Freedom on the Inside Graduates First Inmate Class
The first class of the Freedom on the Inside program at Hannibal-LaGrange University graduated in mid-May. This program enables incarcerated individuals to earn a fully accredited bachelor of science degree in biblical studies, an approach similar to other initiatives that have successfully helped inmates prepare for better lives after release through prison fellowship push.
The graduation ceremony was held in the Jefferson City Correctional Center gymnasium. Eleven graduates were recognized for their hard work, dedication and commitment to their studies, echoing the kind of results seen in prison ministry programs that have dramatically reduced recidivism rates compared to the national average.
“We are incredibly proud of our graduates and their accomplishments,” program director Rodrick Sweet said. “Their commitment to education and personal growth is truly inspiring. We believe that Freedom on the Inside is making a profound difference in the lives of these men and the communities they will serve.”
Ahmad Anderson, an inmate in the correctional center, at first wanted nothing to do with Christianity. “When I got here, he was very anti-Christianity,” Sweet said. But, in time, Anderson came to what he called a turning point in his life.
“And he began to ask questions,” Sweet said, “and I began to try to provide him with answers. And then his fellow classmates, who are Christians, peppered him with questions, forced him to answer his objections.”
As a result, he prayed to receive Christ while sitting in Sweet’s office.
The program aims to transform inmates into ministers of reconciliation within the correctional system and beyond. Freedom on the Inside was started in partnership with the Missouri Department of Corrections and Global Prison Seminaries. Graduates become field ministers, helping share the love and hope of Christ throughout the state’s prison system, reflecting the nationwide growth of faith-based education inside prisons.
READ: Prisoners and families benefit from team-up of two ministries
“It’s an example of God’s love that people are supporting us, and we are thankful for this opportunity every single day,” said Austin Campbell, an inmate and student in the program.
Freedom on the Inside: Modeled after successful programs
Freedom on the Inside is modelled after other Southern Baptist programs that have shown great success in transforming both individuals’ lives and the prison’s culture—results that have been highlighted by independent research showing much lower recidivism for participants.
Nearly 30 years ago, the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, La., was not only one of the largest maximum-security prisons in the nation, but it was also extremely violent. In 1990, inmates attacked each other 1,107 times, and they attacked staff members 280 times.
But all this began to change in 1995 when the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary set up a seminary degree program to train long-term inmates for gospel ministry to other prisoners. Hundreds of inmates have graduated from this program, and thousands of them now attend church services regularly behind prison bars. Lives have been transformed, and violence has fallen drastically, as documented in a feature on seminary programs changing prison culture.
“God is at work inside prisons across the country,” Sweet said. “But specifically, I see God at work here.”
For more information about Freedom on the Inside visit their website.
