According to their web site:
The Second Chance Program, Inc. (SCP) is a non-profit government-consulting group that helps governments handle the combined problems of crime and drug abuse by developing prison-based and community-based rehabilitation and prevention programs. SCP has worked extensively since 1995 with the Mexican government of Baja California in developing unique solutions that have reduced community-wide crime rates by 55% at a cost even the Mexican government can afford.
A Prison-Based Rehabilitation Model
Since 1995, SCP has worked with the Department of Prisons for the State of Baja California, in developing a prison-based rehabilitation model that directly addresses and handles four areas that are vital to the rehabilitation of inmates. Individual modules for each of these four areas include: a Drug Rehabilitation Module, an Education Module, a Self-Respect Module and a Life Skills Module. This program is called "The Second Chance Program."
The purpose of the model was to convert a prison into a facility that would actually rehabilitate inmates so they did not come back into the criminal justice system after they were released. Due to this, the parameters of the model were set to include a cross-section of the prison population rather than a population prescreened for maximum chance of result. Additionally, it had to be able to start small and gradually expand to include most of the prison. It had to reduce violence and drug use inside the prison. It had to greatly reduce criminal recidivism and finally, had to be extremely cost effective.
Rick and Joy were awarded IAS Freedom Medals several years ago have continued unabated to work to help prisoners get exactly that - a real second chance.
