South Carolina Department of Corrections

Department of Corrections Volunteers: Changing the Future

Thousands of volunteers work with inmates at the S.C. Department of Corrections every year. Among them are volunteers with Gospel Express Ministries, seen in the photos above and below.

Winston Churchill once said, "We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give." Volunteers are special people who unsefishly donate their time and energy towards inmates in need. They are the cherished resources of the South Carolina Department of Corrections. They supllement staff, provide programs and services that might not otherwise be available, and bridge the gap between the community and the correctional setting. There are no special education, race, sex, religion, or marital status requirements — just a desire to work with those less fortunate and a willingness to learn and follow the rules.

Frequently Asked Questions:
What do prison volunteers do?
How can you become a volunteer?
How do I contact a chaplain at an insitution?

What do prison volunteers do?

• Counseling: Individual, group and family.
• Education: Volunteers serve as tutors teaching inmates basic reading and writing skills.
• Mentoring: Volunteers serve as role models by mentoring an inmate who has not received an outside visit in the last year.
• Pre–Release Preparation
• Recreation: Volunteers serve as coaches or referees for numberous team sports. Also, community teams compete against inmate teams in various sports.
• Religious Programs: Volunteers serve as leaders of worship services, study groups and instructional classes. They also participate in religious celebrations.
• Seminars: Volunteers serve as instuctors who teach a variety of classes on how to cope with incarceration and how to effectively re–enter into one’s community. For example, topics include anger management, job interviewing skills and parenting skills, etc.
• Staff Assistance: Volunteers help perform clerical and administrative functions.
• Substance Abuse: Volunteers serve as sponsors of Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups that help inmates cope with the problem of addiction.

How can you become a volunteer?

Contact Information:

Chaplains / Volunteer Coordinators