Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Buffington.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
At the age of 12, my mother was found murdered in the back seat of her car. The devastation to our family was indescribable. A year later, while still working through my grief, I was dealt another blow. My father and two other men were arrested and incarcerated for the conspiracy of my mother’s murder. I suffered yet another betrayal later in life when I discovered that the original murder conspiracy included that me and my two younger brothers were, also, to be murdered.
Through this incredible journey, I have experienced both sides of the criminal justice system – as a child of a victim of crime and as a child of an offender on death row. I journeyed a long road of pain and betrayal that would lead most to a life withdrawn and full of bitterness. I chose another path, however, one of healing and forgiveness.
In my volunteer work, I have helped many victims of crime, as well as offenders, down that path to healing and forgiveness. Because of my unique experiences, I have an insight into the feelings of the offenders’ families that most of us cannot relate to. I am able to connect with the offenders and help them to better understand the effects their choices have had on their families and society.
A Native Houstonian, I started volunteering with Bridges To Life in 2004 and then joined the staff as Chief Operating Officer in 2016.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When my mother was murdered, I was a homicide victim’s kid. People wanted to help me. But, when my Dad was arrested a year later for the murder for hire, I became an offender’s kid. Everyone treated me differently because of my Dad’s bad choices.
When my Dad was convicted of Capital Murder and Criminal Solicitation, then I was the son of a Death Row inmate. I was considered then to be “damaged goods” and “my life would not amount to anything”. There is a stigma of having a Dad on Death Row that I had to overcome.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Bridges To Life?
Bridges To Life (BTL) is a Houston-based nonprofit founded in 1998 that provides a high-impact restorative justice program to incarcerated offenders. Along with exploring concepts from confession to restitution in our 14-week curriculum, offenders also hear firsthand from crime victims and face the true impact of crime on others. Through our unique process, offenders experience a change of heart that allows them to make positive changes in their lives. Since inception, more than 60,000 men and women have graduated from the BTL program with the help of over 3,100 volunteers in 16 states and 7 countries.
BTL is a nationally recognized program; the organization and many of its volunteers have received numerous awards, Most recently, our Self-Study Program was the recipient of the Texas Governor’s Award for the Most Innovative Program in 2020.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
When 2020 began, BTL was on track to complete a record-breaking 230 of our 14-week projects in over 110 prisons and alternative facilities, with over 4,000 participants enrolled. However, almost all BTL projects were suspended in March 2020 due to restrictions imposed by COVID-19. For that reason, the decision was made to temporarily pivot the delivery method of our program to a Self-Study format which launched in August 2020.
We are pleased to report that in 2020 in all BTL regions combined, we completed 82 projects (traditional and Self-Study), graduating 2,978 offenders from the program with the help of 694 dedicated volunteers.
We are also delighted to report that Bridges To Life has both met and exceeded our mid-year goals for 2021! So far this year, we have:
· completed 108 of our 14-week projects in 91 facilities;
· graduated 4,123 participants from the BTL program;
· brought the BTL program to 20 new locations;
· conducted new or ongoing activity in 7 other states and 4 countries;
· continued to successfully utilize the Self-Study Program in 78 prisons that remain closed to teams of volunteers.
Utilizing the new Self-Study format of our program, Bridges To Life has been able to continue our life-changing impact, even during this extraordinary time. We are excited about the positive response and enthusiasm we have received from wardens, chaplains and participants, such as this note:
“Thank you for your time and for finding a way for us to still complete the Bridges To Life program. This course has made me face many subjects and thoughts that I will carry for a lifetime. I am thankful for having something to help me grow during this Covid time. I believe this course has equipped me with skills that will really benefit both present and future relationships. Thank you for not giving up on me!” –a Cole Unit graduate
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@bridgestolife.org
- Website: www.bridgestolife.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bridgestolife
