En masse, the very fabric of social cohesiveness within this nation has unraveled. Social affinity has been displaced by the expandability of human beings as mere commodities; and the defiant spirit of Cain still resolutely asks, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The answer to this is nowhere more evident than in this country’s prison system. Mandatory prison sentencing laws, “tough on crime” policies, and a resigned dependence upon prison as the primary defense against crime has resulted in the American prison population exceeding 2 million, the highest incarceration rate in the world.  

Rehabilitation has diminished as rapidly as the extended family system. The State has become guardian to society’s outcasts, in the same manner that the nursing home industry has become caretaker for its elderly. Privacy fences and Levelor blinds provide a form of isolation in one’s home, but they are incapable of eliminating the glaring reality of 650,000 prisoners nationwide annually released to their home communities.

Prison has failed to rehabilitate, treat, or prepare inmates for their release. According to the Department of Justice corrections program office, approximately 70% of all offenders are in need of substance abuse treatment. Without treatment, the same addictions that gripped their lives before incarceration remain. Lacking the life skills that preclude them for a successful reintegration within mainstream society, ill equipped to perform the most rudimentary job search, and rejected from obtaining many positions or job-related certifications because of their prison record, many are doomed to
fail.

In 2004, Illinois had the highest recidivism rate in state history, with a recorded 54 percent. It was projected that over one-half of the 36,000 adult inmates scheduled to be released would be reincarcerated within a three- year period – presumably after committing a new crime, finding a new victim, or violating the conditions of their parole. During the Statewide Community Safety & Reentry Commission hearing in April 2005, the Illinois Director of Corrections, Roger Walker, stated, “The state’s rising recidivism rate is a long-term public safety and public policy challenge. It is imperative that those who will be most impacted by the return of ex-offenders to their neighborhoods participate in finding solutions to keeping their communities safe.” Many are not trained or prepared to accept this challenge; however, the Bridge of Success Career Center & Ministries is.

Woven within our seamless mission and ministry is the unalterable, experiential knowledge and belief that God is able to save to the utmost! Studies indicate that “religious beliefs” have a significant influence on motivating offenders to turn from a life of crime and remove themselves from anti-social influences. We realize that everyone will not adhere to the tenets of faith, nor choose everlasting life. Therefore, our career center implements programmatic Best Practices and the counselors and volunteers work to ensure the men and women engaged in this facet of the program are equipped with the essential job skills necessary to obtain gainful employment.