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is an evidence-based program that teaches participants talking and listening skills in order to improve con- flict resolution, making decisions, problem-solving and negotiating. This proven method has helped over 1.6 million people and is taught in more than 350 colleges and universities, according to the TYRO website. Another program is the TYRO Job Ethics Training program, which is a 16-hour course that helps train future employees in three areas: 1. Recognizing how workers become successful. 2. Determining what is good and what is right. 3. Making and keeping commitments to build reputation. This program teaches participants how to maintain em- ployment, and also teaches them crossover skills that adds to their value and opens up a variety of job options. Investing in youth The Ridge Project also has an evidence-based pro- gram dedicated to help youth transition into adulthood by

teaching goal-setting, leadership development, drug/alco- hol abuse resistance and more. The TYRO youth program has been a staple of the Ridge Projects approach to their holistic approach to making the community better, and since it’s start in 2002 has been implemented in many dif- ferent communities, and is adapted to fit the unique needs for each community. This year-long program approaches the many different challenges that life will present as they grow older, and aims to teach youth to develop a personal life plan, increase their sense of personal achievement and empowerment and most importantly gives them a chance to view life from a more knowledgeable and positive point of view. A 2008 study by Miami University showed that overall, participants in the TYRO Youth program experienced positive changes in knowledge, attitudes and intended behaviors. Breaking cycles of incarceration All of these programs, taken together or by them- selves, work purposefully and effectively to create stronger bonds between families, an increased sense of empowerment and an increased

perception of self-worth and self-esteem in inmates that carries over into their life after incarceration. The Tijerina family’s dedication to im- proving the lives of families affected by incarceration is rooted in their own struggle, and through that struggle they’ve emerged to become an example of how perseverance and self-reflection and im- provement can rebuild a family and break the cycle of incarceration throughout the nation. For more informa- tion on the Ridge Project, visit their website at www.theridgeproject.com. Robert Breckenridge II is an assistant editor at the American Correctional Association.

Photo courtesy of The Ridge Project TYRO participants review the Order of Service at the Marion Correctional Institution in Ohio.

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