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 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 the national 52% recidivism rate continues

We want to change that crazy statistic.

Yesterday and Today

Starting Over on the Inside is about learning from failure and the ability to overcome it and succeed. For more than thirty years, the original 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.

In 2025, hundreds of inmates are participating in the “Starting Over on the Inside” program. Men and women are experiencing restoration through Jesus Christ, discovering His transforming love, peace, and purpose.

Inmates are acquiring essential life skills and character qualities that will help them successfully transition back into society.

Their life change impacts their families, communities, and the state of Colorado. This ministry plays a vital role in reducing the recidivism rate, which currently stands at 52% in Colorado and beyond!

Effective Results

As a result of the program’s success since it’s launch 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 over 51 on-site workshops and over 1,500 on-site graduates and over 35,000 online graduates in 22 states since July 2024. See update below

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.

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

Stories of Life Change

Transforming Lives Together - Your Support is Making a Difference!

November 2025 Update

We are deeply grateful for your generous and steadfast support, which continues to transform countless lives through our ministry. Since our last email update in March 2025, God has been moving in extraordinary ways, and we’re excited to share the impact of your prayers and contributions.

A Milestone
Thanks to your partnership, we successfully met our goal to refilm Starting Over and deliver the new DVD video curriculum by the end of April. This has allowed us to share this powerful resource at:

The Correctional Ministries and Chaplains Association National Conference in Orlando (May)
The CCA Pastor’s Conference in Castle Rock, Colorado (June)

These events have sparked new partnerships that we’re actively nurturing. The new filming has improved the videos by reducing their duration while enhancing their quality. We have also decreased the number of sessions from eight to seven and updated the participant workbook to be available in both English and Spanish for users on-site and those using tablets.

On the Ground in Colorado
Our work in Colorado continues to bear fruit. We celebrate our 50th on-site course since 2021, training chaplains, volunteers, and inmates to deliver this life-changinf ministry with over 1,500 Colorado graduates.

Nationwide Impact
Since July 2024, our tablet-based Starting Over on the Inside program has reached an incredible milestone: 41,784 English course completions and 6,954 Spanish graduates across the country the past year, with an additional 10,000 individuals engaging with the material. Through this, thousands have heard the gospel—many for the first time—and countless lives have been transformed by Christ.

Our self-paced course empowers students to study, complete quizzes, and earn a Certificate of Achievement from their correctional facility. Each graduate’s spiritual journey ripples outward, uplifting families, strengthening communities, and transforming lives across Colorado and beyond.

Prayer Requests
Your prayers and financial support are vital to our mission. Please join us in praying:

That God will open doors to fund and expand Starting Over to new organizations, ministries, and churches across the U.S.
That more onsite and tablet participants will receive Christ and embrace the life-changing biblical principles and life skills.
That our tablet program will continue to grow, sharing the gospel with thousands more
For wisdom and balance in my personal and ministry life.

As we look to 2026, the opportunities are incredible with more open doors than ever before. To walk through those doors, we need friends like you standing with us.

2025 has been a year of explosive growth in lives changed, but it’s also been our most financially stretched season yet. If Starting Over has encouraged your heart, would you prayerfully consider one of these next steps?

Increase your current monthly gift (even a small bump makes a big difference)
Begin a new recurring partnership
Make a special year-end gift today,

Every dollar you give translates directly into another inmate hearing the Gospel and stepping into the life God intended. Call us at 719-499-8293 or click the link below to donate now. Together, we can change lives for eternity.

In The News

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