News  Mentor clients re-entering society after incarceration

The OCC, in conjunction with the National Center for State Courts, provides the online training publication, the Reentry Mentorship Program Facilitator’s Guide . OCC, which manages the 19 Community Justice Support Centers across the state, is a division of the Massachusetts Probation Service.

“This training is designed for community organizations or individuals who wish to volunteer. They can use the materials to develop mentorship groups of their own that can help support successful reentry, “ said Vincent Lorenti, OCC Director.

Mentorship training focuses on “the role of the mentor, the path through the criminal justice system, mentorship goals, setting appropriate boundaries, factors that affect recidivism, and more.” The materials also include “references to additional information, resources, and support services to help mentees during the reentry process and provide mock scenarios to help mentors navigate situations they may encounter,” Mr. Lorenti said.

The information and printed materials were developed by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) under a contract with the Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS) and funded by the State Justice Institute (SJI).