1 in 4 women
1 in 7 men

become victims of domestic violence
every 20 seconds in our nation.

Never Again!

A personal story of overcoming domestic abuse from our Founder – Sherry Sims

Mission Statement

OUR MISSION IS TO EMPOWER INCARCERATED WOMEN TO END THE CYCLE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ABUSE.

WHY INCARCERATED WOMEN?

 “… approximately 60% of Oklahoma’s female prisoners have been the victims of sexual and physical abuse as children, [and] over 90% have been the victims of domestic violence in their adult lives …”

Dr. Susan Sharp, L. J. Semrod Presidential Professor
Oklahoma University Department of Sociology

WHY OKLAHOMA?

“Oklahoma incarcerates more women per capita than any other state—about 151 out of every 100,000 women, double the national average.”

The Wall Street Journal – Jan. 2, 2018

HOW ARE WE EXPANDING?

Currently, we are answering hundreds of letters a month and have mentored thousands of female inmates in Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Colorado, California and Alabama through our 30-lesson faith-based Correspondence Course titled The Freedom Project.

WHY SHOULD WE CARE?

If incarcerated women do not end abusive relationships BEFORE they are released, recidivism is likely.

“The criminal experiences of women are often best understood in the context of unhealthy relationships (e.g., a male partner who encourages substance abuse or prostitution).”

Women Offenders Transition and Reentry:

Gender-Responsive Approaches to Transitioning Women Offenders from Prison to the Community
U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections – U.S. Department of Justice

“About 1/4 of women released from prison fail within 6 months (i.e., have an arrest for a new crime), 1/3 fail within a year, and 2/3 fail (68.1%) five years out from release.”

(2016) Bureau of Justice Statistics

 

Recidivism Rates of Prisoners with Selected Characteristics
Released from Prisons in 30 States in 2005 Female and Male – Bureau of Justice Statistics

 

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Empowered Women of God International, Inc. publishes minibooks titled Searching for Love and distributes them free of charge to women in prisons, correctional facilities and jails. As a result, female inmates are accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and ending abusive relationships while being mentored through our 30-lesson faith-based Correspondence Course titled The Freedom Project.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

DONATE

You can partner with us in the minibook printing and distribution costs by making a onetime or recurring monthly donation.

VOLUNTEER

You can help us package and ship materials; perform data entry duties; correspond with inmates; share social media posts; coordinate community fundraisers or provide ongoing prayer support.

EVANGELIZE

You can distribute minibooks as a community outreach. Quantity discounts are available to ministries and organizations for outreach purposes.