Charity Fyke was released from Plane State Jail on Aug. 28, 2018. Nine months later, she graduated from The Oaks of Righteousness, an Humble-based program that helps women who have been previously incarcerated assimilate back into society. Today, she serves as the executive director of the nonprofit she says changed her life.

"I knew if I didn't do something drastically different, my life was going to go right back to selling drugs and running the streets. So I chose to come [to Oaks of Righteousness] and learn a completely different way of life," Fyke said. "I can honestly say that every single aspect of my life, God has transformed in every way possible because of this program."

The framework

While the three-phase program begins after women are released, Fyke said the nonprofit begins building relationships with potential future clients during incarceration. The Oaks of Righteousness offers in-prison ministry on a weekly basis at Henley State Jail and Plane State Jail—both located in Dayton—during which they lead worship, host Bible study and help baptize inmates.

After being released, clients can begin their program at The Oaks of Righteousness following an application process.


How it works

For the first six months of the program, Fyke said clients live in the nonprofit's first-phase house, which opened in 2014. During this phase, clients attend faith-based life skills classes on a daily basis with topics ranging from boundaries and codependency to anger management. The clients also attend individual counseling sessions on a weekly basis.

"It's important for them to know that they're safe and they're nurtured and they're loved," Fyke said. "When they don't have to worry about trying to get a job and trying to keep the lights on, they can focus more on their healing and their walk with Christ [if they're] not worrying about all those external things."

After four months in the program, clients are eligible to get a job. Fyke said the nonprofit assists clients by providing transportation, connecting clients with employers and helping clients obtain a Texas ID if they do not have one.


After a client is employed, Fyke said they begin paying a small program free and are moved to the nonprofit's second-phase house where they work on budgeting, credit repair and saving money. If clients successfully complete 12 months in the program, they become eligible to graduate and can choose to either move out or move to the third-phase house to work on educational and career goals.

"We have a bottom line set of rules that everybody has to follow but above that, it's individualized," Fyke said. "It's all about how to make you successful. We're still a huge part of their lives even after they've completed the program and moved on."

The impact

In Texas, 67% of all inmates are re-incarcerated within the first year of release, Fyke said; that recidivism rate jumps to 78% within three years of release.


"Our recidivism rate is 8.9% over the last 10 years and we actually have a 100% success rate of every graduate since 2018," Fyke said. "We have not had a single woman go back to prison in six years."

Since it's inception, Fyke said approximately 68 women have graduated from The Oaks of Righteousness.

What's next?

In mid-November, nonprofit officials noted every bed across all three houses was full for the first time. As of mid-December, Fyke said the nonprofit had a waiting list into 2027.


"There's a lot of homes for men [but] there's not nearly as many for women and there's definitely a growing need for women's housing," Fyke said.

To keep up with demand, Fyke said The Oaks of Righteousness is hoping to add a fourth house in 2025. The organization is also working to build relationships with local housing options for clients after they leave the program.