The Montana Innocence Project highlights the important work of like-minded organizations. Today, we are sharing the work of the Valley Felon-Aid. Valley Felon Aid is a 501c3 nonprofit reentry program, committed to helping returning citizens successfully return to Ravalli County after incarceration. They provide returning citizens with community resources and tools needed to begin a second chance at life.
Check out our Q&A with Founder and Deputy Director, Christine Reynolds. Read here for more information about their important work.
Q: When was Valley Felon-Aid founded? How many people are on your team?
A: We were founded in 2020, and currently have one full-time employee, one-part-time employee, board of directors and volunteers.
Q: What is your program’s mission?
A: Our mission is to minimize the systemic barriers and gaps that prevent returning citizens from a successful reentry into society, after incarceration. Our focus is to offer holistic healing from past traumas as well as reuniting families, separated by incarceration.
Q: How does your program achieve its mission?
A: We achieve our mission through the implementation of our peer support team members, volunteers, and programs.
Q: What type of services do you provide?
A:
- Peer Support, connecting returning citizens to community resources.
- Emotional Therapy Animals
- Recovery Housing
- Family Support
- Volunteer Jail Ministry
Q: What specific barriers have you seen formerly incarcerated individuals face upon returning to the community?
A:
- Limited housing options & costs of rental agency applications.
- Limited resources for substance use disorder and mental health.
- Overwhelming pressures to meet the high demands of probation & parole, paying restitution, finding a job, housing, mental health, and treatment of substance use disorder.
Q: How does your program support clients to overcome those obstacles?
A: Meeting with community resources to create partner collaborations. Education is key to helping the community understand the needs and struggles of individuals coming out of incarceration and why it is a public health and safety concern. By implementing a peer support team for our clients, we can help remove the anxiety of meeting overwhelming demands. We continue to advocate for returning citizen’s needs, to local and state leaders.
Q: What are the advocacy efforts of your program?
A: VFA is a member of the Community Reentry Task Force, we meet monthly with other reentry organizations in the state of Montana and DOC leadership. We advocate with probation and parole, medical, and mental health teams for the needs of our clients.
Q: Is there anything specific that your program is working on right now that you would like to highlight?
A:
- We are currently working towards acquiring sustainable funding for full-time staff, and funding for recovery housing units.
- Reentry vs. Pre-Release — Starting a conversation around redirecting funding for the biggest “bang for the buck.” In relation to reducing recidivism.
Q: Does your program have any specific achievements that you would like to highlight?
A: Helping individuals have a second chance and heal from their past traumas is a passion of mine. “Finding passion in my pain” is my life story as I walked through a mental health diagnosis, substance abuse and incarceration with my boys. They are my “why” I deal with the many frustrations of reentry work. Ravalli County has never had a reentry program and it did not take me long to figure out why. This work requires having tough skin, perseverance, and a refusal to give up. Don’t get me wrong, I have wanted to quit many times, but something keeps me going. We all need to know that there is “someone” who is willing to fight for your needs, because you matter. Honestly, everyday is an achievement, helping someone understand that they matter, that they can be successful and that it is ok to ask for help in achieving your goals.
Q: How can people support/learn more about your work?
A: My job involves networking with community partners, other reentry programs and communication directors which is a testament to the term “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Networking has been crucial in offering support for VFA. We love our volunteers that help in our group sessions as we learn new hobbies, trade skills, crafts etc. We also have a volunteer jail ministry that is crucial to the introduction of our program.
To learn more about Valley Felon Aid, visit www.valleyfelonaid.org or check them out on Youtube!