The projects listed below consist of meetings, classes and mentoring with the participation of both ex-convicts and members of the community. Parolees in our program are able to substitute - with the permission of their parole officer - participation in our projects for other courses and/or groups that are often expensive. These projects are conducted in the Portland (Oregon) metropolitan area.

PHOENIX General Meetings. These two-hour meetings take place monthly and are designed to continue positive interaction between ex-convicts, their families, members of the community and crime survivors. They include guest speakers covering a variety of topics regarding release, such as accessing resources, parenting, job networking skills, etc. They are designed to continue the practice of one-to-one meetings, small group table discussions and large group plenaries. They are open to the community.

 
Core Team Meetings. These are held monthly and are designed to further develop the skills necessary for Cultural Advisors, Mentors, In-the-Field Facilitators and Teachers. A Core Team Organizer leads the group. This team also serves as the liaison to MACG activities and provides feedback to them on their initiatives. Leadership Training is available to all PHOENIX participants through the MACG’s Leadership Institutes for Public Life (LIPL). People who participated in the in-prison version of this training often move on to become small group leaders and teachers in these community trainings. The LIPLs provide parolees with the best links available for connecting to other institutions, contacts, services and resources in the community.

Parolee Mentoring. This began in 2001 and has been a major area of growth. One community volunteer and one Cultural Advisor meet weekly with their mentee. The mentee develops an Individual Transition Plan in one of the Problem-Solving classes. Regular reports are generated to coordinate with local Post Prison Supervision (parole) officers. The mentor/mentee relationship lasts for one year. At that point, interested mentees may become Cultural-Advisors-in-Training.

 
Problem-Solving in the Field. This class is an extension of our in-prison course. It meets two hours a week at Portland State University and is open to both volunteers and mentees. With permission of their parole officer, students may count this class toward parole stipulations and develop plans specific to these requirements. This allows the relationship that we began with students in prison to deepen and increase the likelihood of their successful return to the community.

Volunteer Training. This was formalized in 2006 and is evolving as we grow. It is to ensure that all volunteers are clear about our vision, philosophy and policies as well as the specifics of the project(s) with which they volunteer.