I met 5 boys ranging from 15 to 17 years old--all guilty of committing murder. To look at them, you would never expect it. One by one they shared their stories with me. These young men know they are looking at 25 to 30 years in prison. Every one of them asked for prayer. Every one of them now…

Maxine Lowe, True Freedom’s Director of Reentry Employment/Human Resources, currently facilitates a workforce development class at the Northeast Reintegration Center (NERC). Ladies are learning how to build resumes, apply for jobs, interview, dress for interviews, and resolve conflicts on the job. From God’s Word clients glean wisdom for character development…

By God’s grace, True Freedom sponsored the second annual “Yard Day” event at Grafton Correctional Institution. Executive Director Michael Swiger clearly articulated the Gospel in an open-air service. We brought in three outside teams (two comprised completely of Amish men) to play in a softball tournament against two prison teams. Last year, one of the Amish teams won…

On May 3, Bill Holko began another Bible study for 12 inmates at Grafton Reintegration Center. Using a study guide by theologian John Stott, the class moved verse by verse through the letters of 1, 2, and 3 John. Bill continues to be impressed by the dedication of participants and by the depth and transparency of classroom discussions…

As a young boy at the age of 8 years old, I was told that I had to find a part time job after school and weekends to supplement my family’s income. The year was 1943 and a world war was raging. I found work peddling newspapers, shining shoes, and mopping floors. I was a happy kid and loved work and helping my family. This work ethic lasted me all my life. At 18 years old…

I was incarcerated for 27 years and 27 days. I became active with True Freedom Ministries when Mike Swiger started a faith-based mentorship program in the Grafton Correctional Institution in 2008. It was a blessing to be part of that program, to see someone like myself, who had gone home and broken through barriers that seemed impossible. This was a big encouragement for guys like me. I am still in contact with the mentor that Mike assigned to me all those years ago.

Come serve the homeless with True Freedom and Cuyahoga Valley Church on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. We meet in the Frontline parking lot at 1744 Payne Avenue, Cleveland, 44114. Volunteers serve sandwiches, fruit, canned food, and various other items. We also provide dishes and utensils for clients to take with them. Twice a month clothing is distributed. It is also our privilege to pray with anyone interested…

What does a newly released inmate wear to his first job interview? Enter Dave Sudnick, creator and overseer of Dave’s Slack Shack, an integral part of True Freedom’s ministry to the homeless and those reentering society after incarceration. Impeccably organized, Dave’s Slack Shack feels like a formalwear store. Clients can select from dress and casual clothing to suit their needs for employment, court appearances, and everyday use. Dave recently outfitted a homeless man in appropriate attire for attending a family funeral. Later that week he provided dress clothing for the burial of a man who was murdered…

At the Lorain Correctional weekly Bible study, I was teaching from the Book of Ephesians and started talking about the ministry of missionary work. I shared that, at the church where I serve as Pastor, we were feeding kids and adults in the neighborhood. I had learned that the children were not eating since schools were out for the summer, so we began feeding families Monday through Friday, for 8 weeks. A man in class said, “Now I remember where I met you…

As COVID hit, Chaplain Mark Stradiot began making live Facebook videos twice a week to connect with our clients and partners. True Freedom is now offering short, monthly evangelistic video messages for sharing on Facebook. These messages will be less than 10 minutes each. We encourage you to make them available to friends, especially those you have been witnessing to and praying for…

On Easter Sunday Chaplain Mark Stradiot went to the Cuyahoga Juvenile Justice Center to declare that Jesus is alive! Over 150 bags of Skittles and Easter handouts were distributed to youth and staff at the facility. Mark shared from 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: “For I delivered unto you first of all that…

In 2019 we shared an article entitled “Men In Cages” in reference to our ministry at Ohio State Penitentiary (OSP), the highest security prison in Ohio. Sadly, COVID interrupted our ministry at OSP, but we are happy to say that God has…

True Freedom and Prospera Reentry are grateful for our ongoing relationship with Y-Haven, an organization that serves the addicted and provides temporary housing for the homeless and those released from incarceration. It is our privilege to secure employment for many of Y-Haven’s clients…

We are back in! For the first time since the pandemic, True Freedom held a service for inmates on Ohio’s Death Row, housed at Chillicothe Correctional Institution. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, our access to this facility was barred for more than a year. On Tuesday, March 22, Chaplain Mark Stradiot had the privilege of preaching God’s Word to five men on Death Row..

I sat in the outer area of House 3 to have private conversation with a young man from Pod A. During this time, twenty boys from Pod B returned from the gym. However, the guard who had been with the boys in the gym did not notify the guard in House 3 that the boys would be returning. When this group of boys saw that someone from Pod A was in the outer area…

Starting in October of 2021, Bill Holko led a Bible study through the book of Ephesians for 12 inmates at Grafton Reintegration Center. The study, organized around John Stott’s, “Ephesians: Building a Community in Christ,” consisted of 13 lessons. All but two sessions were covered when GRC closed again, due to COVID. By God’s grace…

Through the generosity of our donors and in cooperation with Youth for Christ, which covered half of the expenses, we were able to provide a holiday feast to a crowd of over 200 residents and staff members at the Juvenile Justice Center…