Volunteers develop supportive relationships with inmates and help them deal with problems that surround incarceration. Volunteers may choose to continue to meet with ex-inmates at the OAR office after their release. The Training Program New OAR prospective volunteers attend a 25-hour training program which meets over the course of 3 weeks. Each participant receives a handbook that deals with the issues covered in the training.
Volunteers learn effective counseling techniques through active listening workshops.
They also learn the role and responsibilities of OAR volunteers. Volunteers help with inmates' feelings of isolation and powerlessness. Volunteers tour the jail so that they may develop a better feeling for the environment of the inmates. Qualifications for Volunteers Volunteers are central to the OAR program. Only with committed and skilled volunteers can we do the work that is vital to the agency.