providing ongoing support, positive role models, and a safe space for youth to speak about parental incarceration, the LIFE Project strives to help youth develop their capacity to succeed in life, education and their surrounding communities. To learn more about participating in the LIFE Project, please email us at LIFEproject@centerforce.org or call 415-456-9980 x. 117.
Prisoner Services: Centerforce staff and volunteers provide services to incarcerated individuals in jails and prisons in Northern California and the California Central Valley. Services include health education, outreach, and one-on-one support for prisoners and violence intervention.
*Free to Succeed Literacy Project
Daily literacy and tutoring groups are conducted at San Quentin State Prison 5 nights per week providing one-on-one support and group study halls. The project focuses on basic literacy for educational and professional success.
*Peer Education
Prisoners at San Quentin State Prison, Central California Women’s Facility and Valley State Prison educate other prisoners about HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis and other diseases in a program that reaches thousands of mean and women each year. Peer educators facilitate group workshops, provide one-on-one outreach and support and coordinate prison-wide special events.
*No More Tears: A Response to Violence
No More Tears is an ongoing forum of inmates and concerned community leaders, which addresses the issues of violence and crime in our communities. The forum focuses on understanding obstacles and developing solutions.
*Healthy Relationships
Healthy Relationships is a five-session, small-group intervention for men and women living with HIV/AIDS. It is based on Social Cognitive Theory and focuses on developing skills and building self-efficacy and positive expectations about new behavior through modeling behaviors and practicing new skills. The project is implemented at California Medical Facility and Central California Women’s Facility.
Transitional Services: Centerforce staff and volunteers provide services to individuals transitioning from institutions to the community. Includes follow-up programs, individual transitional post-release stage with linkages and follow-up to long-term case management and other community based services in the greater Bay Area counties and California Central Valley.
*Transitional Case Management Program (TCMP)
Transitional Case Management Program (TCMP-CF) offers pre-release support and discharge planning to all HIV+ inmates housed at the California Medical Facility and San Quentin State Prison being released to the Bay Area. TCMP-CF continues to assist the parolee during the transitional post-release stage with linkages and follow-up to long-term case management and other community based services in the greater Bay Area counties. This program also coordinates community linkages for HIV+ inmates from all other prisons throughout California paroling to the San Francisco region.
Informational Services: Centerforce staff and volunteers provide educational information, events and conduct research to educate and inform the public and those we serve on issues affecting the incarcerated and their families.
*Educational Materials and Services
Inmate peer educators and other Centerforce staff develop educational brochures, fact sheets, and videos designed by and for inmates and their families to help address many family and health issues.
*Inside-Out Annual Centerforce Summit
Inside-Out is the annual Centerforce conference using interactive presentations, thoughtful dialogue, and vital networking to promote discussion and support between consumers, prison/jail staff, public health workers, and community service providers working with the incarcerated population.
SOROS Fellowship
*Training and Consultation
Experienced Centerforce staff is available to provide training and consultation services to community based agencies, private companies, academic institutions, and government agencies. Services include program development, program and policy analysis, and program evaluation.
History:
Since 1971, Centerforce has helped thousands of people throughout the California prison community. What began as an effort to improve the conditions for visitors at San Quentin State Prison has now become a comprehensive service, education and advocacy organization committed to improving the lives of prisoners and their families.
Contact people:
Main office number:
(415) 456-9980Office fax number: (415) 456-2146
Address:
 |
2955 Kerner Blvd., 2nd FloorSan Rafael, CA 94901(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.centerforce.org
| Last updated on September 23, 2009 |
