items of interest

with contributions from Reuters, Vanessa Julye

"I've Watched Guys ... go from hardened thugs to guys you'd ... like to have over for dinner. You see prayers getting answered," says Tommie Dorsett about Inner-Change, a Scripture-based rehabilitation program, at the Jester II prison in Katy, Texas.

The goal is to cut the recidivism rate among inmates in half—from 50% to 25%. Prayer and Bible study are important elements of the program, as are work and education.

Mentoring, however, is the keystone. Participants are paired with Christian role models who live in the same communities that the inmates come from. After the inmate is released from prison, the volunteer mentor works with him for at least six months. Besides offering assistance with finding a job and housing, the mentor helps the inmate gain acceptance within a church congregation.

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