From Power to Purpose, by Sam Brownback: on Crime

As governor, first faith-based prison rehabilitation program

Back in the late 1960s we had some well-intentioned but soft-headed policies on prison reform that had failed miserably. Then the popular idea became to lock them up and throw away the key. For anyone who bothered to pay attention, it was obvious there had to be a better way.

Prison Fellowship found a way. I began working with them: the first [faith-based prison ministry] was operated in Winfield, Kansas, and later moved to Ellsworth, Kansas. The system is modeled on the successful program that Prison Fellowship established in Sugarland, Texas, when George W. Bush was governor. It had a recidivism rate of less than 10%.

Faith-based rehabilitation better than throwing away the key

As I looked into the history of prison reform, it seemed to me that back in the late 1960s we had some well-intentioned but soft-headed policies on prison reform that had failed miserably. Then the popular idea became to lock them up and throw away the key. The problem was that in most cases these individuals were likely to come out of prison at some point, unskilled, untrained, and angry. For anyone who bothered to pay attention, it was obvious there had to be a better way.

Prison Fellowship found a way. I began working with them: the first [faith-based prison ministry] was operated in Winfield, Kansas, and later moved to Ellsworth, Kansas. The system is modeled on the successful program that Prison Fellowship established in Sugarland, Texas. It had a recidivism rate of less than 10%.