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| Christian-based program helps keep inmates from re-offending |
| By minnesota.publicradio.org - Rupa Shenoy |
| Published: 02/14/2012 |
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St. Paul, Minn. — A new state study shows that a controversial program that uses Christian teachings to try turn around the lives of hundreds of Minnesota inmates is working. Participants in the InnerChange Freedom Initiative, which operates at the Minnesota women's prison in Shakopee and at a men's prison in Lino Lakes, are more likely than others to stay out of prison after their release, according to the state Department of Corrections. State researchers followed more than 730 former inmates released between 2003 and 2009 and found that those who were part of the program reduced their risks of returning by as much as 40 percent. State officials are hailing the program as a cost-effective success. They say it is a good deal because the state provides the space and the program pays everything else. "There is no cost to the taxpayers of the state of Minnesota," said David Crist, deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections. "Yet it does reduce recidivism. And when offenders are not out there committing new crimes, the public is more safety. That's a very practical reason for working with IFI." Each prison has a dedicated area where InnerChange inmates live together, eat together, and pray together. The programs have a combined 200 inmates who take daily classes based on Christian principles. Read More. |
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