Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Announcements
2009 Governor's Criminal Justice Volunteer Service Awards
Casey Miner, Correctional Institutions Division
Casey Miner sold a business to fund his ministry for offenders. He became the coordinator for the faith-based program, the size and scope never before attempted, in an entire wing, 198 beds, at the Beto Unit in Tennessee Colony, Texas.
He has designed and redesigned his programming to affect the best results. He recruits and supervises volunteers, and raises funds for the administrative and curriculum needs of the program. He pastors the offenders with wisdom, creativity and enthusiasm, and helps them live out their own faith in sincerity and integrity in a prison environment. Offender discipline on this wing is almost non-existent and the unit's correctional staff request assignment on the wing because of the cooperation of the offenders.
Since the program began over a year ago, not a single participant who has been released, has returned to prison. Mr. Miner has created change in a tough prison. Because of his efforts, his vision and commitment, Casey Miner has been selected as the recipient for the TDCJ Correctional Institutions Division Award.