I believe it was St. Francis of Assisi who said, “... start by doing what is necessary, 
then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible”.

Statistics Show …

The U.S. Department of Justice offers alarming statistics about adult jail populations:

• Forty-six percent (46%) of jail inmates have had a family member who has been incarcerated.
• Thirty-one percent (31%) grew up with a parent or guardian who abused
  alcohol or drugs.
• Seventy-five percent (75%) of convicted jail inmates were alcohol-or
  drugs-involved at the time of their current offense.
• More than 50% of the women in jail have been physically or sexually abused in the past, compared to more than 10% of the men.
• An estimated 77% of women in jail are single mothers.

There are lots more troubling statistics about jail inmates. You’ve seen them yourself.

Our Mission is ...

Friends Outside in Sonoma County is a crime prevention/crisis intervention organization.
Our mission is to reduce recidivism; and break the cycle of crime, violence and delinquency in our community.
Our goal is to have offenders and their families live productive lives, fully integrated into society.

That is a big order, you say. Yes, it is. And there is no way any one of us can do this alone.
You have heard the expression, “It takes a village to raise a child”. All of us have some work to do, to confront trans-generational incarceration in our community.

Historically Speaking ...

Rosemary Goodenough, who in 1955 founded the first Friends Outside program in Santa Clara County, was concerned about what happened to families when a family member was incarcerated.
She believed that every human being had the potential for good and that too often incarceration
and its impact on the family led to the waste of human potential.

 

Friends Outside in Sonoma County holds to the same viewpoint. We believe that every individual has value and can add value to his or her family and community — when he or she is given the chance and support and chooses to make constructive changes.

Start By Doing What Is Necessary …

It is important for us as a community to build on our strengths, including the strengths of the disenfranchised members of our community. Friends Outside in Sonoma County provides a means for inmates to develop, strengthen and maintain their family connections while they are incarcerated. We function as a liaison for the inmates and their family members, in order to facilitate inmates having more stable lives
when they are released from jail.

 

Strengthening family means strengthening your community. I encourage you to invest
 in this endeavor right this minute. Donate your money and/or time to Friends Outside 
in Sonoma County. 

We must work together to do what’s necessary to change the statistics in our community!

Thank you.

Kate Jenkins
Executive Director