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Making A Difference

In August 2000, Prison Fellowship released a prisoner/ex-prisoner study that details the impact of their programs in various prison facilities around the United States. The study's results revealed the following statistics:

In Lieber Prison, a medium security facility in South Carolina, 19% of the entire population of 1,597 male inmates attended regular PF programming at lease once during 1996. The study found that less than 10% of those who attended PF religious programs had infractions, compared to over 23% of those who did not attend. In other words, there were over two and a half times fewer infractions among those who went to PF programs. Further analysis of the data showed that the more PF sessions prisoners attended, the less likely they were to have any infractions at all.

At the Women's Correctional Institute (WoCI) in South Carolina, 22 female inmates were measured in 5 different areas to explore the connection between PF program participation and prison adjustment. Each of the 22 women studied perceived PF programming as most helpful to prison adjustment. While these women perceived life in prison to be very difficult as reflected in measurement scores for depression, happiness and anxiety, they appeared to be coping with life in prison better than a similar group of male inmates studied earlier. They also presented a relatively strong sense of personal control.

In New York State, recidivism rates were studied among former inmates in Prison Fellowship programs. The study examined the impact of participation in PF programs on institutional adjustment and recidivism rates for inmates from four adult male prisons.

Inmates who attended 10 or more PF Bible studies in a year were nearly three times less likely to be re-arrested during 12 months after release than a matched comparison group of inmates who did not attend PF programs. Only 14% of those who attended at least 10 PF studies in a year were rearrested, compared with 41% of the non-PF group and about the same percentage of those who attended PF program less frequently.

As encouraging as those statistics are, there's another discovery that illustrates why the "Free For Life" program needs to be implemented as quickly as possible into our nations correctional institutions. One of the greatest fears many inmates have is being released.

Typically, if an inmate has no family or support group to meet him at release, the state transports him to the capital city. Before the van drives away, the inmate is given approximately $100, a duffle bag with his meager personal effects, and the clothes he is wearing on his back. In effect, he is set up to fail without any means for obtaining transportation, lodging, food, clothing, or employment.

Imagine the fear and anxiety of being thrust into this situation when for the past several years of life, your schedule has been determined for you while in prison. Food, clothing, shelter, recreation, education, and even menial work responsibilities - all has been provided for you up until this time. Now you are responsible to provide those essentials of life for yourself without any knowledge or skills to do so.

As simple as these everyday responsibilities are for those on the outside, it becomes a complete culture shock for the now ex-prisoner.

Now picture that same inmate nearing his release after a FFL seminar and participating in a one year follow up program with his prison chaplain or OTM volunteer.

Prison inmates long for this kind of teaching, and the OTM material is ideally suited to meet this critical need through development of the Free for Life program.

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