CORE – THE WHY

While we do not judge the process nor are we advocates for social justice in any of its various descriptions, we do seek out those incarcerated individuals who are open to changing their current and future life trajectories.
We recognize the harm that many of the incarcerated men and women have exacted on victims as well as their families, so one of our goals in guiding those in our program to wholeness, is accepting responsibility for how their actions have harmed others. Many of us in CORE leadership are former victims of crime as well as perpetrators of crime, so we have great respect for victims and acknowledge that many victims will never be made whole themselves nor will they ever be able to emotionally resolve their injuries. However, the fact remains that many of their offenders will complete their sentence and will once again regain their freedom to live their lives as they so choose.
Without dedicated, effective and intentional intervention during the incarceration process, it is almost guaranteed that the punishment of prison alone will not prevent an offender from reoffending. And if we might add, not just any type of intervention or programming will be successful at nurturing a change.
To illustrate the seriousness of this reality, the most comprehensive “Recidivism” study conducted by the Bureau of Justice tracked 403,000 released inmates from thirty (30) states for a period of nine (9) years. The BJS reported that over 50% of the released inmates were rearrested for crimes during the first 12 months and 81% had been rearrested within nine (9) years. We would like to add that just because a former incarcerated individual has not been rearrested for a new crime, that in itself does not indicate that the person is living a significant, productive, and fulfilling lifestyle nor does it mean that he/she is living a crime-free existence.
National statistics reflect that 90-95% of all incarcerated individuals will be released from captivity. In Alabama, 8,000 plus men and women are released from Alabama prisons annually and are returning to our communities; either to their family, a transition facility, on their own or to the streets if they have no home plan. Only a fragment of the 8,000 released each year participated in any kind of rehabilitative programming during their incarceration.
LifeLink was created to address this troubling situation. We have enacted a 3-phase strategy specifically designed to address the failed lifestyles that sent people to prison and to establish corrective behavioral practices that will keep people out of criminal activities. CORE is phase 1 during the incarceration.
LifeLink is a sub-contractor to the Alabama Department of Corrections and requires a dedicated residential housing unit inside each participating prison facility. The CORE program inside each facility is staffed by full-time employees of LifeLink. LifeLink CORE operates an office and fully equipped classrooms inside the housing units so we are always on-site to provide guidance and correction when needed. Our CORE staff manages the extensive curriculum delivery and the scheduling of volunteer instructors.
We are currently operating CORE in Bibb County, St. Clair and Tutwiler Correctional Facilities. It is thoughtfully designed to produce a safe, healthy and orderly community. Our program exists to provide specialized education tailored for this unique population. As in every endeavor, a successful outcome is largely dependent on an intentional start that favors the odds of success. To this end, LifeLink selects ADOC offenders who demonstrate they have a desire to change their present and future life path. Once approved for inclusion, they are repopulated into the CORE residential dorm.