Being locked inside of a cell, some no longer than a home closet, is not a fun existence. Spending several months, years, or worse, a lifetime in such a place is unimaginable for most people. The thought of not being with family, being told what, when, and how to do things, and the loss of freedom are concepts that most human beings are not equipped to deal with. All a prisoner can do once he or she is incarcerated is stare at the four corners of their prison cell. This basic ordeal is the reason why some prisoners begin to lose hope. But there are other prisoners who feel optimistic that once they are released from their prison cells, they can go back to their normal lives. .
This is where prisoner rehabilitation comes in. The process of prisoner rehabilitation was created to bring down the trend of recidivism. Law enforcement officials feel the need for prisoner rehabilitation programs so that those prisoners who become involved with and complete such programs are least likely to become re-offenders and as a result, there are fewer cases to work for the officials. There are several levels and methods of prisoner rehabilitation. Some prisons offer educational programs such as general education development classes or GED, associate and bachelor degree programs, and vocational work study courses. Other prisoners offer faith-based rehabilitation programs, using faith and religion to encourage prisoners to change their lifestyles towards a moral existence (Langford, 2011). Some prison units offer a more strict and strenuous program involving prisoners performing various forms of hard, physical labor. These programs include: digging ditches, breaking rocks, and/or working in the fields. And there are programs like the one from the Lionheart Foundation. .
The Lionheart Foundation, established in 1992, is a 501[c][3] nonprofit organization dedicated to providing emotional literacy education programs to incarcerated adults and highly at-risk youth in order to significantly alter their life course.