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WATCH: Is pairing mentors with ex-offenders effective for reducing recidivism rates?

It all started with a group of about ten people eager to give back by helping others move forward. They were trained and equipped to take on the proud label of: mentor. Their “mentees” on the other hand had a different type of label, one associated with a host of stigmas due to a troubled past. The mentors: Rochester residents. The “mentees”: ex-offenders returning to the community from time served behind bars. That small group was the first class of mentors for the Judicial Process Commission’s Adult Mentoring Program. It launched more than 20 years ago.

On this edition of Need to Know we hear from a mentor- “mentee” partnership who describe how their relationship has influenced both of their lives. We’ll also learn whether mentoring programs are effective and how they impact the community at-large.