In and Out of Prison, Minnesota Sets the Pace for Change

At Stillwater Correctional Facility in Minnesota, prisoners gathered together to run for the second chances they hope to have one day.

About 95 percent of all prisoners are released, but life outside prison walls doesn't always come with the freedom they expect. There are over 48,000 legal restrictions that returning citizens will have to endure—restrictions that affect everything from housing to employment to health care.

Prisoners at Stillwater and Lino Lakes Correctional Facility held their own Second Chances 5Ks to raise awareness of their future in the "Second Prison."

On the outside, 300 people gathered together at Concordia University's Sea Foam Stadium to run their own simultaneous Second Chances 5K. Former prisoners ran and walked alongside friends, family members, and advocates. St. Paul's mayor Chris Coleman presented the Second Chance Month Proclamation to the crowd of runners, volunteers, and press.

Local news team KARE 11 spoke to runners on the inside and outside about why they chose to run.

"There's a group of people here who really want to support people when they get out," said Don Moeller, whose son in incarcerated. "We're here to support our son."

At Stillwater, one prisoner shared with reporters what it was like to run. "It reminds me of what it was like as a kid," he explains. "Carefree. No worries."

Prisoners and their supporters hope that by raising awareness of the legal restrictions returning citizens face, employers, landlords, and society will be more willing to accept and support these men, women, and youth who are determined to make the most of a second chance.

Watch KARE 11's report for more!