Want to get involved with Jail Support? There are a few ways to volunteer:
1. Volunteer for a shift! We try to do this at peak times, currently late into the evening Wednesday 8-11pm & Friday 7-11pm at Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center, commonly known as Central Booking. It is the primary location for booking and processing people arrested in Baltimore City. Although there are five total jails in city limits. Folks being held inside are in pre-trial detention status, meaning they have not been actually convicted of a crime (with a few exceptions). Central Booking is a mixed gender facility, so we serve adults of all genders and many ages who are being released.
Dress warmly for the winter, be prepared to wait, and act with courtesy to all you encounter.
There are two shifts you can sign up for:
Wednesday 8-11pm
2 sifts: 8-9:30pm & 9:30-11pm
Friday 7-11pm
2 shifts: 7-9pm & 9-11pm
You can find our interest form here : Interest Form Here
2. Help with supply pick up & drop off. Do you have a car? Does it have space to pick up a tent, and a few large bins? Great! We need support on the days we are sitting to pick up stuff from the garage, & drop it off at Central Booking. As well as returning it to the garage in the evening.
3. Join a Working Group! After filling out the interest form, & check in with a running member, you should also receive the working group sheets document. This will give more details as to each individual working group & can help you identify will your skills are best utilized!
Other ways to get involved:
DONATE! Hi! We try to keep on hand a variety of: packaged snacks (chips, granola bars, fresh fruit if possible), warm coffee, first aid materials, self care for women and cigarettes. We prefer donations in the form of goods, but can accept cash on site or giftcards. We try to turn money into supplies almost immediately. In the winter we usually do a coat drive and donations of warm coats and blankets are absolutely needed and necessary! If you have the ability to host a coat/clothes drive at any time of the year or ask people to bring coats to an event, please do so!
Checking in by email to see if there are any specific needs you can offer or to inquire about our needs is also appreciated.
All donations can be dropped off outside the jail on Wednesday 8-11pm & Friday 7-11pm but if that is impossible for you please email baltimorejailaid@gmail.com to work out a time for someone to pick them up.