Starting Over On The Inside
A LIFE-CHANGING PROGRAM THAT EQUIPS OFFENDERS WITH THE NEEDED CHARACTER QUALITIES AND LIFE SKILLS FOR THEIR SUCCESSFUL RETURN TO SOCIETY
52% of Colorado’s released prisoners reoffend
Without addressing prisoners’ real-life issues before their release and if their hearts aren’t transformed by the love of Jesus Christ, the revolving door of Colorado’s 52% recidivism rate continues.
We want to change that crazy statistic.
What if?
In 2024 we expect to see hundreds of offenders attend the Starting Over on the Inside Program and assist with their aftercare (this includes housing, employment, bus passes, and essential items) before and after their release date.
Imagine men and women being restored by Jesus Christ who experience his transforming love, peace and purpose. Imagine prisoners receiving the needed life skills and character qualities to equip them for their successful transition.
Imagine the impact this will have on their families, their communities and the state of Colorado, not to mention helping to reduce the 50% recidivism rate in Colorado.
Why now?
As a result of the program’s success in 2021 the Colorado Department of Correction’s Executive Director of Prisons and Director of Prisons, wardens, and the CDOC’s Volunteer Faith and Citizens organization has provided us access to all of Colorado’s Prisons.
Starting Over is available in both on-site and on video for all CDOC facilities. Since we began in May of 2021 the program has been in thirteen Colorado prisons with 32 workshops with over 1,000 graduates. We anticipate even greater growth in other states in the coming years.
We understand that to be successful this program must be sustainable. As a result, we are training chaplains and offenders to run the program within each of their facilities so we can reach more men and women with our life-changing program. We now have two Starting Over Chaplains and plan to add a third.
Worthy in His eyes
Many of us have made poor decisions and for some those choices have led to incarceration. There are good reasons for being sentenced to prison, but a prison sentence does not change that people are created in God’s image and have worth in His eyes.
Prison is, however, a dehumanizing environment for most. Many prisoners have been forgotten and disconnected from family or friends during their time behind bars, but God has not forgotten them. He knows their names, and their stories and they matter to Him. Nor have we forgotten…
Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison.
Hebrews 13:3
LIFE CHANGE IS A MATTER OF THE HEART AND THIS IS WHERE GOD BEGINS TO CHANGE THINGS
Partner with us
Starting Over on the Inside is about learning from failure and the ability to overcome it and succeed. For more than thirty years, the Starting Over Workshop has helped over nine thousand people who have experienced life-changing setbacks who learn how to start over and experience healing, hope and a real sense of purpose.
We have scheduled workshops in prisons across the state through 2024.
Please join us in asking God to bring some of the least-reached people groups in our country to Himself. We need $100,000 in 2024 to continue to expand this life-changing program. We’d be incredibly honored for you to be part of our support team that will transform the lives of prisoners, their families, our communities, the state of Colorado and beyond. Call us at 719-499-8293 or donate now at the link bel
Stories of Life Change
In The News
- Podcast 11/19/22 CO Dept. of Corrections Ex. Director Dean Williams
- Podcast - 4/28/2022 CO Dept. of Corrections Ex. Director Dean Williams
- Gazette Telegraph - 12/18/21 Chaplain's workshop in Colorado prisons gives inmates the important parts of what they're missing — hope, value, worth
- Podcast 6/24/2021 Starting Over On The Inside Program
- Podcast 5/20/2021 CO Dept. of Corrections - Ex. Director Deam Williams
- Podcast 2/21/2020 CO Dept. of Corrections Pt. 1 - Ex. Director Dean Williams
- Podcast 3/4/2020 CO Dept. of Corrections Pt. 2 - Ex. Director Dean Williams
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Starting Over On the Inside Graduates
The pictures above are of prison graduates. Their certificate helps their case managers and parole officers know that they are making intentional efforts to equip themselves before and after their release.
Some graduates or classes may not appear in the photos due to restrictions at certain prison facilities. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and assure you that we have done our best to capture all the graduates in the pictures.
