The Prison Committee is a standing committee of Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends which consists of members and attenders of the Meeting who feel especially led to the ministry of prison concerns and visitation. The mission of the Prison Committee shall be to:

• Conduct regular spiritual meetings at the Patuxent Institute in Jessup during prison visitation;
• Seek ways to understand the concerns of the prisoners. The work with this aspect will be external to the prison; and
• Provide assistance to former inmates and the newly-released prisoners into the community.

Members may serve as prison visitors, work with prison issues, provide service to re-integrate inmates into society, or become involved with all aspects of Prison Committee work. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Manual of Procedures:

• The Prison Committee consists of as many or as few members as feel led to prison ministry, and any member or attender of the Meeting who feels drawn to prison ministry may approach the Prison Committee at any time and may ask to become a co-opted member of the Committee for the remainder of the Committee year (Fifth Month through Fourth Month).
• Due to the unique nature of this committee's work, members may serve indefinitely, subject to the approval of the Monthly Meeting.
• During the First or Second Month, the Clerk of the Prison Committee will inform the Nominating Committee of the names of all Prison Committee members who have been co-opted in the previous year and who wish to be nominated as regular members; the Clerk also will inform the Nominating Committee of any member who wishes to resign from the Committee.
• Nominating Committee also will seek members for the Prison Committee.
• When the Nominating Committee presents, usually in Third Month, the names of persons suggested to serve on Meeting Committees, it will include the names of all who have indicated that they would like to serve on the Prison Committee.
• Any Committee member's continued service on the Prison Committee is subject to the approval of the Monthly Meeting for Business, usually in the Fourth Month.

Sandy Spring Friends Meeting Comments: Website Clerk

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