(BOP) - The Inmate Companion Program (ICP) at FCC Butner provides inmates with a chance to help others.
A carefully selected and trained group of inmates help their peers do things like brush teeth, shave, get to and from other parts of the institution and even play games and talk. The companion inmates also assist medical staff by performing non-professional patient care tasks, under direct staff supervision, including changing and cleaning bed linens, cleaning medical equipment, assisting with bed-side feeding, and washing clothes.
The inmate companions gain a sense of purpose, increase their employability, and learn what a difference it makes to provide a positive service to the community. Inmate Darius M. Bailey found "both a sense of fulfillment and purpose in being able to help someone in need. I am responsible, attentive, and caring, all because of the opportunity afforded to me by the ICP.” There are thirty-four inmates currently assigned to the ICP.