In early 1999, former Pennsylvania Governor, George M. Leader, contacted Second Chance Ministries with a great idea and a generous offer. His idea was to create a faith-based life-skills program for state prisons - a program to educate and train select inmates in state prisons who would, in turn, lead and mentor other inmates in how to make good, life-changing decisions. His offer was to underwrite the development of a curriculum that could be used for on-going training of inmates at each state correctional facility.

The result: The Walking Your Faith Program, a program dedicated to the instruction of the Christian faith group within the prison population. The Program has been and will continue to be privately developed and privately funded. A network of volunteers will teach the course. Although essentially from the private sector, the Walking your Faith Program will be closely linked to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections through the Chaplaincy at each State Correctional Facility and through the Chaplaincy in each County Prison.

People of faith believe that God can use any circumstance for good - even prison. It is upon that belief that this program has been developed. Based upon our intimate knowledge of Pennsylvania prisons and prisoners, Second Chance Ministries is aware that every inmate receives an "education" while incarcerated. The "faculty" for this so-called education comes from within the inmate population. The lessons taught are typically destructive ones which we believe have played a significant role in the high rate of recidivism in today's crime statistics.

The Walking Your Faith Program is designed to train a new generation of men and women from the inmate population who will serve as mentors, encouraging the character traits that will change lives and change our society. Inmates selected for the Walking Your Faith Program will undertake a six month to one-year training curriculum which will instruct them on important life principles, including:

1. Knowing God's Purpose for Life
2. Goal Setting
3. Life Skills
4. Obedience to Authority
5. Developing a Work Ethic
6. Establishing Relationships

Each of these skills will be taught in the context of the religious teachings of Christianity. Upon completion of the curriculum, each inmate will receive certification as a Walking Your Faith graduate and will be equipped to mentor others in the prison population on the same positive, life-changing principles. As the hearts, minds and attitudes of the inmate population undergo positive behavior modification for inmates upon release and a safer society for all Pennsylvanians.