Normally the Minnesota Public Radio "Midmorning" show serves as a pleasant audio backdrop here at The Hands On Twin Cities Command Center, rather than a focal point in its own right. No offense intended! "Midmorning" is a fine program - it's just that, you know, we have work to do.

Anyway, today's show really caught our attention because it featured an hour-long interview with Louise Wolfgramm, the Executive Director of AMICUS - a non-profit organization dealing with the re-habilitation of ex-offenders, and a Hands On Twin Cities affiliate. AMICUS turns 40 this year (unfortunatey, their 40th anniversary gala was last Thursday, so we totally missed it), and we're awfully glad they're still around, because their mission grows more important every year.

How so, you may ask? Consider this - the Minnesota state prison population grew by 85% in the last decade, and is expected to grow an additional 35% through 2009! And as Louise mentioned on the show, an inmate's punishment often continues after incarceration, in the form of disenfranchisement (for felons), a steep uphill climb in the job market, and general difficulty re-adjusting to society after years behind bars. These additional obstacles placed between ex-offenders and a "normal life" are a big factor in high rates of recidivism, or the tendency of ex-offenders to re-offend.

AMICUS volunteers mentor ex-offenders during this difficult transition period. Their programs include chemical dependency classes, transition fairs, and resume & job search assistance. In addition, AMICUS volunteers provide some much-needed contact with the outside world to offenders still serving their sentences (an estimated 50% of offenders don't recieve any visitors while in prison!). These services are vital for thousands of Minnesotans who have "done their time" and are eager to return to their communities and get a fresh start.

Louise shared a lot of great stories on the "Midmorning" show, but it's probably some kind of copyright violation for us to repeat them here. Therefore, we encourage you to check out the recording on the MPR website if you've got the time - it's worth the listen!

Interested in volunteering for AMICUS? Click here for more information.