John Sage founded Bridges to Life after his sister Marilyn was brutally stabbed to death by two teenagers who were attempting to steal her car. In spite of the fact his sister’s killers were on death row, he found it extremely difficult to resolve his feelings of anger and grief. He chose to dedicate himself to preventing future crimes by influencing the behavior of incarcerated pre-release inmates. It was his feeling that people who have been victims of crime would be best positioned to help offenders.
Bridges to Life is a non-profit organization operating in thirty-seven Texas prisons with the primary mission of reducing the recidivism rate of released inmates. By attending fourteen face-to-face, once a week sessions inside the prison, both victims of crime and offenders (not of the same crime) participate in a restorative justice process. Inmates come to understand the impact of crime on victims and their families, and the victim volunteers are not only empowered by telling their stories of victimization, but many also find that this process helps them work towards a state of forgiveness.
This portrait series depicts offenders from three Texas prisons and several Bridges to Life victim volunteers.
