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.
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 2024, 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 50% 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 40 on-site workshops and over 1,300 graduates. 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
Partner with us
UPDATE:
With God’s grace and your prayers and support, we’ve made a significant impact since our launch in 2021, conducting over 40 workshops with more than 1,300 graduates, many of whom have received Christ. We have four more on-site workshops in Colorado this year and our reach has expanded to 15 states, providing our Starting Over video curriculum to over 25,000 inmates through tablets since May 2024.
The course allows students to study at their own pace, complete quizzes, and receive a Certificate of Achievement from their Correctional Facility. As of June 2024, we had over 11,700 course completions, with growth expected. Please pray for the spiritual growth and salvation of our graduates, as their transformation can positively affect their families and communities
Please join us in asking God to bring some of the least-reached people groups in our country to Himself.
As of November 1, we have achieved significant growth but have reached only 65% of our 2024 budget. We kindly ask you to consider an additional donation, which will help us reach more people in 2025. Every contribution, no matter the amount, makes a meaningful impact on our life-changing mission.
We’d be incredibly honored for you to be part of our support team that is transforming 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 bellow
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.
