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.
Numerous articles have been published about the unique work of Bridges to Life in both local and national publications.
Jim Buffington and Brandon Willard receive 2008 Governor’s Criminal Justice Volunteer Service Awards
John Sage is recipient of HYLA Liberty Bell Award and was inducted into the St. Thomas Hall of Honor.
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. Inmates usually participate in our program within 18 months of their pending release. 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 5,923 inmates have completed the program and 2,484 released inmates are currently in our recidivsm study. Although our study is still in progress, only 448 inmates (18%) have returned to the system and only 30 (1.2%) have returned for violent crimes.
*recidivism tracking 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 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.”