The state of Michigan spends $2 billion each year on the more than 275,000 men and women who are either incarerated or on parole. This staggering figure is controlled in part by whether or not the inmates take part in a re-entry program.

The Out4Life conference held Tuesday and Wednesday at the Lansing Center is focused on forming a coalition of agencies that will help these inmates readjust to life outside prison and potentially keep them from behind bars in the future.

The goal is to "Get out, stay out," said Patricia Caruso, the director of the Michigan Department of Corrections. "The focus in our department is to find an appropriate way to reduce the population in the Michigan prison system."

David Koliba has been out of prison for four years. He was convicted twice of armed robbery and spent years addicted to cocaine and heroin. After being in prison for a total of five years he decided that he needed to make a change.

"I was in Adrian Regional Prison for a year and when I got out of there I didn't have a plan. I just got out of there, and was hoping I'd get a job like I had before," said Koliba.

After the second time in prison he figured it out.

"My goals were simple. My first goal was to get a driver's license, which I did. I had an old car, get a bank account," said Koliba.

He now volunteers for Prison Fellowship, a faith-based organization.
The agency has been working with inmates for year while they're in prison and serve as a guide for when they get out.

"We help the individual, we walk beside them and help them come back home and make sure they are held accountable," said Mary Engle, the executive director of Prison Fellowship.

Michigan is considered to be at the forefront of re-entry programs with it's own initiative. "Our population is down by more than 6,500. Less people are coming back so our recidivism rate is down, crime rate is down. Does that mean it's perfect? No."

While it's not perfect the state corrections department is working with organizations like Prison Fellowhip to keep offenders out of prison which ultimately saves taxpayer money.

"The average cost to have a person incarcerated for a year can run anywhere between $24,000 to $32,000 per person. There is a better way to use that money on a local level than keep them incarcerated," said Engle.

Prison Fellowship operates solely by public and private donations.