Helms School of Government partners with Jack Brewer Foundation to conduct studies on inmate reentry

Liberty University’s Helms School of Government recently announced a new partnership with the Jack Brewer Foundation (JBF), a faith-based organization dedicated to improving the lives of inmates and their families.

Through the new JBF Fellowship Program on Biblical Justice at Liberty, criminal justice students are performing a secondary analysis of JBF’s case management systems to show how faith-based reentry programs (services that help inmates transition from jail or prison to life in the community) have a higher success rate than their secular counterparts.

“Our partnership with Liberty University’s Helms School of Government reflects our strong commitment to leading the world in the development of evidence-based programs rooted in biblical principles,” said Jack Brewer, founder and chairman of The Jack Brewer Foundation. Brewer played five seasons as a safety in the NFL (2002-06). Because of his successful ventures with inmate reentry, Brewer became a White House Appointee on the U.S. Commission for the Social Status of Black Men & Boys (CSSBMB) in 2020.

A team of eight to 12 upperclassmen, supervised by Dr. Amanda Trent, associate dean and assistant professor of criminal justice, are spearheading the research. Students are collecting and analyzing data on the criminal and family history of inmates in Florida and surrounding southern states. They will examine inmates’ education levels, drug use, and other statistics before creating a comprehensive report demonstrating that faith-based approaches to inmate reentry result in lower recidivism rates.

The students will also participate in field research missions and visit prisons and inmates in Florida. Furthermore, their work will help drive policy developments to encourage states to combat fatherlessness by embracing Christian programs.

“This fellowship isn’t just about research,” Brewer said. “It’s about transforming lives by supporting rehabilitation and family unification programs for incarcerated populations globally. We are focused on advancing criminal justice policies locally, nationally, and internationally, that embrace proven, faith-driven initiatives. Our mission is clear: to restore families, provide hope, and bring real transformation through the power of Jesus Christ.”

Through its Faith and Fatherhood in Prison program, the JBF has already inspired hundreds of male inmates to reunite with their families and become better fathers upon reentry. The current felon recidivism rate is 70%, and the research by Liberty students will help identify effective strategies to carve this ghastly statistic.

The partnership highlights Liberty’s longstanding mission to enact change through sound biblical principles.

“I’ve always been very committed to that reentry process,” said Trent, who worked in corrections and jail administration for 26 years before teaching at Liberty. “Jail is a consequence for a choice, but these are the things that we should do while these inmates are incarcerated to give them the opportunity to be successful when they get out. They come out with enough shame to fill a stadium. On top of that, there are job challenges because people don’t want to hire felons. Then they can’t make money to support their families, which is another source of shame.”

Liberty’s criminal justice program, supported by a faculty roster of former law enforcement and corrections professionals, equips students for careers after graduation. Trent emphasized that the Helms School of Government is always looking for creative ways to engage students with real-world experiences beyond the classroom. This new partnership, Trent said, will allow students to apply their course knowledge to something practical and important.

“Our textbooks and curriculums don’t always address corrections and corrections management,” she said. “I think it’s incredibly beneficial to the students. A lot of agencies are hiring civilians to do statistical analysis and crime mapping, so this will allow the students to see if they enjoy it.”

Students participating in the JBF Fellowship Program on Biblical Justice will receive Christian/Community Service hours (CSER) for their research.

“A lot of people think at first glance that criminal justice means picking up a badge and a gun,” said Harrison Shanton, who is pursuing a master’s degree in homeland security. “But when you look at the finer details, it’s such a broader field.”

In addition to offering residential and online degrees in crime scene investigation, homeland security, juvenile justice, and more, the Helms School of Government has made a concerted effort to boost students’ résumés by offering real-world experience.

“Our professors give us more than just our major. They give us life skills that really help us through life,” said senior homeland security student Abigail Allen. “And we are definitely starting off on a better foot than most people leaving college. … I think this (partnership with the JBF) is instilling in our students good leadership qualities and attributes, giving them the experience in these projects.”

“Being a part of that brotherhood for 26 years, you can’t just walk away from it,” Trent said. “I care so much about the offender population and law enforcement officers. And I want our students to see the real-world picture of that.”

She added that popular TV shows and Netflix series on jails are often inaccurate and sensationalized, and “Sometimes you forget that these are real people doing real things. “This partnership is another way to love and serve others, to look at these people as individuals who want to be better dads and better husbands. And Jack (Brewer) is one of those people doing things good for the order.”