True Freedom was one of only two organizations selected by the Ohio Department of Corrections to meet with Ohio Attorney General and candidate for governor, Mike DeWine, during a recent visit to Cleveland. ODRC featured True Freedom for its leadership, impact, and innovation re-entry programming. True Freedom’s Executive Director, Mike Swiger, gave presentations on our proposed Pre-Release Employment Training program as well as our virtual program that is currently being delivered on the prison system’s close-circuit television system and the inmate’s hand-held devises.
Our proposed Pre-Release Employment Training will take current inmates and allow them to leave the correctional institution during the last six months of their sentences to learn a trade or a manufacturing job. The current unemployment rate for ex-offenders is 75%! We believe pre–release education is imperative to a successful re-entry and job placement. This program will help with unemployment for those formerly incarcerated and should reduce recidivism. We praise God for the opportunity to meet with Mike DeWine. Please pray that God would continue to open doors for True Freedom so that many lives might be restored.
On August 24th, 9 young men were baptized at the Juvenile Justice Center in Cleveland. After making first-time professions of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they were instructed about the significance of baptism, and then they were immersed. We praise the Lord that He is using our chaplains, Mark Stradiot and Jimmie Smith, to change lives as these young men repent of their sins and surrender to the Lordship of Christ.
True Freedom Ministries continues to fight addiction with the cross of Christ. Our Reformers Unanimous meetings take place on Thursday evenings with approximately 70-80 people in attendance. After establishing relationships with our clients through RU, we direct them toward detoxification resources in Cleveland.