By Rupa Shenoy

Minnesota Public Radio

ST. PAUL — A controversial program using Christian teachings to try to turn around the lives of hundreds of Minnesota prison inmates is working, according to a new report from the Department of Corrections.

Participants in the InnerChange Freedom Initiative, which operates at the Minnesota women’s prison in Shakopee and at a men’s prison in Lino Lakes, are more likely than others to stay out of prison after their release, according to the report.

State researchers followed more than 730 former inmates released between 2003 and 2009 and found that those who were part of the program reduced their risks of returning by as much as 40 percent.

State officials are hailing the program as a cost-effective success. They say it is a good deal because the state provides the space and the program pays everything else.

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