Our History

Community Forgiveness and Restoration Initiative (CFR)faith-based re-entry program was created by Dr. Tom Robinson, and facilitated by him and other confined citizens at SCI-Graterford. Dr. Robinson has been incarcerated for over 21 years. Over the years he has worked with other groups who were of many different faith traditions. But, he wanted to do something exclusively to glorify God without compromise.

Dr. Robinson recognized that it was his faith that has helped him to grow, mature, and transform into the man he is today. Thus, he developed a faith based reentry curriculum based on the spiritual principles of Christianity in hope of helping others in their transformation process.

After witnessing and interviewing over a hundred individuals who were released, then returned shortly thereafter, and after conducting hundreds of hours of research study in recidivism statistics, he wanted to do something to shut the revolving prison door.

CFR was launched on April 22-23, 2015 with a re-entry play called: Going Home", written and directed by a confined Citizen at SCI-Graterford, with all resident actors. Afterwards, on July 17, 2015, CFR held a "Restoration Conference", where we educated and introduced ourselves to Elected Officials, Clergies, Community Leaders, and others. In August 2015, CFR donated toys, books, and clothing to Graterford Family Fun Day event to promote family unity.

In December 2015, CFR donated Christmas toys to the children of incarcerated parents. Between May 23, 2016 and June 29, 2016, CFR conducted a pilot program of its 16 week transformation workshop for our faith-based re-entry program. On March 23, 2017, CFR held a Financial Seminar to educate confined Citizens of budgeting, financial planning, debt, and insurance. On May 6, 2017, CFR held a Clergy Conference and signed up 11 Clergies to become Spiritual Life Coaches, and to provide other resources.