In 2006, a group of incarcerated men joined together on common ground after realizing their time was best served by helping others. Inside the confined walls of prison they developed a full curriculum of peer lead courses to teach their fellow inmates fundamental life-skills and recovery principles to prepare each other for reentry into society. Family members of a formerly incarcerated founding member, applied for 501(c)3 status for Fa non-profit entity which they named New Freedom Project (NFP). The success of this led to the corrections administration allowing NFP to support peer mentors having their own classroom settings unsupervised by corrections officers.

Of the 140+ original mentors of NFP’s peer-to-peer program that have been released, none have recidivated. These original mentors were responsible for helping over 4,200 men and woman successfully reenter the community. 

Today, NFP’s programs have been adopted and implemented by New Freedom in a modernized behavioral health setting. NFP still carries out their original mission of peer-to-peer mentorship through a collaborative effort called the New Freedom Project, this time working from the outside in. Placement to New Freedom primarily depends on the NFP New Freedom Project mentors working with prospective candidates during their incarceration. If they are eligible and choose to commit to the program, our transportation department picks them up at the gate.