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We were at the ceremony this morning and Courtney Menzies has this story.

Over 300 inmates at the Belize Central Prison today graduated from one of Kolbe's rehabilitation programs called Journey to Freedom. It helps the inmates chart a more positive way forward in their lives with a higher power at the center.

And at the graduation ceremony today, the Kolbe Foundation's CEO highlighted the need for the graduates to apply what they've learnt to help them stay out of prison.

Virgilio Murillo, CEO, Kolbe Foundation
"There is that mandate on us to make sure that when you guys leave the facility, you leave a better person than when you came in and Journey to Freedom is one of those programs that we allowed to come into the prison some years ago and it continues to flourish. As I was signing the certificates, I could not believe that it was 305 certificates I signed, that's a huge number so with that amount of participants and if you guys are serious about the program that you are getting a certificate for, then there's potential for quite a lot of you to change and there's that potential for the prison to reduce recidivism or what we call reoffending rate."

Beverly Totty, Belize Project, Restore Ministries USA
"For the last ten years Kolbe Prison has been in partnership with the Belize Project and the Restore Ministries. We've been able to come in and walk alongside with their rehabilitation program, offering to them not only training, books, resources and support. We have seen over 5,000 graduates come through Kolbe Prison through the Journey To Freedom program."

"The first book is just to step into what is going on, where have I been. The very first page is my life so far. And then it walks you through step by step, it's a progressive type of book that walks you through awareness, self awareness, and those around you. Then it guides you to a place of understanding that you were created for a good purpose."

And the graduates agree. They spoke about how the program has helped them turn their lives around and prepare them to reenter society.

Jason Espinosa, Prisoner/Graduate
"Today I am graduating as a facilitator of the Journey to Freedom program. This program, throughout the past six months, has meant a lot to me, it helps me through life, through my change by submitting to the higher power, which is God for me, and through God I have managed to change from what I was to where I am going now. The program is very helpful, it teaches us all how to deal with our fears, how to conquer our fears, how to live with shame and guilty and doubts in our minds, how to conquer our goals, how to set our goals and how to achieve them."

"For the future, throughout this program, I have found purpose, I now have a vision, I now have a plan for my reintegration back in society, I'm looking forward to when I go home from here, I'm looking forward to being a facilitator also in the Journey to Freedom but in society at the Jacobs Farm."

Leanne Davis, Prisoner, Graduate
"I have always dreamt of becoming successful and living happy until reality hit. There were many lies that I believed about myself, I have been brought low, but one of the most deeply rooted lies for me was that I would never amount to anything."

"The journey for me was not easy, it was hard until one day I was introduced to the program called Journey to Freedom. At first, it wasn't something I really had interest in but there came a time in my life that I realized that I am not God and that I was powerless and my tendency to do the right thing in my life became unmanageable."

"As I journeyed through this program, I later on became a facilitator, I must say I am grateful. As much as this program had helped me, I enjoyed helping others and JTF made me realize that I am not alone."

The program has been rolling since 2014.