In 2006, Alpha Ministries Inc. (a national prison advocacy
organization) began requesting proposals from Dallas organizations to establish
a Texas Faith-Based Dormitory Initiative (FBDI) within Hutchins State Jail.
After meeting for four months, Dallas Leadership Foundation was chosen by Alpha
Ministries to establish the dorm in collaboration with numerous other churches
and community and faith-based organizations.
DLF and all of the participating organizations were united in
their desire to see incarcerated men and women come to know Christ and equipped
to return to society. After years of assisting inmates to walk with Christ and
continue their rehabilitation within the larger population despite the
challenges, the advocates for prison ministry now had just the right venue to
focus their outreach efforts.
DLF CPC director James
Reed and Ministries 101 director Chuck Adair began to promote the FBDI
to prisoners by going door-to-door and talking to them within their cells,
distributing flyers about the program, and encouraging them to submit
applications. Approximately 200 prisoners applied and 70 were selected after
meeting the necessary criteria (Including no more than 9 months left on their
sentence, no gang involvement, average mental health, etc.).
Partners such as Skillman
Church of Christ provided resources to address cognitive thinking, Anthems offered a strong parenting
curriculum, Lovers Lane United Methodist
Church and Preston wood Baptist
Church provided spiritual development material, The Called One included a strong substance abuse component, and DLF
added teaching on social integration.
Having a biblically based curriculum structured on a 6-week
rotation for a 9-month period, the program was implemented at both Hutchins
State Jail (all male) and Dawson State Jail (all female) in June 2007.
On June 7, 2014, CPC will celebrate the seventh anniversary of the
opening of the Faith-Based Dorm Initiative.
If you would like to receive more information, please contact
James Reed at 214.777.5520.
