-By Volunteer Jake Manes

Over the past six months, I’ve had the honor of serving alongside Pastor David Hill through True Freedom Ministries at Stark Regional Community Correction Center (SRCCC) in Canton, Ohio. Together, we’ve been helping lead Celebrate Recovery and Character Development classes, watching God move powerfully in the lives of men and women behind bars. Recently, after graduating from both programs myself, we decided to hold a special Yard Day event to reach even more inmates—especially those who haven’t yet been part of our groups. With a team of 9 volunteers, we entered SRCCC with humble resources but big faith. Because of the number of inmates interested, we held three separate services (two for men and one for women). Each service included…

Bill Holko completed another Stepping Up class. This video series class, which includes a workbook and a significant amount of “homework”, focuses on courageous biblical manhood. Each class member is also required to complete an individualized Stepping Up Plan (SUP) which deals with an area of his life in which he determines he needs to demonstrate more courage. The testimonials below were written by men who successfully completed the course: “All glory to God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. I am thankful I was given the time to experience the Stepping Up video series. It has, is, and will continue to have an indescribable impact. This is just the beginning. Now, I look forward to…

True Freedom Ministries was recently interviewed by Overcomers TV.

https://overcomerstv.live/true-freedom-ministries/

- By Mitchell Mathie

My name is Mitchell Mathie. I am 38 years old. This is my first time being locked up, and my first felony. It is my only charge other than traffic violations. I came into this situation with an attitude of, “It’s not my fault,” “The world is out to get me,” and “Life has forced me to do what I did.” The Authentic Manhood classes, The Faces of Men and A Man and His Work, have truly helped form a new attitude. Rich Swiger’s teaching, stories, and words of wisdom were exactly what I needed to hear. I now understand it is my actions that got me here. God has a better place for me in his will, and I can be there by working with instead of against Him. I wanted to write this to express how thankful…

- By Larry Carman

Hey Pastor Mark,

This is Larry Carman. I would like to start off by saying thank you for everything you do. I really appreciate the time you take out of your day to help us learn the Word of God. I never thought I would be somebody that changed like this, but I’ve been through Stark Regional Community Correction Center four other times. Not once before did I admit I had a problem, but the staff never gave up on me. Learning God’s Word made me realize I was walking with the devil. But something good finally happened! I’m not sure when or how, but something finally clicked. If it wasn’t for you coming in here, taking the precious time to teach us the Bible, I’m not sure where I’d be headed. With everything in my soul, thank you for…

Did you know the Grafton Reintegration Center, in partnership with PROSPERA Reentry, provides incarcerated men an opportunity to complete a screen-printing apprenticeship? This program is certified by the U.S. Department of Labor and requires the men to complete over 4,000 hours of structured experiential learning. In 2024, three men completed the apprenticeship program, two of them continuing to assist new apprentices and manage the shop. There are currently 9 men in this program. Recently, the Creative Ink Screen-Printing shop (so named by the original inmate-participants) completed a project for the non-profit…

“If you don’t have Jesus, you are incarcerated. https://youtu.be/rqV2TGxqYS0 Thank you for your partnership with us. True Freedom Ministries is having a huge impact in the lives of so many inmates. Would you prayerfully consider making a monthly or one-time gift to support this amazing work that was commissioned by Jesus Himself (Mathew 25:36)?www.truefreedomministries.com/donate

https://youtu.be/oVwwks7zzfo Prospera Reentry is the sister non-profit to True Freedom Ministries, dedicated solely to prisoner workforce empowerment. We transport inmates daily to job sites where they earn from minimum to prevailing wage. This program is having a huge impact. One client shared that Prospera helped him make a smooth transition back to society: “I didn’t have to worry about saving up any money because I already had money. I just had to focus on reuniting with my family, being in my daughter’s life, and bonding…

True Freedom Ministries’ Workforce Readiness Development Course is an 8-week program designed to help incarcerated individuals prepare for the realities of the working world before release and to encourage returning citizens to become the best employees they can be. Using proven methods and basic applications, the Workforce Readiness program seeks to move each cohort into an environment rife with confidence where honing individual abilities is a collateral benefit that occurs naturally as the class progresses. This short course promises to engage thinking, build assertive behaviors, strengthen overall skillsets, and boost…

True Freedom Ministries was approached by a volunteer and donor, John Leone, about a group of inmates at Grafton Correctional Institution who were interested in becoming certified CrossFit instructors as a possible career path after their release. CrossFit is a national fitness franchise that produces measurable outcomes through lifestyle changes, centered on training and nutrition. Workouts consist of constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movements. True Freedom worked with the executive team at Grafton along with CrossFit’s national headquarters…

True Freedom’s own Chaplain Mark Stradiot has been an instructor with Walk Thru the Bible Ministries since 1989. Walk Thru the Bible is an international ministry that includes separate seminars for the Old and New Testaments. The seminars give the BIG picture of the Bible. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is shared during every presentation. Each seminar lasts about 3 hours and incorporates a variety of teaching methods. Mark has done numerous seminars in the states and has also represented Walk Thru the Bible in other countries. In 2025 Mark is taking Walk Thru the Bible into Ohio’s Correctional Institutions. He has already completed seminars in Lorain, Mansfield, Lake Erie, Grafton and Noble prisons, with another 8 seminars on the calendar. So far 212 men have attended the seminars…

Executive Director Michael Swiger was interviewed on Overcomers TV. Watch the interview here:

https://youtube.com/live/ocgBk1yj77k

-By Jay Caffee, Grafton Reintegration Center

The Character Development program is a 40-week class that consists of four modules, broken down into 10-week increments. Each module deals with 10 different values and ways to apply this knowledge to life. Each week the facilitator, Bill Holko, has one class member read aloud about the current value. Next, we have an open discussion, giving all the chance to express something from the text that stood out to them. We then complete a self-evaluation and action step. Every class member rates himself from 1-10 on how well he believes he displays the value, what benefits he believes he will obtain by raising his rating, and what specific action step he will take to grow. Additionally, he identifies a person in his life who demonstrate…

True Freedom Ministries sponsored a Final Four basketball tournament at London Correctional Institution. The prison fielded two teams while Grace Church (Bath campus) brought in two teams of eager volunteers for the tournament. The day started with two competitive games. During the lunch break, Executive Director Mike Swiger shared his amazing testimony and presented the good news of Jesus with all the teams. Everyone was touched. After lunch, third place was decided through the consolation game, and finally, it was time for the exciting championship game. London Correctional won the trophy! The Final Four tournament was a fantastic time of

By Chaplain Smith
I spoke with a 15-year-old boy at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Justice Center. He was in the medical ward due to his injuries. This young man had been involved in an attempted robbery. His gun went off, shooting, but not killing, his victim—a man who had started to fight the youth. As we talked, this boy welcomed prayer and salvation…

Recently, Bill Holko completed the first 10-week module of Character Development with 10 men in Cellblock 8A at Lorain Correctional. Per Bill, this particular group of guys was especially engaging, conversational and mutually respectful. Here are some comments from a few of the guys in the class: “I just completed Module One of the curriculum, and it was very helpful and educational. The course was refreshing and full of practical application for everyday life. Additionally, the program facilitator (Bill) was extremely professional and very inspirational. He continually extracted examples from his personal life experience to help reinforce the message being highlighted in the curriculum…

One hundred men participated in the first round of “Authentic Manhood: A Man and His Design” at Stark Regional Community Correction Center, with twenty-seven completing the class in its entirety. The graduation ceremony served as an awesome time of reflection upon the past 2 months of meeting and learning together. The course began with a cursory overview of what a godly man looks like and ended with a deep dive into four different faces of manhood, considering the seasons of life. This multi-volume video series provides a vision for men, rooted in Jesus’ 33 years on earth. Facilitated by Richard Swiger (no relationship to Executive Director Mike Swiger!), the class inspires lives of truth, passion and purpose with resources offering clear, practical, and refreshing biblical insights…

By every metric used in prison ministry and reentry, 2024 was a remarkable year of growth for both True Freedom Ministries and Prospera Reentry. Through the faithful dedication of our staff and volunteers, we conducted over 2,000 services, classes, and programs. Total attendance within the prison system eclipsed 45,000 for the first time—an increase of over 5,000 people from the previous year! The hard work of investing in lives for eternity materializes in the weekly discipleship of men and women. Transformative relationships are built through classes like Alpha, Stepping Up, Reformers Unanimous, Celebrate Recovery and our 40-week Character Development program all across the state. Additionally, through the generous support of the TMG Cares Foundation…

https://youtu.be/YvOvAkCVS_0

Thank you for your partnership with us. True Freedom Ministries is having a huge impact in the lives of so many inmates. Would you prayerfully consider making a monthly or one-time gift to support this amazing work that was commissioned by Jesus Himself (Mathew 25:36)?

www.truefreedomministries.com/donate