Volunteer

Ways to Get Involved.

Volunteer Application

There are thousands of ways to get involved with Restorative Partners to enact restorative justice. People of all ages from every part of our county can participate at some level. Become a volunteer in the areas below:

Mentorship

Must be 18+

  • Be partnered with adults in San Luis Obispo County who are on probation, parole, or have a prison history to engage in positive, pro-social activities
  • Assist the mentee in their transition for one year
  • Meet with your mentee for 4-6 hours a month, or 3 times a month
  • Mentors can be anyone from San Luis Obispo County, including individuals with lived experience of incarceration. We ask that you have at least one year sober before becoming a mentor

Please complete the application below to become a volunteer. If you would like to learn more about the mentorship program, please contact Brianna at brianna@restorativepartners.org or (805) 242-1272 ext. 169

Juvenile Hall

Must be 18+

  • Take the lead on managing a program inside Juvenile Hall
  • Tutor a youth at Juvenile Hall or help lead a book study discussion group
  • Share your musical talents by teaching guitar, keyboard, drums, rap
  • Help with the anger management and recovery education programs
  • Assist with library development and book acquisitions
  • Teach/Tutor Life Skills and Job Readiness
  • Help with our weekend sports program
  • Teach yoga and mindfulness meditation
  • Participate in our Cal Poly Internship and Senior Project Programs
  • Teach a creative writing class and cultural studies class
  • Lead an Alcohol (AA) or Narcotics (NA) Anonymous Group
  • Facilitate workshops
  • Celebrate with our youth at our monthly Birthday Events

Please complete the application below to become a volunteer. If you would like to learn more about the Juvenile Hall volunteer program, please contact Luis at luis@restorativepartners.org or (805) 242-1272 ext. 165

Community and Restorative Partners Office

  • Have a Restorative Partner Staff and/or Volunteer speak at your club, organization, church, or school
  • Support outreach to victims of crimes in our community
  • Lead or host a fundraiser
  • Start a Restorative Partners Club at your school
  • Help host a holiday gift program for the children of an incarcerated person
  • Help with database entry
  • Assist with office work
  • Facilitate AVP Connect
  • Train to become a volunteer at Juvenile Hall or Jail
  • Facilitate Community AVP, NVC Practice Circles and T4C classes with Probationers

Please complete the application below to become a volunteer. If you would like to learn more about volunteering at the Restorative Partners' office and at community events, please contact Luis at luis@restorativepartners.org or (805) 242-1272 ext. 165

FAQs
How can I get involved as a volunteer?

We have several ways for you to get involved! You can be involved as an In-Custody Lead Volunteer, In-Custody Accompaniment Volunteer, Facilitated Program Volunteer, Reentry Mentor Volunteer, Administrative Volunteer and Reentry Program Lead and Accompaniment Volunteer!

What steps do I take to become an in-custody volunteer?

The first step is to attend our Community Workshop, which is an introduction to our organization and Restorative Justice. Depending on which facility (Jail or Juvenile Hall) you’d like to volunteer at, you must attend the facility’s orientation. After attending both the workshop and facility orientation, you must complete a Live Scan in order to enter the facilities. Once you complete a Live Scan and are cleared, you will be asked to meet with the Volunteer Coordinator to discuss programs you might be attending.

What is a Live Scan?

A Live Scan is a simple background check where an operator will electronically scan your fingerprints in person. Along with your Live Scan, you must submit an application.

How soon can I begin volunteering at the Jail and/or Juvenile Hall?

After you have completed your Live Scan(s), you will meet with the Volunteer Coordinator to discuss your availability. The Jail will notify you of your clearance status anywhere between 2 and 6 weeks. As for the Juvenile Hall, the Probation Department (where your Live Scan is done for the Juvenile Hall) will send out a list in batches to notify us of any clearances, which can sometimes take a few months. Unfortunately, the Juvenile Hall does not notify us of clearances on a rolling basis as the Jail does.

What if I am unable to attend the Community Workshop?

We offer quarterly workshops that you’ll be able to attend! These Orientation Cycles typically occur in the months of January, April, July, and October. If you missed a workshop and would like to begin volunteering sooner, we offer programs at our reentry homes that you can be involved in!

If I am cleared at the Jail, then am I cleared at Juvenile Hall?

No. Unfortunately, the Jail and Juvenile Hall does not have a shared system of clearances. You must complete separate Live Scan processes and applications, depending on which facility you are interested in volunteering at.

Volunteer Application