WORKING WIlli INSTI1UTIONAL CHAPTERS

Institutional Chapters Department United States Jaycees

P.O.
Tulsa, OK

Rex 7
74102

A Connmmity

Developnent

Program

THE UNITED
STATES JAYCEES
BOX

TULSA. OKLAHOMA

7.102

Supplement Manual

to the Extension Chapters

for Institutional

The following points may be of help to you and your chapter when establishing or working with an institutional chapter. You should realize that institutional chapters in some cases need sore special services but like to operate as much as possible like any other Jaycee chapter. This is true of not only the way they run their meetings but also of their involvement in Comnunity Development, Management Development and Individual Development. We hope that as you read through this supplement you will use some of the ideas listed and contact the Institutional Chapters Department in 'fulsa if we can be of any service to you. 1. The basic concept is important. Institutional chapters are not projects of other chapters; rather, they are independent chapters whicn-in many cases surpass the extending chapter in regard to parade of chapters competition, etc. Be honest. When you talk with inmates (or when inmates talk with "free" people) or with members of the administration, "shoot from the shoulder." Don I t try to talk arOlmd a touchy point or paint a picture that is not entirely accurate. Tell it as ;.. is, not as you would like it to be. The game is that inmates tell you not to believe Don I t play the "game." the administration and the administration tells you not to believe the inmates. Don't put yourself in a position where you have to decide between one or the other. Your job is to teach the principles of leadership training and to establish a chapter which can work toward community development. That is all your job consists of, so don't become involved in trying to establish a particular project or change a certain rule. Neither the inmates nor the administration need an overnight expert on corrections; but they can both use your knowledge of the Jaycee organizat'ion. Do your job \vell. You will find that inmates are quick to grab the Jaycee concept and will initially do an excellent job of establishing a chapter. However, like all communities and new ideas, the members of an institutional community may lose interest after the initial fun and challenge wear off. Unless you have established a firm understanding and actual use of the total Jaycee concept, the chapter may fade and die when the work of leadership training and community development become the norm rather than the unusual. Institutional chapters, just like other chapters, may hold elections on popularity rather than ability. Therefore, you must ensure that proper training is given and organization rather than personality is stressed.

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5.

Work through one man. Rather than a large conrnittee or several Jaycees, give the inmates and the administration one man to clear activities thruugh. If all the visitors and activities of the extending chapter are set up be . D'ieen the administration and one outside sponsor, then many problems c<.n be eliminated. Also, if the chapter knows that only one outside Jaycee is its official contact, then it can detennine the proper course to follow when many outside Jaycees make suggestions. Be a teacher, not a savior. As the extending chapter of current inside Jaycee officers, you mus t realize that your job is to teach leadership, not to save all the lost souls. Keep away from statistics on recidivism because they mean very little. If a man on the outside becomes a better person because of his Jaycee training, all the better; but you must remember that while all men inside and out can recite the Creed, all men may not live by it. If you find conditions inside the institution not conducive to rehabilitation, t~en consider it a project for your outside chapter in terms of educating the public or gaining political action. Don't try to change things by initiating action from the inside chapter. Let the chapter serve its own community, not yours. Jaycees in institutions must have the support of the entire i.rumte population. To gain this support, they must improve their own community. If all projects promote only outside interests, then the citizens of the penal community will have no need for a Jaycee chapter. Remenber that the inmates know what they can and cannot do, what is a risk to security and what is practical. They will occasionally test the administration just as you test your city cotIDcil. Don't become involved in their community projects. Just ensure that they are properly trained to work for themselves in becoming a true Jaycee chapter.

6.

7.

Some Problems While Working with

You May EncotIDter an :nstitutional Chapter

Recognition

of Jaycee

Wives

Establish a committee to investigate ways of giving the wives due recognition. Some chapters have special events for the wivp.s while others have a special column in their publication written by and devoted to the wives. Several states have received permission for their wives to join the Jayceette chapter in the communities in which they live. The penal Jaycee contacts his wife~ and if she wants to join she then contacts the local Jayceettes. The state Jayceettes should be contacted if this type of program is desired. Attendance at State Meetings and Visitations

Host the district or area meeting inside the institution or host a state Executive meeting. OYE and OYF banquets could be hosted by most institutions. For regular visitations, which are extremely important in showing the inside chapter how others operate, invite outside chapters to hold their Board or general membership meetings inside the institution. That way, the inside members are actually the visitors.

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Constitution Reference to the Sample Constitution and Bylaws in The United States Jaycees Extension Manual is sufficient for most institutional chapters. Llke outside chapters, special modifications will be made as the chapter grows and discovers its particular areas of needs. Dues Members of institutional chapters do not pay the $5.00 administration fee, but they do pay the normal National and JCI dues. What they pay to the state depends upon the policy of that state.

Project

or Program

Ideas

Ways and means, Community Development, and other project ideas can best be gained by conducting a Community Surveyor general population idea contest. However, some sample projects which other institutional chapters have conducted are listed below. They are not intended as suggestions, but rather as examples. Each institution varies in what they need and are capable of doing. Speak-Up Program should involve all the inmates, not just Jaycee members.

The program Pay f',bvies Provides per person. Hobby

the inmate population

with

first

class

shows

at around

25

Item Sale

Some chapters make items for sale as a chapter project, while others get donations of hobby items from individuals and then sell them to the public. Heads Up Project to put a wire covering a baseball game, eliminating danger Tapes for the Blind over the grandstand from fly balls. as protection during

Books are read into tape machines by members of the Jaycees; after copies of the master tape are made, blind residents will be able to check them out through the Library for the Blind. Braille typewriting is also done in many institutions by Jaycees. Project Facelift different areas of the institution.

Painting

New Inmate Orientation A Jaycee representative meets Classification Department relating with new men through the courtesy of the beneficial information about the organization.

Page 4

Pictures

of Visitors each,

and

Inmates the treasury.

At a buck

it helps

Not All Is Smooth

Though wardens overwhelmingly endorsed the Jaycee Institutional Chapters program, there are problems, as the comments from wardens reflect below. " .. There are several pitfalls in prison Jaycee chapters, the main one being that some men will try to manipulate it to further their own er.ds, and this applies to inmates as well as outside Jaycee people. Secondly, it must be forcefully pointed out that any project and that all decisions affecting prison policy must be cleared with the administration because, after all, they are the ones responsible for operating the prison and this responsibility cannot be delegated to anyone else, be they inmates or outsiders. II " ... I personally belive the most important step is to work out all details between the local chapter and the institution well :in advance. In that way, th:ings move smoothly after the wheels are :in motion. In this locali ty, it was a long process of "sell:ing" the idea to every chapter member." " CUr maj or concerns have been two: One is many members have in understanding the service aspect the second problerrLis that of accept:ing limits with:in Both areas have shown definite improvement as members the organization within the institution." the difficulty which of the organization and the institution program. realize the purpose of

" .. The problems which have arisen have been m:inimal and of a custodial nature - such as screening men for trips outside the institution and authoriz:ing visitors to enter the institution." " .. Another important area is that of :inmate Jaycee officers. The group here selected the most competent gr.<rupof officers. Popularity will elect, and if you get inadequate people elected, many problems can arise." " ... The second problem I feel the warden has is deal ing with the outside group. By outside group, I mean dealing with the Jaycees who cane out and organize and h~lp their new chapter. It becomes quite easy for people from the outside to start feeling sorry for these men. They need to keep an open mind. And remember, the inmates weren't sent there for be:ing good citizens." We hope this information will be helpful to you. It is important that you know the policy of each institution as far as visitation, travel, etc. MJst institutions you work with can use all the standard structures as far as officers and committees. Keep in m:ind they need to function as much like an outside chapter as possible. This information was gathered by The U. S. Jaycees Institutional Department with information from CONtact, Inc. of L:incoln, Nebraska. Program Manager, Institutional Chapters

Chapters

U. S. Jaycees, Box 7, TUlsa, OK

(918) 584-2481

74102