Approach

Our primary mission is to empower small local jails to transform their culture, so the atmosphere of the jail can transform, so that people’s lives can transform. The basic method for doing so is to help the jail’s “transformation team” implement the Roadmap To Jail Transformation.

For more details on exactly how we approach this, see the sections below on our logic model, framework for jail transformation, personal transformation model, and the 52-week project plan template.

Our “theory of change” is: If a jail will engage in a formal project to transform their jail into a place of transformation (redemption, re-birth, reform, and reentry), then individuals who complete the program will go on to break the cycles of poverty, addiction, sin, and crime, and go on to become productive members of the community.

Our primary mission is to small jails, but we are certainly available to help any jail. For larger jails, we offer several services to help begin the journey to transformation. Please visit our Consulting Services page for more details about these services.

For local jails to experience true, lasting transformation, it is essential for the local churches in the community to see their local jail as “The Mission Field Next Door”. We are very committed to creating a “Jail-Activated Church Network”!

We prefer to partner with the local ministerial alliance, while also realizing those don’t exist in every community. So, our rule-of-thumb is to look for a collaboration of 4 to 5 local churches where each pastor is “on board” and there are at least two volunteers from each church who want to go through our training.

We also have information for denominations, bishops, and church networks that will be very beneficial to communicate the bigger picture and the benefits that can be realized..

If you are interested in signing up for some training, please complete this form.

The C4JT philosophy is, at the end of the day, it is neither corrections’ nor law enforcement’s responsibility to see that lawbreakers are restored to productive citizenship in the community. It is THE COMMUNITY’S responsibility! It is our sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters caught up on the devastating cycles of poverty, addiction, sin, and crime. To that end, we have found that organizing your local community to be pro-active on restoring people returning from incarceration (or struggling with probation) is simple, low-cost, and highly effective.

Click here for more details on creating a Community Transformation Coalition.

Click here for a free copy of the book Purposeful Neighboring: Creating Reentry-Ready Communities.

The C4JT Logic Model gives you a deeper look into our assumptions, design, and outcomes. Click here for the PDF version.

The C4JT Personal Transformation Model is provided as an overview of our core program. Click here for the PDF version.

The C4JT Framework for Jail Transformation provides the details of our approach and the specific Who/What/When/Where/Why/How for each level of the Framework. Click here for the PDF version.

As part of our research activities, we are developing detailed descriptions of each "cell" in this matrix (job descriptions, examples, policies, procedures, etc.). If you would like to participate in our Framework Research Virtual Working Group, please contact us.

The C4JT 15 Phases of Transformation model is a comprehensive look at what a complete program ideally include. Please feel free to request a Zoom meeting with us to go over this together and discuss how it can be customized to your community. Click here for the PDF version.

We are building a database of jail transformation best practices (and emerging, promising practices) and evidence-based practices* (when they exist). You will be able to search this database easily to find the solutions you need, whether you are a jail leader, church leader, or community leader. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you can stay informed.

* Our definition of a true "evidence-based practice" is: A program that has existed for at least ten years, with measurable outcomes, and has been validated by at least two experts with appropriate and sufficient academic credentials to do so. This high level of rigor causes true instances to be rare indeed. Any program claiming to be evidence-based but does not meet this standard is instead either a research-based practice (if researchers are studying it) or an emerging or promising practice.

We don’t have an exact figure, but of the 3,200 jails, we estimate that 80% or 2,500 are 200 beds or less.