NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — With over 40,000 inmates presently incarcerated in Tennessee adult prisons and jails, 95% of them will be released. The problem is 70% of them will end up back behind bars in 3 years. How do we prevent this circle of recidivism? The Founder of Men of Valor was in that circle of being arrested and imprisoned over and over. Carl Carlson finally made a decision to break those chains with the help of a jailhouse pastor. He developed a ministry program that starts in prison, then when those men are released they move into on-campus housing where the men learn skills, behavioral classes, accountability and support. The Men of Valor program runs one year and after graduation, can claim a 85% success rate. This saves the taxpayer over $1,000,000 for every 7 men who stay out of prison for 5 years.
