Frequently Asked Questions

We have a great community of mentors who not only ask very good questions about mentoring individuals who are incarcerated but also share their thoughts and ideas about mentoring. We want to share not only questions that come up in our Q/A Sessions but also the good advice we hear from our facilitators and the mentors themselves.

Q: I have been trying to reach my Mentee via JPay but I have yet to hear back from him/her. 

A: (short answer) Keep trying! Please do not give up and continue to try at least once per week. 

(long answer):  There are a host of reasons your Mentee may not be returning your JPay email, amongst them but not limited to: BOP/DOJ servers down, Mentee in disciplinary situation where not allowed to reach out; Mentee having a rough week/month so focus is not there; fear … it takes courage to believe that someone who has never met him is willing to reach out and care for him; shame… the educational background of your Mentee may be extremely limited, thereby making writing an arduous and often shameful experience. These are only a small set of reasons that your Mentee may not be returning your email, so until the reason is clear, we ask that you please continue to TRY. 

Bottom line: if you have not heard back from your Mentee after a month of consistent trying (on your behalf), please contact your TRP Mentor Manager.   

Q: My Mentee is releasing soon and could use some money.  Should I send (provide) some of my own funds to him/her? 

A: (short answer) NO.  This is highly discouraged from TRP’s standpoint, not to mention most Mentoring Program protocols. 

(long answer): TRP provides Fellow graduates with a host of financial incentives and rewards for having completed the Virtues for Success course, graduating successfully, and landing a job, amongst other benefits.  Whilst it is tempting to want to financially support your Mentee with your own finances, there is a fundamental truth to the saying… ‘Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day.  Teach him to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.”  Your role as Mentor is to teach him to fish.