Bridges To Life needs volunteers to help make a difference in the lives of both prison inmates and victims of crime. You can help! Find out more about how you can join the Bridges To Life volunteer team.
Sandra Stephenson was the first recipient of the Patricia Stonestreet Victim Volunteer Award, given at the 2009 Bridges To Life Vision Luncheon on December 10, 2009.
Numerous articles have been published about the unique work of Bridges To Life in both local and national publications.
John Sage was honored as the first recipient of the Bert Thompson Pioneer Award for Community and Restorative Justice at the National Conference on Restorative Justice in May 2009.
Jim Buffington and Brandon Willard received 2008 Governor’s Criminal Justice Volunteer Service Awards
John Sage received the HYLA Liberty Bell Award and was inducted into the St. Thomas Hall of Honor in 2008.
John and Frances Sage received the Samaritan Spirit Award on October 23.
Recidivism is the rate at which released inmates return to prison. Prison population has reached record highs in Texas and the United States. It is estimated that up to 50% of released inmates resume their criminal activity and return to prison as recidivists. Reduced recidivism has significant economic and societal impact. Instead of costing the state of Texas for re-incarceration, ex-offenders are out working and supporting themselves and their families. A properly rehabilitated offender is paying taxes, going to a church, raising his or her children, and contributing to society rather than being a financial and emotional liability.
It is, of course, impossible to measure the amount of savings in emotional trauma by rehabilitating inmates and reducing the number of crimes and crime victims. With the assistance of TDCJ Victim Services Division, Bridges To Life is tracking all inmates after they are released from prison. Perhaps most indicative of its impact is that 9,267 inmates have completed the program and 3,602 released inmates are currently in our recidivsm study. Although our study is still in progress, only 587 inmates (16.3%) have returned to the system and only 39 (1.108 have returned for violent crimes.
•9,267 inmates have completed Bridges To Life since 2000
•3,602 released inmates are currently in our recidivism (return to prison) study
•587 have returned to prison – This represents a 16.3% recidivism rate* thus far
— 368 new convictions (10.22%); 219 technical violations (6.08%)
•Only 39 (1.08%) of released offenders have returned for violent crimes!
*recidivism study still in progress – this is not a completed 3-year study since offenders have been released for varying lengths of time.
For more information, read this article from the New York Times concerning recidivism.
Restoring Peace – Using Lessons From Prison to Mend Broken Relationships details the principles used in the Bridges To Life program, combined with actual stories from victim and inmate participants. The book is intended for repairing or improving relationships with others.
“The first thing that victims must do is learn to live again. This program helps them to accept that change and learn to live and trust again.”
“The best part about this program is the small group setting which allows both victim and inmate to be open and honest with one another and the trust, confidence that is built through these groups.”