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Volunteers in Parole Enjoys
Crucial Support From SCBA
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Volunteers In Parole (VIP) is in its fourth phenomenal year in the Sacramento region. Through the support of the Sacramento legal community, headed by the SCBA membership, VIP has achieved a great deal of growth in the last few months. Over fifty talented attorneys and judges have given their support, serving either as mentors or as members of the regional advisory committee. Mentors come from various backgrounds. VIP volunteers are deputy district attorneys and public defenders, personal injury and environmental lawyers, federal defense attorneys, business and family law practitioners, and judges. Together, they are actively taking part in this rehabilitative effort for young first-time criminal offenders.
The Sacramento program began in 1998. The advisory board includes Superior Court Judges Thomas Cecil (chair), Gary Ransom and Renard Shepard, SCBA President Barbara Yonemura, District Attorney Jan Scully, Deputy District Attorney Tom Johnson, Deputy City Attorney Bruce Cline, federal defense attorneys Mark Reichel and Linda Harter and public defenders Paulino Duran and Doug Welch. The Volunteers in Parole program combines the humanitarian goal of salvaging human lives with the social and economic aspects of building a better and safer community at reduced cost. Through a collaborative effort from Sacramento attorneys and attorney organizations, the Sacramento region of Volunteers in Parole has undergone tremendous growth and we are on pace to develop more services to Yolo and Placer County regions. For further information, or to volunteer as a mentor please contact VIP Program Director Angel Sevilla at 324-4142, ext. 259 or at vipsac@aol.com. |
VIP
is a statewide non-profit organization that provides mentorship
for parolees by attorney volunteers. By making one-on-one matches,
similar to the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, VIP helps facilitate
a successful re-entry into society by providing the parolee much
needed guidance and advice from a reliable mentor. The program
works around the schedule of the attorney volunteer. The organization
requires no special training, required activities or minimum hours.
Many mentors share four to six hours per month with their match
partners, sharing social or recreational activities, scanning
the job market and building a long lasting friendship and personal
rapport. "I really enjoy being a participant of the VIP program,"
explains mentor Ann Farina." "I believe this program
provides a highly valuable service to the community."
The
concept of mentoring parolees was conceived in 1972 as a result
of a challenge posed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger
for attorneys to use their knowledge and skills to transform the
criminal justice system to something more than a revolving door.
In California, the organization operates in over 13 counties.