The inmate recidivism rate is the benchmark by which the success or failure of our current prison system is judged.  Are we rehabilitating our inmates or simply training them to become more skilled, elusive criminals?  The greater problem for the Florida Department of Corrections lies in the fact that in 2009, 40,000 inmates will be released from the State’s prisons while 45,000 more are incarcerated, a staggering 12-1/2% annual growth rate within our budget-strapped system.  The recidivism rate, for offenders committing new crimes, is currently around 32%, meaning that of that 40,000 released, at least 12,800 will become repeat offenders. However, when VOP (Violation of Probation) statistics are included, the recidivism rate more than doubles the 32%. Furthermore, there is not enough bed space, so current prison facilities must be expanded and more must be built and staffed or else, like California, inmates will be turned out long before their mandatory sentences are completed.  It costs the State approximately $25,000 annually to house, feed and care for each inmate, but when you couple in the fact that the majority of inmates’ families are receiving State-funded assistance of some kind, that number effectively soars upward toward $100,000 each.  With this overall claim on State funds, the ability to institute and pay for effective rehabilitative programs has been greatly diminished, if not eliminated.  Furthermore, if the truth be told, we know that these programs have not truly rehabilitated very many inmates.  So, with a growing number of career criminals within our State and the prisons seemingly becoming a graduate school for criminal training, what are we to do as a government charged with protecting our citizens?

Throwing money at the growing problem has not worked and now, there is little of that to go around.  Is there any hope to rehabilitate our inmates and significantly reduce the growing recidivism rate?  Clearly, a more radical approach seems necessary, but where is it and who is able to effectively administer such a program?  Are we simply doomed to fail and merely remain a punitive housing program?

To find an answer to these questions, a truly radical approach must be sought out.  Due to budgetary and time constraints which are strangling the limited resources of government, these answers must come from the Private Sector, not through more privately-run prisons, but through entrepreneurial, faith-based, privately-funded, volunteer programs.  There is no quick fix.  There never has been.  It will take some very special people who are willing to make a long-term investment of their time, talents and treasures into such a program, into the very lives of our inmate population, whereby the inmates, even their families on the outside, can be effectively-instilled with a sincere hope for tomorrow, higher but attainable goals, the confidence and training to carry out a personally-designed plan, the necessary life skills training to cope with society and family life, a new attitude and compass heading for their lives and continued counseling and mentoring after their release, to ensure their chance of success.  Is this a mere pipe dream or are there such people and such a program?

The answer is, “Yes”, and it looks like we have found the winning combination to get it done.   “Operation Launch” is a pioneering recidivism reduction and prevention program offered by Xtreme Soulutions, Inc., a faith-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing at-risk young adults and soon-to-be-released inmates with the necessary tools so that they can improve their chances to succeed in life, in the midst of very difficult circumstances, wherein society generally shows them little or no favor.  Founder and President, Blaine Whitt initially started Xtreme Soulutions in 2003, serving needy citizens with bread and other food staples from the Church he pastors in Citra, FL.  Soon, the Program expanded to serving at-risk young adults in the Community and then inmates at the Marion County Jail, finding them gainful employment, teaching them life skills which would better enable them to navigate the difficult waters of life, and teaching them how to be ready to take on responsibilities not yet learned.  In late 2008, Blaine was asked to share his vision and ongoing work at a meeting of the Marion County Faith and Justice Coalition.  When he finished, Bill Smith, then Warden of Marion Correctional Institution for Men in Lowell asked if this Program could be adapted for and implemented at the Prison.  The answer was a confident, “YES!”  Warden Smith and his staff facilitated and assisted in the crafting of the foundation of this specially-designed Program by the Xtreme Soulutions’ Team, to meet the needs of the institution under his charge.  The prototypical Program began on July 6th of 2009.

Just two weeks before the start of Operation Launch, Warden Smith was transferred to Sumter Correctional, leaving the Program in potential jeopardy.  The question was whether new warden, Brian Riedl, would embrace and support the new, ground-breaking Program, especially with it beginning almost immediately upon his arrival.  After two meetings with the Xtreme Soulutions’ Executive Team and his staff, he gave an enthusiastic ‘green light’ and on day-one, gave a surprise, impassioned motivational speech to the men in the Program.  Now, he is diligently working with Xtreme Soulutions to successfully-implement Phase I of the Program with this first class of inmates and then introduce the succeeding Phases of the Program and new classes of inmates.  Xtreme Soulutions’ Board Member and Instructor, Rock Gibboney stated, “We are very blessed to have worked with Bill Smith and now with Brian Riedl, two men of vision, who are seeking to not only reduce recidivism within their facilities, but also to seek a realistic hope for the future imparted to their inmates.”

The groundbreaking components of the Program set it apart from other programs now in prisons and jails.  We know that the word ‘rehabilitation’ has long departed from our prisons’ vocabulary, mainly because of budgetary constraints and, in reality, very little success.  Operation Launch is committed to the re-institution of that challenging concept by fundamentally-changing the inmate’s self-image and confidence from the ground up.  First of all, Operation Launch is committed to each inmate/client for a period of four (4) years (ideally), though they turn no serious applicant away), the three (3) years in prison before their release and the year after their release.  Additionally, the Program is equally-committed to the inmate’s family for that same period, supplying specially-designed counseling and assistance which not only enables the inmate to have a healthy transition back into society and family life, but makes it possible for the family to better cope with their own immediate difficulties.  Xtreme Soulutions partners with a large network of organizations, both public and private, to provide needed services to effectively give hope to the future of our clients and their families.

Inmates, generally residing in the ‘Work Camp’ area, can volunteer to be a part of this Program, but their families must also consent to be fully-involved, both as a support group and willing participants.  During the last 36-months of an inmate’s sentence (ideally), they are instructed in a wide array of educational, vocational, social and spiritual lessons which will be directly-applicable, not only to their coming life with their family and in society, but to their remaining time while incarcerated.  They are first reintroduced to their lost identity as a man, husband, father, employee, citizen and purposeful creation of God.  By their own past actions, their identity has been reduced to the number emblazoned on their shirts; they no longer think for or manage themselves, they are not team players and generally blame others for their problems.  This re-training begins with educational, personality and spiritual gifts assessments, so that the inmates, and their families, can set realistic goals while better understanding themselves and those with whom they must interact for the remainder of their lives.  Through spiritual re-awakening and mental re-training, the Program offers each inmate a realistic opportunity to succeed outside the walls and wire.  Their old, false, self-serving and highly-destructive identities must be seen for what they are, rejected with prejudice and wholly-replaced with their newly-discovered, true and purposed identity, found only in Christ and lived out in self-sacrificing service to others, beginning with their own long-suffering and neglected families.

Next, instructors begin educational and social re-introduction lessons along with daily, hands-on exercises designed to raise their level of comprehension, understanding and accomplishment, further raising their newly-gained self-image ands confidence.  The Program’s educational goals are that every inmate will be released with no less than a GED Certificate, with additional opportunities for applied and technical studies.  They will have, from day-one, no less than 14 hours of classes each week, equivalent to a full course of college study.  Homework assignments and additional, permissible projects are required to be completed in a timely and orderly manner.  Besides scholastic classes to improve reading, writing, math and social studies skills, inmates are taught necessary life skills which will enable them to re-assimilate back into family and social life.  These skills include parenting, financial management and budgeting; resume writing and interviewing skills, to name but a few.  Attitudinal assessments are regularly made by instructors, mentors and Prison Staff so that the inmates may be personally-challenged and coached in better communication and team-working skills.  By the time the inmate completes his 36 months within the Program, he is well-equipped to handle life on the outside, both attitudinally and functionally.  Much of the initial shock of release will have been mitigated and his family will be more ready, even anxious, for his return.

As a part of Xtreme Soulutions’ work-readiness program, the inmate, and even their family on the outside, are trained, readying them for new employment.  Furthermore, along with a team of business partners, Xtreme Soulutions is able to supply many of its clients with excellent employment opportunities.  Additionally, the Staff ensures that, upon release, the inmates will have all proper, legal identification necessary to apply for and obtain a job.  Sadly, this has been a major, unaddressed problem for released inmates nationwide.  The Xtreme Soulutions’ Team is successfully-championing this effort at the local, state and national levels, ensuring that inmates have the best opportunity to obtain gainful employment as soon as is possible and not return to criminal activities due to the stress of their inability to quickly and successfully acclimate back into normal life.

The fourth and final year that is spent with the released inmate and his family is highly-crucial to the success of the Program.  Transition and assimilation is very difficult, even for the most prepared person.  Certainly, technological changes not accessible to inmates in prison will continue to be a big surprise, but in all actuality, if an inmate enters prison at age 20, he comes out as an immature 20-year old, even though he may now be 36 years of age.  Rarely is there positive maturity in prison.  Xtreme Soulutions’ Staff and mentors are dedicated and committed, moreover, they are present to ensure that the inmate and his entire family have the best chance to succeed and experience that needed sense of accomplishment for building their self-esteem and confidence for the future. 

There are no free passes with Operation Launch.  It may be a voluntary Program, but due to the very nature of prison environment, the stringent regulations demand that there are no loose ends, no short cuts, no disciplinary problems and no risks taken that would jeopardize the inmate, the staff or the Program itself, and that is just concerning the Operation Launch Staff.  It doesn’t take much for an inmate to lose the privilege of being in the Program.  Disciplinary actions by prison staff can take him out of the Program at any time, as he may be reassigned to ‘lock-up’.  Therefore, he, along with his supporting family, must sign a binding pledge that they all will comply with all rules and act accordingly throughout his tenure in the Program.  The Program itself is not and cannot be sympathetic or soft.  Though we are dealing with real people who may have just made some bad choices, they have been judged as a danger to society and placed in prison.  Prison culture is now their life and the outside world is but a dream, and not a realistic one at that.  With the statewide recidivism rate climbing steadily toward 40%, we realistically-know that an inmate’s transition into the outside world is almost without hope.  It is too easy to be again entangled in a subculture of drugs, robbery, coercion and even murder; just to get what the heavily-burdened inmate may think is necessary to again become a fully-functioning man.  It is these lies and unrealistic expectations that must be dealt with before they are released.  There must be a change of heart in the inmate and a doggedly-determined effort to escape the inevitable onslaught of old friends and the ne’er-do-wells who are resolved in their own outlaw minds to be certain that the released inmate NOT succeed.  Xtreme Soulutions neither knows of nor has ever experienced any other formulae for success available to these poor alienated souls other than through a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. 

As a faith-based organization, Xtreme Soulutions is aware of the guiding doctrines of fairness and equal opportunity.  However, as Operation Launch is a voluntary program, the Staff intends to continue to employ the concepts, teaching and lifestyle that are known to work effectively for the inmate and his family.  Furthermore, Xtreme Soulutions is not a Church and is not required to abide by certain denominational creeds which tend to alienate inmates of differing beliefs or traditions within Christianity.  It does, however, partner with many Churches for support, supplies and volunteers, along with providing inmates and their families with a necessary, spiritual home-base after their release.  Xtreme Soulutions extensively trains its volunteers, transforming them into dedicated, effective ministers and servants to our client/inmates and their families.  Not all faith-based groups are able to invest such extensive amounts of time and effort as is done with both the inmate and his family.  The Xtreme Soulutions Team Members and Staff are highly motivated and dedicated to the Program and its clients, willing to spend extensive time and energy to achieve the common goal – “Empowering People for a Better Tomorrow”.

Operation Launch will be capable of replication in other prison facilities throughout the State and Country; however, without the same heart-felt commitment and determined actions of newly-trained staff, it will not be any better than other well-intended programs.  Therefore, before the Program is launched elsewhere, Xtreme Soulutions intends to continually hone the quality of this Program and prepare adequate, mature trainers who can teach others the concepts and principles which make this Program so valuable and effective.  Staff must repeatedly translate the true vision, passion and dedication to the growing Team so that they never grow stale, resting on their successes, but always be led by the Spirit of God.   As with the inmates, the Program can take NO SHORT CUTS, but must be dedicated to the core of its founding principles and standards, faith in Jesus Christ and laying down one’s lifestyle for those in need.
If Xtreme Soulutions and Operation Launch can effectively reduce recidivism by even a few percentage points, the monetary savings to the State could be enormous.  If career criminals are truly rehabilitated and become contributing citizens, then the true goals of our “Corrections” system are being met, if not exceeded.  In the minds of taxpaying citizens, the duty of government is also being met: the efficient use of tax money and the safety of our citizens.  This Program truly encapsulates the formula for success needed in the lives of our growing inmate population.  It qualifies as a viable Public-Private Partnership within our State and can become a replicable model for other corrections facilities around the Country.  What an awesome asset to have at the State’s disposal, a privately-funded and staffed, volunteer Program which relieves the DOC of pressing budgetary and legal constraints while effectively addressing the most pressing issues faced by the Department.  The State and the DOC should do all within its power to facilitate the success of Operation Launch and in doing so, everybody wins.