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Volunteers

Thank you for your interest in serving as a volunteer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)! The role of the volunteer within TDCJ is to provide guidance in specific activities and programs, promote personal growth and development, provide support and assistance to victims and inmates, and help facilitate re-entry into the community.

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Get Involved

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, you are encouraged to complete the online application and training (see below). After the completion of initial training, volunteers are required to renew their volunteer application and re-train every two (2) years.

Apply: online application.

Train: either online or in-person.

Check your status. Approval status will only be reflected if the training has been completed within the last 24 months. Please allow time for processing.

Completion of training is not a guarantee of approval. All applications include a criminal background check and are reviewed for eligibility according to the following criteria:

  • Must be 18 years or older.
  • Must not have any pending criminal charges.
  • Must have been released from an adult prison for at least 12 months.
  • If you are on any type of adult supervision, you will be required to provide a letter from your supervising officer acknowledging your participation in the TDCJ Volunteer Program and that you are meeting the requirements of supervision.
  • Must be 12-months from the disposition date of any criminal charge (excluding traffic tickets).

Mentoring

An online course to train volunteers to participate in the Chaplaincy Mentor Program is available. Only approved TDCJ volunteers will receive credit for this training. Those who successfully complete the course meet the requirements to serve as a volunteer mentor under the direction of a unit chaplain. To start the training, please click on the following link.

TDCJ Chaplaincy Mentor Training

The following document is available for download in both PDF and Word formats:

Mentoring Handbook - PDF | Word

Volunteer Resources

Recommended for all volunteers:

Handbook for Volunteers - PDF | Word

We encourage volunteers to give their opinions to assist our efforts in accomplishing TDCJ's mission. Please feel free to fill out the on-line suggestions form or print a copy and mail it to the address listed on the bottom of the page.

Volunteer Assessment/Suggestion Form - Online Form | PDF