Information for Volunteers:

Stony Mountain Chapel Training Sessions

Corrections Canada wants for us to be safe in the work we do at Stony Mountain. I am very grateful for that. Although many of us have been a part of chapel for 5 years and running, they still want for us to have a few hours of in-house training. Those of us in the Open Circle program have the same requirement, but ours will be more intense training. The benefits are quite simple

- Learn how to keep yourself safe

- Learn more about life on the inside. The guys only tell us bits and pieces of their lives. What is their routine, do they all have jobs etc

- Learn some of the words you should never use with an inmate, i.e. “goof”

- Learn the hands-on definition of some of the rules, i.e. what does “nothing in, nothing out” actually mean?

- It decreases the workload for Martha and Hank in that your applications will not need to be redone annually if you have the clearance card.

- It will ensure that you can attend each time – they may begin restricting your entry if you have not participated in the training.

A better understanding of their lives will always help us to minister to inmates more completely. If you received an invitation to attend, please consider it seriously. This latest session is for those who come to chapel and do not have the enhanced clearance.

Let’s use this blog as a meeting point for some of this information. If you are going and would like to carpool, please leave a comment. We will be monitoring this blog regularly.

Gerald