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Stopping The Revolving Door of Incarceration
Christ provides the path.
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We help.
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Our residents do the hard work of transforming their lives.
Charity's Story
Charity grew up in a physically, mentally and emotionally abusive home. At the age of 10, she was drinking and using drugs. She dropped out in 8th grade and was a mother before she was 17.
She had been sent to prison three times before she found the Oaks of Righteousness. With the support of her husband, “God opened my eyes and showed me that even I could be a new creation in Christ.”​
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She graduated from the Oaks and became involved in prison ministry. Now, she is our Director of Operations. Here's how the Oaks transforms lives.
The Oaks Process
We offer a one-year, faith-based residential program with an option for women to stay longer as they pursue educations or career training. Our approach is based on the best practices for women returning to society after prison and the lessons we have learned over our many years of operations.
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Here’s what the Oaks approach looks like.
Before release
We go into prisons to teach Bible study classes and introduce inmates to the Oaks program.
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The most important quality we look for in an Oaks applicant is the desire to change. That means changing her life, changing her habits and changing her future path.
Phase One
6 Months
Women arrive with almost nothing. They find gifts laid out in their rooms and a family of women to support them.
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They participate in a 12-step recovery program, individual counseling, Bible studies, and mentoring. They take job skills classes. Most importantly, they have a chance to heal.
Phase Two
6 Months
They find a job and learn how to manage their money.
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They pay a small program fee and open a bank account, which helps establish a credit history. They continue their recovery programs. After six months, they can graduate and transition to the outside world.
Phase Three
Women can defer graduation while they continue their educations or career training.
They work jobs and pay a higher program fee. They still pay less than they would have to pay in outside rent.
What works:
Our Theory Of Change
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We use tried-and-true approaches to beat the odds.
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Two-thirds of women released from prison will be convicted of new crimes or violate the terms of their parole and be sent back to prison.
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The Oaks of Righteousness breaks that cycle. The key has been to meet our women’s spiritual, emotional and physical needs through proven strategies.
FAITH
Studies show faith-based programs reduce recidivism by 26-40%. Former inmates who embrace faith are also more likely to find jobs, cope with trauma and find forgiveness.
Job Skills Training
Even more than male inmates, women may lack work histories and the skills to find and hold jobs. Training, transportation and proper identification help them overcome those challenges.
FAMILY & COMMUNITY
Women inmates experience trauma early in life and often have toxic relationships with their own families. Caring, trusting environments and strong relationships have been shown to help them recover.
Housing Security
Housing costs are a major hurdle for former inmates. Programs that provide women with safe, secure housing as they adjust to their new lives help address the very real threat of homelessness.
Substance Abuse Programs
Drug and alcohol relapses and recidivism go hand-in-hand. Research shows substance abuse programs, especially ones that are easily available, are critical to staying out of prison.
Financial Literacy
Women usually leave prison with poor credit histories, which limits their access to housing and owning a vehicle. Classes in financial responsibility and plans to build credit scores help them succeed..