What is Friends Outside

In 1955, an Inmate in the Santa Clara County Jail expressed concern regarding his family to Sheriff Mel Hawley. He had not been in touch with them since he was incarcerated, and he did not even know if they knew he was in jail.

Sheriff Hawley asked his sister if she and a friend would be willing to go and call on the family, since they did not have a telephone. The friend was Rosemary Goodenough. She and the Sheriff's sister were deeply moved by the situation in which they found the family. They were living in extreme poverty. They gathered some emergency food and clothes through church sources, and made sure that the family was connected with appropriate public assistance.

Then Rosemary went back to the Sheriff and said, “I never thought about it before, but I'm sure there are a lot of families in that situation. What can we do about it?” With the encouragement of the Sheriff, Rosemary started visiting the jail and doing outreach to local families. The needs with which she was presented rapidly outstripped her personal ability to respond, so she began recruiting friends to help. Although Friends Outside is not a religious organization, Rosemary was a Quaker. Thus was born an organization which originally was called the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Auxiliary, later changed to the name “Friends Outside.”

Since that time the number of chapters with their respective services has expanded to 10 in California and one in Nevada . The Modesto chapter has operated now for over 30 years. Although our mission statement is the same, each chapter is separately incorporated and funded differently depending on their relationship with their local Sheriff's Department and the local community.

The home office, located in Stockton , California has an on-going contract with the California Department of Corrections to provide Case Management Specialists and Parenting instructors in every prison in California . They also provide the management of all the prison visitor centers in California .

CORE VALUES

1. We believe that the trauma of arrest, separation, public trial, and confinement can be devastating to a family, especially the children. Children are particularly frightened and bewildered by the experience of an arrest. They are embittered by the embarrassment and poverty thrust upon them through no fault of their own by a process they don't understand.

2. We believe that families of prisoners and ex-prisoners need assistance and encouragement to cope with their immediate needs and to take the steps necessary to build a brighter future.

3. We believe that prisoners are more likely to accept personal responsibility for their actions and remain out of jail or prison upon release if they are able to maintain contact with their families when they are in confinement. Programs, such as parenting classes, job development assistance and pre-release classes focusing on positive behavioral changes can be vital components in the successful reunification of families and successful reintegration back into society.

4. We believe that ex-prisoners can make a more productive parole and re-entry into the community if opportunities for employment, housing, other basic needs and substance abuse prevention programs are available.

5. We believe that the tensions, anxieties and frustrations felt by prisoners and correctional staff are eased by providing information and assistance.

6. We believe that people in the community at large and in government agencies want to support our efforts when they understand the problems and opportunities.

7. We believe that alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders must continually be developed with sensitivity to the needs of, and impact on, the offenders, their families, and the community at large.