Role models, committed to being a positive influence.
The pictures above shines a bright light on Mr. James, who is finishing time at the Kewanee Life Skills Re-Entry Center. He is joined by Warden Carothers and our team from Freedom From Within, Cheryl Stovell (ReEntry Advocate), Cliff Parrish (Executive Director).Sue Parrish (Teams Director), and Dan Hennenfent (board member)
Just imagine being separated from your loved ones for a decade, two or even three for a mistake. This mistake could be tragic, where many lives were affected, or it could be a case of mistaken identity and injustice. Regardless of whether you were innocent or guilty, once convicted, the reality of lost time from family, friends, and dreams begins. Once you're incarcerated, time seems to stand still while the world around you continues to move forward.
Human nature desires to have a life filled with purpose and meaning. However, for prisoners, finding purpose and meaning can be challenging in an environment that doesn't recognize them as human beings. This can lead to an existence filled with darkness, such as guilt, despair, loneliness, fear, and worthlessness.
Freedom From Within recognizes the importance of light in dark prison environments. Just as plants need light to grow and be healthy, incarcerated individuals also require light to facilitate change. Without light, there is a high chance that those in custody will come out worse than when they were first incarcerated. In my opinion, the only thing worse than serving time in prison is to be released and not be ready. It is worth noting that over 90% of those incarcerated will eventually return home.
In a Freedom From Within class environment, life is celebrated, and love is modeled. Respect and dignity are shared, and the belief that God's plan "A" for his creation is illuminated by God's goodness, filled with purpose, hope, and love. Therefore, after 10, 20, 30, or more years, our students not only assimilate well back into society, but they also walk in dignity, knowing they have a purpose and hope for a good future that was planned long ago (Eph 2:10).
Mr. Brown received the Foundations For Life book, which he personally contributed to, plus he was awarded the Foundations Assistantship Certificate spotlighted on the right.
The personalized books given to Mr. James and Mr. Brown are truly a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Each book is unique and represents their hard work and dedication as role models to their peers. These books are a symbol of their commitment to being a positive influence and a source of light for their peers. Their personalized book is filled with their own personal stories of transformation, alongside our course content.
Documenting their ability to overcome the most challenging obstacles, and their time spent behind bars was not wasted. It serves as a memorial of their journey back home towards a successful life in the free world, regardless of why they were imprisoned.
Freedom From Within provides the resources to edit and publish these books for our Assistship students. Our volunteers and financial partners help us in this endeavor so that our students can share the joy of their transformed lives with their families for generations.
Please consider partnering with us financially through prayer, volunteering, or all three. Together, we can ensure that the light shines brightly in these dark places, and that time spent behind bars is not wasted. By working together, we can create environments of transformation inside prisons so that those incarcerated are better prepared for life outside prison.
