The Women's Prison Association's WomenCare program connects women preparing for release from jail with women in the community who serve as mentors to help support successful reentry. WomenCare mentors fill an important role as part of a broader system of support offered to some of New York City's most vulnerable and under-served women.
Mentors and mentees begin to build a relationship while the mentee is in jail through letter-writing and optional visits leading up to release. After release, mentoring pairs maintain regular contact and participate in workshops and special outings with the goal of supporting successful reentry. Throughout the relationship, mentors receive ongoing support and training from WPA staff, in addition to monthly trainings facilitated by local experts in reentry, criminal justice reform, mental health, domestic violence, substance abuse, and related fields. The official time commitment for mentoring pairs is six – eight months, however, many matches choose to continue their relationships beyond the eight-month mark.
Positive support systems play a vital role in helping women with criminal justice involvement build successful lives in the community. Mentoring programs in prisons have yielded radical reductions in recidivism rates for participants. The positive relationships formed through mentoring are profoundly rewarding for mentors, mentees, and their communities.
WomenCare mentors are compassionate, professional women who want to volunteer some of their time to work as role models, advocates, and friends to women in reentry. WomenCare mentors represent a diverse range of professional and cultural backgrounds, ages, and experiences. They share a commitment to empowering women and strengthening communities. WomenCare mentors provide their mentees with new avenues for communication and self-expression, introduce the volunteer ethic, encourage career exploration, and model healthy interpersonal and family relationships.
