REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS

 The Archdiocese of Miami's Office of Detention Ministry is committed to fostering healing and rehabilitation within our communities. We offer comprehensive training and orientation for deacons, lay ministers, parish groups, and ecclesial movements, empowering them to serve effectively in our Detention Ministry. Our programs are designed to prepare volunteers to provide spiritual and emotional support to inmates and detainees in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties who are separated from society. Our mission is to bridge the gap between the Church and correctional and detention institutions, ensuring that incarcerated individuals receive the guidance they need for personal and spiritual transformation.

Below are the steps to become a Detention Ministry Volunteer:

FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS:

Step One:

1. Complete the Volunteer Personal Information Form (VPI) on the volunteering page (scroll down).

2. Obtain a Pastoral Reference Letter Form (PRL) from the same page (scroll down).

3. Fingerprinting Procedures every five years; click the following link: https://www.miamiarch.org/CatholicDiocese.php?op=Fingerprinting

 FIELDPRINT CODE screen:   FPAOMPastoralVol

4.  Virtus Training;   You may register for an upcoming Virtus training session at www.virtus.org by clicking on  FIRST-TIME REGISTRANT

in the green column to the left.  Next select Archdiocese of Miami as your “organization” by scrolling down to the “M’s” for Miami to find it.  Follow the prompts to select the session you would like to attend. 

5. Register for the 4-hour Comprehensive Prison Pastoral Care Program for all volunteers CPPCP-101 Bilingual. https://detentionministry.org/servicing

Step Two:

After completing the first two steps, the Office of the Ministry of Detention will provide you with a one-year ministerial endorsement letter. This letter signifies your availability to serve for one year. https://detentionministry.org/servicing

Step Three:

Attend the correctional institution's training session and submit the ministerial endorsement letter to the correctional authority.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR NEW AND ENDORSED VOLUNTEERS 

 1.  4-hour Comprehensive Prison Pastoral Care Program for All Volunteer CPPCP-101 bilingual to maintain your ministerial endorsement. This essential annual training equips and refreshes you with the fundamental skills and knowledge for effective pastoral care in correctional and detention facilities and supports your continued growth in this vital ministry. To register, go to https://detentionministry.org/servicing. 

2. Bilingual Quarterly Meetings for Detention Ministry Volunteers are more than just meetings; they are pivotal moments where our community comes together to reflect, recalibrate, and reenergize our mission. These sessions offer each of us a valuable opportunity to share our progress, confront our challenges, and celebrate our collective achievements in serving those within the prison system.

Together, let's continue to advance our mission, driven by compassion and united by our shared vision of justice and healing. To register, go to https://detentionministry.org/meeting