Among the initial 26 participants are several convicted of murder, rape, and assault. The first phase, with its Bible-based emphasis on rebuilding values and character, begins 18 months before an inmate is released. The second phase tests his new value system in real life, through community-service projects and other activities. Participants rise at 5 a.m. for a session of Scripture reading and prayer. They spend most of the morning at a prison job or studying to earn a GED, the equivalent of a high-school diploma.
Evenings feature Christian teaching and group discussions.
For six months, a volunteer mentor works closely with the ex-offender to help him repair relationships, especially with his family members and his victims. Even if states had the money, however, most lack the right philosophy of rehabilitation. They make men feel better about themselves, but that doesn't make them better men. Our focus is getting them to understand that they are responsible to God, their families, and their victims. The program receives no government money, yet it operates in the belly of a state correctional facility.