What do we expect of our volunteers?
BEHAVIOUR IN PRISONS
We expect that all volunteers conduct themselves in an appropriate and approachable manner while in prisons, including:
- not entering the prison without a supervising volunteer present,
- not making reference to any personal conflicts with the law (resolved or unresolved),
- not giving out personal details (surnames, place of work, address, etc),
- not making any critical comments of prisons or prison staff,
- not making offensive comments about police or the court system,
- not giving legal advice to inmates,
- wearing appropriate and casual clothing (see appropriate clothing section), and
- adhering to prison security policies (providing approved photo ID, not bringing contraband into prisons etc).
We understand that new volunteers may have queries about what may or may not be appropriate in prisons and section leaders are always happy to answer questions you may have about your conduct in prison.
SUPERVISING VOLUNTEERS ('SENIOR PRESENTERS')
To ensure all our presentations are of a high standard, Senior Presenters must be present to supervise every prison visit. Senior Presenters are volunteers who have demonstrated a long-term commitment, in-depth understanding of presentation content and a high standard of professionalism.
During prison visits, Senior Presenters are expected to:
- supervise volunteers at all times while inside the prison,
- ensure all volunteer expectations are met,
- liaise with prison staff,
- ensure that presenters have all the requisite equipment needed for the visits,
- document any questions raised during the presentations, and
- report to their Section Leader on all of the above.
If you are a Senior Presenter, please refer to the “Senior Presenter role and responsibilities” document for further details.
PUBLISHING MATERIAL / LINKING ADVOCACY BACK TO PLEA
As our volunteers are all passionate about issues of prison justice, it is inevitable that there will be times where our volunteers may make comments on the prison system or advocate for prison reform in a public forum such as in print, online or news media, in university publications or law reform submissions. While internal PLEA meetings are an excellent forum for this kind of debate, it is important that public comments do not jeopardise the program. The prisons in which PLEA presents are only accessible because we are not active advocates or critics of the prisons – we are only there to assist the inmates.
In making any such public comments, we expect our volunteers:
1. Not to mention PLEA's name or describe the type of work we do in prisons (ie. not to mention that we provide legal education or support)
2. Not to identify (by name or otherwise) the name of the prison visited with PLEA or that it is in Victoria
unless it has been otherwise approved by PLEA's exec team.
As a sign of good faith, PLEA would appreciate being alerted about the publication of these kinds of documents.
ATTENDANCE AT ALL REQUIRED MEETINGS/TRAININGS
We try to keep all our volunteers in the loop and equipped to provide the best support to prisoners possible. As such, we share a lot of information via email and try very hard to get everyone at our meetings and trainings. For this reason we expect that all volunteers:
- check their email a few times a week;
- notify PLEA staff if their contact details change;
- reply to texts and calls in a reasonable time;
- submit research tasks on time; and
- attend all relevant meetings and trainings.
PRISON VISITS
Our entire project is about sending volunteers into prisons. Therefore, we take our rostered prison visits seriously and aim to provide opportunities for all volunteers to visit prisons. In return, we expect all volunteers to:
- provide their availability within requested timeframes (via email from Section Leaders);
- check the roster and notify their Section Leader of any shifts rostered outside their provided availability;
- prepare for all presentations and sessions;
- attend all prison visits; and
- notify Section Leaders if swapping a shift with other volunteers.
We understand that there are things that happen which prevent our volunteers from attending – like family emergencies and illness. In these circumstances, we expect that volunteers will call their Section Leader and the Senior Presenter on the day to notify them as soon as possible.
PLEA's entire purpose rests on our volunteers, so we rely on your commitment and honesty in meeting these requirements.
APPROPRIATE ATTIRE
Seeing as we go into some maximum security prisons, we need to be mindful of the environment we’re in and our appearance. Not only that, but some of the prisons we volunteer in have mandatory requirements regarding attire and what you can and cannot bring into the prison. PLEA recommends that you adopt a professional, polished appearance when entering any of the prisons.
To help you out, here’s a list of things that you cannot wear or bring into any of the prisons:
- Fitbits or smart watches
- Necklaces
- Scarves, or anything around your neck
- Skirts (even long ones)
- Singlet tops (your shirt must cover your shoulders)
- Tops with plunging necklines
- Tops that are tight enough to see bra straps through the material
- Sweatpants, trackpants or running tights
- Tight pants (including “jeggings”)
- Hoodies
- Heavy make-up (i.e. no heavy eye make-up, no lipstick, no lip colouring)
- High heels or open toed shoes
- Cigarettes, alcohol or non-prescribed drugs (including on to prison property such as the car park).
And, here’s a list of things that we highly recommend you do not wear or bring into any of the prisons:
- Metal jewellery (as this will set off the metal detectors/scanners)
- Big baggy jackets or jumpers
- Food or medicine unless medically required
If you are unsure about any of the above, don’t hesitate to contact your Section Leader. They are more than willing to answer your calls and help you out!
