Florida's new approach to inmate reform: a 'faith-based' prison

Ken Cooper is a convicted bank robber whose life changed after visits in jail from a retired Sunday School teacher. Now, he's getting the chance to return the favor.

Wednesday Mr. Cooper, who has become an evangelical minister, will give the prayer of dedication at a Florida experiment in inmate rehabilitation: America's first totally "faith-based prison."

The medium-security facility will house only inmates who have chosen to take part in rehabilitation programs run by volunteers from religious groups.

While controversial to critics who see it blurring church-state lines, the program aims to become a model for correctional systems that have long struggled to break the cycle of recidivism.

Every year, Florida's jail officers say farewell to about 25,000 inmates at the end of their sentences. But roughly the same number of new prisoners arrive at their doors. And of those who are released, nearly half commit new crimes within five years.

To advocates such as Cooper, many of whom have been through those prison gates themselves, the best way out involves desire, discipline, and the divine.

"Faith is what makes a difference. If you change what's inside you, you have the opportunity to live your life," says Cooper, who expects that 90 percent of those involved in the Lawtey Correctional Institution program in Raiford, Florida, will not reoffend.

That's an ambitious goal, given the tidal trend of inmate recidivism. "It's like the sea flowing in and out," said Sterling Ivey, spokesman for Florida's Department of Corrections. "You lose some, but then you gain some. It's a pretty relentless cycle."

In the program, volunteers will act as personal mentors, offering support to each inmate both during their incarceration and as they settle back into the community after serving their sentences.

Inmates will participate in all the usual day-to-day prison activities, but during evenings and at weekends will undergo extra classes examining issues such as anger management, good parenting, and the effect of crime on victims, run by representatives from a variety of faiths including Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

As of today, 26 religions will be represented among Lawtey's population. Belief in a god is not a requirement of the program. But a commitment to self-improvement is. Of the 819 prisoners housed at Lawtey when the scheme was announced in early December, less than 100 have indicated that they do not wish to take part; they have been moved to facilities elsewhere in the state.

"If you have an entire prison comprised solely of people who want to better themselves, you take out some of the negative influences that you find in a traditional prison environment," said prison spokesman Mr. Ivey. "We hope to capitalize on that."

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