Newsletter

Welcome to Past Issues of Newsletters Concerning Topics of Interest in Prison Ministry and Justice Involvement, Published by the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester.

In this section of our website, we present reprints of past issues of newsletters covering topics of interest to readers concerning justice involvement, psychiatric issues, and the history of some of our past projects – both operating or currently paused – which may point the way toward new endeavors in the future.  These newsletters are organized by topic for easy reference and include the original publication dates.  Each newsletter is in PDF format and can be downloaded by the reader by clicking its icon. 

History of Storybook Projects at Ontario County Jail in Hopewell NY and at the Monroe County Jail in Downtown Rochester NY.

The first two newsletters documented the by the late Claire Kremer in founding a Storybook Project in the Ontario County Jail in Hopewell, near Canandaigua, NY.  The first newsletter was published in December 2010, and the second one in June 2015.  The second newsletter included the documentary film titled “Turn the Page” which was televised nationwide on the PBS network and featured this project.  The “Northeast District” referred to the name of the project is the name of the Northeast District for the Rochester Episcopal Diocese.  The third newsletter, published in June of 2016, documents the beginning of the Rochester Storybook Project, which was inspired and assisted by the original storybook project in Hopewell.  Note that the Rochester Storybook Project now operates in the Monroe County Jail in Downtown Rochester, and not at the Monroe Correctional Facility located in Brighton, NY, where it originated.

History of the Women’s Rehabilitation Program “Step-by-Step”

This program was founded by the late Margery Mayke, and the late Pat Merle.  The program has been very successful in aiding the rehabilitation of several thousand female inmates in our geographic area.  Step-by-Step continues in operation to this day.