A young man cried during a counseling session because he wanted to be at home with his family.  In jail for the first time for carrying a gun at 16 years old,  he said he needed a gun because the streets of Cleveland weren’t safe.  I asked him what time he got home at night.  He said at 1 am.  I told him…

On April 21st, Mike Swiger had the privilege of delivering the final address at the Northeast Ohio Reentry Summit that was held at the convention center.  Over 200 business leaders and correction professionals were in attendance. God continues to bless and open doors for True Freedom Ministries. 

On Easter Sunday, Pastor Mark Stradiot was able to visit all five houses in the Juvenile Justice Center. In each house, there are three separate pods. For the first time, Pastor Mark went in, personally, to each of the 15 separate pods (in one day!) with the message of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

TFM board member, Dr. Reuben Gobezie, joined Pastor Mark at the Juvenile Justice Center on February 5th. Dr. Gobezie shared his testimony and Pastor Mark presented the gospel at six services in the various housing units.

God is on the move through True Freedom in 2017. By His grace, we have expanded our prison outreach by launching a weekly Alpha Course at Trumbull Correctional, a weekly Character Development class at Trumbull and an additional section of this class at Richland Correctional.

On January 16, 2017, True Freedom Ministries began offering classes, services, and programming at the juvenile prison at Cuyahoga Hills. Jimmie Smith, Mark Stradiot, and Rae Borders will all be involved in this new expansion of our juvenile ministry.

Beginning Monday, January 16th, True Freedom will begin offering classes, services, and programming at the juvenile prison at Cuyahoga Hills. Jimmie Smith, Mark Stradiot, and Rae Borders will all be involved in this new expansion of our juvenile ministry. We praise God for doors He is opening for us to share the Gospel.

Pastor Mark Stradiot and three of his adult children were in the Juvenile Justice Center on Christmas Day. Pastor Mark conducted eight services in all five houses at the Juvenile Justice Center.

True Freedom Ministries continues reaching the broken with the love of Jesus Christ. Recently, our chaplains touched a young man at Cleveland’s Juvenile Justice Center. This young man, arrested 17 times before he turned 16 years old, began selling drugs 10 when his mother set him out on the street corner in front of their house with a bag of marijuana. Two years later she put a gun in his hand to help him carry out his duty.

What a privilege to be able to resource True Freedom Prison Ministries with 5 of the new Alpha Film Series DVD’s to take into prisons all over NE Ohio. Thanks to Frank Scalish, Mike Swiger, Gary Koly and ALL the other people involved with True Freedom for all you do to reach those who Jesus said: “as you do to them—you do to me…”

True Freedom Prison Ministry follows the model Jesus Christ laid out for the disciples in the books of Acts to spread the Gospel in ever-growing concentric circles from their hub in Jerusalem, we seek to reach those first in Cleveland, then to Northeast Ohio, and then to the uttermost parts of the state of Ohio.

True Freedom’s Gary Koly and Michael Swiger were featured speakers at the Nation’s largest Correctional Summit held at the Billy Graham Institute at Wheaton College in late May.

The Juvenile Criminal Justice System mirrors that of the adult system: there is a detention facility where minors are held waiting to go to court for their alleged offenses (the equivalent to the county jail) and the Juvenile Prison where offenders who are found guilty are sent to serve their time.

Since launching back in 2012, True Freedom has had an active presence at the Juvenile Justice Center in downtown Cleveland.  Initially a half dozen volunteers visited weekly.

Dozens of Northeast Ohio churches turned out for the first official prison ministry training seminar provided by True Freedom Ministries in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections on Saturday, November 17th.