InnerChange Freedom Initiative

In 1997 the IFI program was introduced to the Carol Vance Unit, a prison in unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas.

The program stated that the second phase "tests the inmate's value system in real-life settings and prepares him/her for life after prison.

Inmates may spend much of the day in off-site prison work programs or involved in the reentry portion of the IFI curriculum."

For instance the Alcoholics Anonymous meetings directly referred to Jesus instead of using the phrase "higher power."

In order to graduate from IFI, one had to be employed for six months after he was released, as well as meet with a trained local mentor, and attend a pro-social group.

[2] PFI paid the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society to conduct a study on the effectiveness of the IFI program in the Carol Vance Unit in Fort Bend County, Texas.

[5] The members of the IFI group who had their recidivism rates tracked were released from prison before September 1, 2000.

"[5] The editorial stated "the positive findings about the InnerChange Freedom Initiative parallel more than 500 other studies showing that the "faith factor" often makes faith-based programs more effective than their purely secular counterparts.

"[2] Upon examining the study, Kleiman concluded that IFI selected prisoners who were already motivated and disciplined and more likely to succeed to participate in the program.

[9] Kleiman criticized the promoters of the program, saying "Anything that selects out from a group of ex-inmates those who hold jobs is going to look like a miracle cure" and "The InnerChange cheerleaders simply ignored the other 102 participants who dropped out, were kicked out or got early parole and didn't finish.

Scott Nowell of the Houston Press said that "Colson didn't really address Kleiman's argument of selection bias.

'"[2] Nowell stated that "no one outside the Christian community is making much of an argument with Kleiman's position -- not even the study's author, Byron Johnson.

"[7] The Houston Press asked Scott Phillips, a Rice University assistant professor of sociology, to examine the Penn study.

Responding to the point, Nowell said "The men who have stuck with InnerChange exhibit an air of calmness and stability not often found in those who've done time in Texas.