A 9-month, three-phase journey from participant to certified peer mentor
"You can't give what you don't have. First transform yourself — then build others."
Program Overview
FORGE is a structured, phased mentorship development program that transforms participants into certified peer mentors through progressive skill-building, practice, and supervised application.
Phase 1 — Weeks 1–12
Before you can mentor anyone else, you must do your own inner work. Phase 1 builds the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral foundation every mentor needs.
"Phase 1 is about honesty. If you can't be honest with yourself, you can't help anyone else get there."
— FORGE Founding Document
Phase 2 — Weeks 13–24
Phase 2 transforms personal growth into the ability to help others grow. Participants learn the tools and techniques of effective peer mentorship.
Learning to lead group sessions, manage difficult dynamics, create safe spaces for honest conversation, and adapt to different learning styles. Participants practice facilitating discussions with structured feedback.
Realistic scenario practice that mirrors actual situations inside the facility — dorm conflicts, mental health crises, peer pressure, resistance to change. Mentors rehearse responses before facing them for real.
Evidence-based conversational techniques that help people find their own motivation to change. Learning to ask open-ended questions, affirm strengths, reflect meaning, and summarize — the OARS framework.
Facilitating restorative circles, addressing harm through dialogue rather than punishment, building community accountability, and supporting repair between individuals and the wider dorm community.
Preparing and delivering Phase 1 curriculum content under supervision. Learning to teach from experience while following structured lesson plans. Developing the ability to connect with diverse participants.
Understanding the limits of the mentor role. When to refer to staff. How to maintain appropriate relationships. Navigating confidentiality, safety reporting, and the line between support and authority.
Phase 3 — Weeks 25–36
Phase 3 is where training becomes reality. Mentors apply everything they have learned under graduated supervision, moving toward full independence and certification.
New mentors are paired with a certified mentor or program facilitator. They co-lead Phase 1 sessions for the incoming cohort, receiving real-time feedback and guidance after each session.
Mentors begin leading sessions with decreasing oversight. They handle more complex situations independently, including one-on-one mentoring relationships and informal dorm interventions.
Mentors independently facilitate community circles, mediate peer conflicts, and serve as positive culture carriers within the dorm. They model normative behavior and proactive engagement.
Completion of the mentor portfolio documenting growth, skills demonstrated, sessions led, and community impact. Final review by a certification board composed of program leadership and peers.
Quality Assurance
Advancement between phases is earned, not automatic. Each gate ensures participants are genuinely ready for the next level of responsibility.
Assessment Framework
FORGE uses a multi-dimensional scoring rubric to assess participant development across key competency areas at each phase gate.
| Competency Area | 1 — Emerging | 2 — Developing | 3 — Proficient | 4 — Exemplary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-Awareness | Limited recognition of thinking errors and emotional triggers | Identifies patterns with prompting; inconsistent self-reflection | Consistently identifies and corrects thinking errors independently | Models self-awareness; helps others identify their own patterns |
| Emotional Regulation | Frequent reactive responses; difficulty managing frustration | Uses coping strategies with reminders; occasional setbacks | Manages emotions effectively under normal stress | Remains composed under high pressure; supports peers in crisis |
| Conflict Resolution | Avoids or escalates conflict | Attempts de-escalation with mixed results | Successfully de-escalates situations; uses restorative language | Mediates complex disputes; recognized as a trusted neutral party |
| Communication | Difficulty expressing needs; passive or aggressive defaults | Practices assertive communication; still developing active listening | Communicates clearly and listens actively in most contexts | Skilled facilitator; adapts communication style to audience |
| Accountability | Deflects responsibility; externalizes blame | Acknowledges responsibility when prompted | Owns mistakes proactively; follows through on commitments | Models accountability; creates culture of ownership within groups |
| Mentoring Readiness | Not yet ready to support others | Shows interest; building foundational skills | Effectively supports peers; facilitates with guidance | Independently facilitates and mentors; trains incoming participants |
Participants must score Proficient (3) or higher in all areas to advance through each phase gate. Exemplary (4) ratings are expected for certification.
The Pipeline
FORGE is self-sustaining by design. Certified mentors from each cohort become the facilitators for the next, creating a continuous pipeline of trained leaders.
Our Approach
FORGE is not a lecture series or a workbook program. It is a living system built on four distinctive principles that set it apart from traditional correctional programming.
Most programs teach theory. FORGE rehearses reality. Mentors practice responding to realistic dorm scenarios — conflicts, crises, resistance — before they face them. Simulation-based training bridges the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it under pressure. This is what builds real competence, not just classroom knowledge.
You cannot give what you do not have. Before anyone mentors another person, they must complete their own transformation work in Phase 1. This is the parallel process: the inner work of the mentor directly mirrors the journey they will guide others through. It produces authentic mentors who teach from experience, not just curriculum.
FORGE does not just train individuals — it shifts the entire dorm culture. When enough men in a living space operate from shared values of respect, accountability, and service, those norms become self-reinforcing. The goal is not a program that changes individuals in isolation, but a community where positive behavior is the norm, not the exception.
Traditional correctional models position inmates as passive recipients of programming. FORGE rejects that framing. Participants are stakeholders in the system they live in. They have both the ability and the responsibility to shape dorm culture, reduce violence, and support the wellbeing of everyone around them — staff included.
"Leadership is not granted. It is forged."
Download the complete Program Design document for the full curriculum framework, assessment rubrics, and implementation guide.