Mission

AMICUS was founded in 1967 to facilitate the development of friendships between volunteers and men and women in Minnesota's prisons and has expanded to include post-release transitions, African-American programs and youth restorative justice. These innovative programs:
- Promote caring, respectful relationships
- Engage communities and resources to support offenders? self-sufficiency through successful transition into healthy community life
- Educate the public in an effort to increase awareness and understanding, dispel fear, and promote justice
- Forward its mission through promotion of the AMICUS model locally and nationally
- Instill hope for the future, develop spiritually, heal communities and transform lives.

Programs

* ONE-TO-ONE program provides motivated inmates with a positive, affirming relationship with a trained volunteer. Volunteers of the same sex are matched with inmates at four Minnesota correctional facilities.
* RECONNECT is a re-entry service that helps inmates prepare for release and gives ex-offenders much-needed resources in their search for jobs, housing, clothing, etc.
* MEN OF RAFIKI (Swahili for friend) offers support to African-American offenders. It explores the spirit of African-American manhood and what it means to be a healthy, productive member of a community.
* SISTERS HELPING SISTERS provides transition planning and follow-through assistance to women offenders of color; supporting them both before and after release as they develop a positive, healthy lifestyle.
* The RADIUS programs help serious and chronic female juvenile offenders heal relationships with family and victims, plan for successful transition back into the community, and build strong circles of support.

Losing Everything and Bouncing Back - Carol Bell and Amicus One to One

“As long as you can connect to the outside you’ve got a chance. They’re going to give you hope for a better future.”
- Carol Bell on Amicus One to One

“I was pretty terrified about going to prison,” Carol Bell said, reflecting on the start of her Felony DWI Sentence at Minnesota Correctional Facility - Shakopee. “I was
desperate. I had a lot of fear because I just didn’t know what to expect”

Carol came across Amicus as part of her orientation and applied for the One to One Program.

“You feel so disconnected when you go to prison. You don’t hear from people – even those closest to you – even my own church. There’s that desperation to connect. I got an interview with Amicus and I just bawled the whole time. To be able to talk and not be judged!”

She was matched with Laurel, whose visits helped keep Carol connected and motivated.
When Carol went to a more intensive “boot camp” program in northern Minnesota, visits were more difficult but Laurel faithfully sent a card every day and even attended Carol’s daughter’s basketball games at Macalester and forwarded the statistics.

“The other women knew that if no one got mail, at least I would. It gave me hope that when I got out, there was somebody there for me.”

The support continued after release too. Carol recalls many ways Laurel helped her get off to a good start on her second chance.

Carol’s still on the road back, but she’s taking positive steps. She’s applied to have her nursing license reinstated and has been accepted to college in a program training her in chemical dependency treatment. She’s found an apartment and part-time work and even volunteers at Amicus.

“Amicus is a place where you can feel like you’re part of society,” Carol said. “That’s so big. I want to be part of society in a good way!”