When Tara Burke entered the Trinity Restoration Ministries women’s program after her second prison sentence, she found structure she had never known. Both of her parents were drug addicts, and her dad was in and out of prison his whole life, she said.
Today, Burke, 36, is not only sober and reunited with her children, she’s also a staff member helping other women begin again.
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Burke arrived at the nonprofit organization after her second incarceration, first for fraud and theft, then for assaulting a police officer during a shoplifting incident while high.
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A prison program called Strive introduced her to Trinity Restoration Ministries. In South Dallas, Trinity Restoration Ministries operates a sprawling, faith-based reentry program that has become a lifeline for individuals transitioning out of Texas prisons. It began as a two-bedroom apartment in 2004 and has grown into a multifacility program serving around 60 men and women at a time, each carrying a past they are determined not to repeat.
Burke worried few would take her when she was released from prison because of her serious charges.
“I just prayed and prayed,” Burke said. “I was grateful that the ministry took me.”
Once in the women’s program, launched formally in 2022, she learned to budget, save money, build credit and dress professionally. She eventually saved enough to buy her own car. What Burke wants people to understand, she said, is how high the barriers remain for women and men with records.
Tara Burke poses for a portrait outside of the Trinity Restoration Ministries center on Nov. 13, 2025, in South Dallas.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
“It would be nice if people knew everybody deserves a second chance,” Burke said. “If you don’t give someone a second chance, you never know what their potential is going to be.”
For many residents, grounding is the first step toward an entirely new life.
A ministry born inside prison walls
Trinity Restoration Ministries’ roots trace back to Dawson State Jail, where volunteers like Dennis Gant began mentoring incarcerated men in the early 2000s.
Their approach, long-term, personal and rooted in scripture, focused on helping people confront the deeper issues that fed their cycles of incarceration.
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“We want to build a relationship with you while you’re in prison,” said Richard “Chico” Smith, executive director of the organization. Chico, who got the nickname when living on the streets, went to prison three times.
“We get to know your background, your family, your kids and the one thing that, if you don’t overcome it now, you won’t make it.”
Classes in prison range from biblical studies to anger management, financial literacy, relationships and addiction recovery. By the time someone is considered for the organization’s housing, leaders have spent months, often six or more, walking with them.
“They already know us, and we know them,” Gant said. “We know the areas that caused their breakdown in the past and where they need help.”
This relationship-first model, staff said, is the reason for Trinity Restorations Ministries’ remarkable outcomes: a 96% success rate, meaning less than 4% of participants return to prison, compared with Texas’ statewide recidivism rate of 20%, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The organization previously focused solely on men, but after receiving letters from women and recognizing their need, it expanded the program to include women.
Trinity Restoration Ministries currently serves two prisons: Sanders Estes, located in Venus, about 30 miles from Dallas, and Choice Moore in Bonham, about 70 miles from Dallas.
Relearning how to live
For those accepted into the program, the first six weeks after release are crucial.
“We want you to take that time to be prepared,” Chico said. “Don’t worry about food, don’t worry about a place to live. Let us take care of that. What we want is for you to get grounded.”
Residents pay no rent. Their food, bus passes and transportation to parole appointments are covered.
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“The six weeks are critical because you take the stress off the things required every day,” Chico said. “We want you to focus on getting your driver’s license, paying off tickets, getting on your feet, without the pressure of living.”
Structure is nonnegotiable. Residents attend classes twice a day, perform 20 hours of weekly community service before finding work and follow a strict schedule that includes curfews, financial education and behavior assessments. They also attend church services on Sunday.
Richard “Chico” Smith poses for a portrait outside of the Trinity Restoration Ministries center on Nov. 13, 2025, in South Dallas.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
The goal isn’t punishment; it’s relearning how to live, said Steve Griffith, Trinity House manager.
“They’re being taught how to be responsible,” Griffith said. “How to have a good marriage, how to raise children, how to take care of their finances. They’re constantly being fed and held accountable.”
Restoring relationships, one family at a time
Burke’s transformation has also led to healing with her three children, two of whom were adopted after her addiction spiraled. Today, she sees all three regularly.
“It’s taken me a long time to restore that relationship,” Burke said. “I never thought I would get to see them again, but I did. The Lord restored that.”
At Trinity Restoration Ministries, stories like hers aren’t uncommon, said Ashanti Smith, program director. Some residents stay for six months; others stay for years, finding the stability and community they’ve never had.
“A lot of us find that this becomes home,” Chico said.
For Allen Scott, who has been with the ministry since its earliest days, the mission remains the same.
“We want them to be productive members of society, because they weren’t before,” Scott said. “But they learn how to be here, in a biblical manner.”
And for Burke, the ministry that took her in is now the place where she helps others rebuild, just as she did.
“No cigarettes, no drugs, no alcohol,” Burke said, reflecting on her life now. “Working for a ministry, I never thought I’d be here. But here I am.”
For more information about Trinity Restorations Ministries, visit its website at www.trmsouthdallas.org/.