Cons Helping Cons - Free to Serve Inc

Co-founders Robert Taylor and Thomas Younk noticed while they were inmates in the Florida Department of Corrections that people would end their sentence and leave the prison only to return within a matter of months.   Upon inquiring as to why they were back in prison, the men related problems with employment and housing causing them to revert to criminal behavior to survive.  Hence, the plan to help people newly released from prison with housing and employment was hatched.   

Bob and Tom decided that mentors who previously made a successful transition from inmate to societal contributor are needed.   In addition, Bob and Tom, who both have a strong faith walk, noticed that ex-convicts who have a strong faith walk do better in their transition back to society.

 

A faith walk is defined as recognizing that there is a greater power than oneself.  Once an ex-con realizes that he himself is not God, then he is on his way to living a life where he is societally minded, not selfish. 

 

As a side note regarding our name, Bob and Tom decided to be very upfront and transparent in all our doings to assist the formerly incarcerated.  We want society to notice how ex-cons can become functioning contributing members, as opposed to hiding someone’s history behind an opaque program name.

 

The date Cons Helping Cons started is March 27, 2013 when the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office referred the first person to us.

Since that time, Cons Helping Cons has assisted over 700 men and women with only five (5) returning to prison.  Without assistance, statistics suggest about 540 would have returned to prison...