Women’s Prison Ministry Turning Lives Around in Monroe Co

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ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – This is no ordinary rehab program. Teen Challenge uses Christian music, dance and personal testimonies to inspire young women to make a positive change in their lives.

“It shows our lady inmates that there’s a different direction that they can take in life and that they can turn their lives around. What we’re trying to do is stop the revolving door of getting in and out of jail and it’s truly working,” says Monroe County Sheriff Cecil Cantrell.

Many of them have struggled with drug and alcohol addictions. The Christian based program helps young women to grow spiritually, learning forgiveness and to accept past mistakes. One inmate says knowing that other women have overcome their past mistakes, makes all the difference.

Ashley Corona says the program helped her to become a completely different person after her release from the Monroe County Detention Center.

“It has taught me how to apply God’s word to my life. It’s put structure and discipline in my life. God has used Teen Challenge as a tool to change me from the inside out,” says Corona.

Teen Challenge is a 12 to18 month program and despite its name, the program helps people of all ages. The non-profit organization has nearly 200 centers throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.