Vision and Mission

Our Vision

Redeeming the imprisoned

Our Mission

Eliminating recidivism through education, mentorship, and employment

Our Story

In July of 2016 Tim Owens, our Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder, entered federal prison having pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice. Prior to his incarceration, Tim had no exposure to the prison system within the United States and entered prison with many biases and preconceived notions. Over the course of his 14 month sentence he found that many of those perceptions were wrong.

“I expected to find hardened criminals lacking compassion and hope, interested only in their personal well-being. To be sure, such individuals exist within prison walls. I found however, that there are many incarcerated individuals who yearn to put past mistakes behind them.’’

Many of the individuals Tim saw and came to know were seeking redemption to become reliable, contributing members of their communities. They wanted to return to their families and provide their spouses and children with stability, love, and hope for the future all while seeking guidance and mentorship to help accomplish these goals.

The Shadow of a Felony

Upon his release from prison in September 2017, Tim also experienced first hand the challenge of finding a job with the looming shadow of a felony on his record. Once a high ranking banking executive, he now found it difficult to secure a job. Not a corner office job mind you, but a warehouse job. It was clear that while there are other obstacles for those reentering society after incarceration, without stable employment and a chance for a better future, it is difficult for an individual not to become part of our national recidivism rate of 67%.

The Redemption Project

These deeply personal experiences paired with considerable research inspired Tim to co-found an organization, alongside longtime friend Dwight Tostenson. An organization that could successfully connect former felons to meaningful employment by leveraging the power of virtue-based education and the help of compassionate mentor/employers willing to offer a hand up, not a hand out.

That organization was—and is—The Redemption Project.