HISTORY

So many people say ‘lock them up and throw away the key.’ At FreedomWorks, we say lock them up, if you must, but give a key to your hearts during incarceration. Upon release, how about a key to a furnished apartment, to employment and, eventually, to transportation?
— Fred Peterson, FreedomWorks founder

In 2003, Fred Peterson, a former public school teacher and founder of Family Hope Services/TreeHouse for at-risk teenagers, visited Lino Lakes state prison. He had been invited to see whether he might like to volunteer in the Prison Fellowship/InnerChange Freedom Initiative, a Christian-based in-prison program to help inmates prepare emotionally and spiritually for a successful transition back to society.

After a few months of volunteering in the fellowship program, Peterson heard many prisoners’ personal stories of struggle, crime and chemical dependency. He also listened to many men express fears about returning to the street after their terms were up.

It was clear to me that we should look into doing something about it. We were impressed with the commitment the inmates were making to not go back to the dysfunctional places they had come from. But what was even more evident was the fear they expressed about former gang members and drug buddies that would be waiting for them at the prison gate. (Peterson)

Working with his wife, Dorothy, other volunteers and funding contributors, Peterson launched FreedomWorks Post-Prison Outreach. The group raised money to buy and renovate a building in North Minneapolis, which now serves as the organization’s Welcome Back Center. The first floor is used for FreedomWorks activities, including counseling, prayer, education and fellowship events. The upper floor provides housing for eight participants.

Peterson remains a consultant to FreedomWorks leadership. He also mentors several participants and attends many FreedomWorks events. When not involved in FreedomWorks activities, Peterson and his wife serve charities throughout the country in a program called the Mobile Action Project.