Prison Fellowship Ministry Partners With CCA
March 27, 2006
Corrections Corporation of America has extended its commitment to faith-based programming for inmates by partnering with Prison Fellowship Ministries (PFM) to launch a faith-based Re-entry and Aftercare Program for offenders at the prison management company's prison and jails across the United States. Volunteers will teach offenders life skills prior to their release from CCA correctional facilities and will also provide mentoring support up to one year after their release from the correctional facilities.
PFM's four-step Re-entry and Aftercare Program focuses on spiritual, intellectual, emotional, social and personal growth to combat the high rate at which ex-offenders commit crimes and return to prison or jail. This faith-based program teaches inmates fundamental principles for leading successful and happy lives. By providing emotional and spiritual stability to the offenders before and after their release, CCA hopes to improve inmates' overall quality of life both inside and outside the correctional facility.
The first CCA and PFM ReEntry and Aftercare Program was implemented at the CCA-operated Marion County Jail II facility in Indianapolis, Indiana. The second program has been implemented at the CCA-operated Dawson State Jail in Dallas, Texas. The Program is expected to be implemented at CCA facilities across the country.
PFM partners with local churches across the country to minister to prisoners and their families. The organization, founded by Chuck Colson in 1976, provides ongoing support, training and resources to more than 20,000 churches throughout America. It assists prisoners in facilities in each of the 50 states, as well as in 110 countries worldwide. It also works with thousands more individual volunteers who are active in an outreach program with the prison population and with inmate families.
Dawson State Jail Warden Chuck Keeton and Marion County Assistant Warden Kevin Watson believe the Aftercare Program will benefit the communities where the facilities are located as well as the prisoners who take part in it. "We want to help ex-offenders return to society in a productive, accountable manner," Keeton said. "It's important to help offenders learn how to behave in society," Watson said. "We don't want them to ever come back to prison after they are released."
"Prison Fellowship Ministry's trained volunteers and CCA staff will work with the offenders while they are still in prison, and PFM will also help them get on their feet once they leave," Rick Seiter, CCA's Executive Vice President of Operations, said. "This outreach program assists them in finding a faith community that fits their beliefs, and it also helps them find necessities such as jobs, means of transportation and suitable housing and support critical to reducing offender recidivism. CCA has a strong commitment to faith initiatives, and we are very pleased to now be partnering with one of the most respected faith organizations in our country that helps offenders."
CCA's faith-based initiatives are programs that are available to the entire inmate population on a voluntary basis regardless of their religious and spiritual beliefs. There is no requirement to convert and/or revise their religious belief in order to enroll, participate and or complete the program.
"Re-entry and Aftercare programs are designed to change the way inmates view everyday life as well as how they think," David Lawson, PFM's Senior Vice President, said. "The program operates on the belief that personal growth must begin before an offender is released. By continuing the discipleship training that takes place during incarceration, CCA and PFM hope to provide links to community resources that will ultimately help ex-offenders avoid returning to prison."
In addition to the Aftercare Program, PFM is working with CCA to expand its Angel Tree program. This program is designed to strengthen family ties between offenders and their children during the holiday season. Offenders are given the opportunity to give their children gifts of clothing and toys at Christmas.