Oklahoma’s FCI El Reno has become the first federal prison in the U.S. to launch a Prison Fellowship rehabilitation program. The program, which is faith-based, aims to help inmates change their lives and break the cycle of incarceration.

Breaking the Cycle

The program is built on the principle that no one is beyond redemption. Joshua Smith, the deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, traveled to Oklahoma to mark the launch of the program. Smith, who was once incarcerated himself, knows the impact that faith can have on an individual’s life. “At 21, I was sentenced to federal prison for my role in drugs,” Smith said. “It was in prison that I had an experience with God that changed the trajectory of my life.”

Prison Fellowship’s academies have operated in state prisons for years, including prisons across Oklahoma. Now, FCI El Reno is the first federal prison in the country to offer one. The program’s goal is to give inmates the tools they need to build a different future, one that is free from crime and focused on contributing to their communities.

Ray James, who was once incarcerated at El Reno, now works with Prison Fellowship as the academy program manager. James helps other incarcerated men believe that change is possible. “I wanted to give back, and I wanted to let them realize change is possible, and they’re not stuck where they’re at,” James said.

Heather Rice-Minus, president and CEO of Prison Fellowship, emphasized the importance of the program. “Most of these men in El Reno behind this barbed wire here, they’re going to be our neighbors, and not only can they come home and be good neighbors, they can come home and contribute so much to their families, to their churches, businesses,” Rice-Minus said.

Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.