It's a day that inmates both long for and dread at the same time. Once the gates close behind them and they’re finally free, they’re also on their own – many starting from square one with just the clothes on their back. Describing that moment as “intimidating” is putting it lightly.  

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With few resources and no direction, the problem is only 33% of all released inmates in Arizona stay out of prison.

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20 years ago, Along Side Ministries was founded to turn that sad statistic upside down – and it has! Today, 92% of our recovery program graduates leave prison and stay out permanently.   

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“They got me stable. They’ve got me on a regimen of learning how to be free,” says Chris, an Along Side graduate. “I’ve been behind bars for 27 years. I need routine and they’re helping me build that. I need to stay connected with the body of Christ and Along Side is a big part of that.”