Inmate Work Program Helping Amputees Walk

Nashville, TN—Forming a unique partnership, two Nashville-based organizations are teaming up to help amputees in developing countries. Standing With Hope, a non-profit faith based corporation providing artificial limbs to amputees in the West African country of Ghana, will now work with Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) to launch a work program for inmates to disassemble donated used prosthetic limbs and recycle key components needed for fabricating new legs for amputees overseas.

“In my twenty-plus years as a double amputee (both legs), I’ve gone through numerous prostheses, artificial feet, and other related materials myself…many of which were recycled and are being utilized by amputees today,” states Standing With Hope founder, Gracie Rosenberger.

Standing With Hope president, Peter Rosenberger, adds, “With the help of CCA and inmates who volunteer for this program, we now have a more effective way of disassembling the used limbs we receive from all over the country …and making use of those critical components that can be recycled. Organizing and shipping those items to West Africa provides a steady stream of supplies for the technicians we train …as they continue building and maintaining custom prosthetic devices for their own people.”

Recruiting American prosthetists, Standing With Hope provides ongoing extensive training and support to local technicians who serve the people of Ghana (and surrounding West African countries such as Nigeria and Togo) year-round.

“We regularly purchase a great deal of new supplies in order to make the custom fit, carbon-fiber sockets for each patients, but recycling specific components from used limbs is critical to our program, and that’s why CCA’s help is so important to this work,” states Mr. Rosenberger. “If we provide a limb, that patient will walk, but if we teach someone to build limbs, then hundreds walk. We do both, while sharing our Christian faith, in order to equip them to continue standing with hope.”

Dennis Bradby, Vice-President of Inmate Programs for CCA, shared, “Positive work programs such as this one are key to rehabilitation efforts for inmates. Not only do we share enthusiasm in this new initiative, but the CCA family is deeply moved knowing that amputees in developing countries will be equipped to walk as a direct result of this program.”