TCJC seeks volunteer help with inmate correspondence

After recently losing grant funds and employees in the aftermath of the Madoff scandal, the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition is looking for volunteers to help manage and respond to inmate correspondence. Here's a description (pdf) sent to me by their executive director, Ana Yañez Correa:

TCJC seeking volunteers to assist with inmate correspondence.

This position requires strong analytical skills to identify specific problems and appropriately match resources to effectively assist inmates. Applicants should have strong writing skills and the ability to find relevant and useful information from a range of sources. Responsibilities for qualified applicants include the following:

• Organize and respond to incoming mail from inmates using personalized templates for routine requests, and create individual responses as appropriate.

• Provide research in response to inmate requests. Research may include:

- Identifying bills or finding specific legislative text, analysis, and history through the Texas Legislature Online website.

- Identifying and sharing resource information from various constitutional and human rights publications.

- Finding agency policies or procedures relevant to inmate or family member questions.

• Update correspondence tracking to identify trends or new issues that may steer policy reforms.

• Expand and update the current resource list for inmates and their families.

Anyone interested in helping out should contact Ms. Correa at acorrea@criminaljusticecoalition.org.