Soteria Graduate
Fred Turner shares his story.
Program Overview | Prison Re-entry
Too often, after incarceration, people are left to pick up the pieces and attempt to put together a life with little to no support. It can be overwhelming, debilitating, and—all too often—push individuals back into their former habits of crime and drugs. By offering both short-term and long-term support, Soteria helps returning citizens to get back on their feet and build a sustainable, healthy life.
Soteria CDC provides individuals with housing, education, employment, affirmation & advocacy services to help them smoothly transition back into society. Our Transitional Homes include a 16-bed Soteria House for men in Travelers Rest and a 16-bed Soteria House for women in Greenville.
Participants can stay up to one year in the Soteria Transitional Program. Upon graduation from the program, they receive assistance in finding permanent housing. Soteria owns and operates 18 affordable rentals for families impacted by the criminal justice system. We also provide channels for those who would like to continue their education or pursue technical training.
Core Services:
HOUSING:
Soteria owns and operates (2) 16-bed transitional facilities for previously incarcerated men and women & 18 low-income rentals
EDUCATION:
Soteria aligns education with long term goals through GEDs, continuing education and certifications. We provide financial literacy and offer a 2:1 matching savings program which may only be used to gain an asset.
EMPLOYMENT:
Soteria offers a network of employers who hire individuals with criminal backgrounds, and we also operate a social enterprise to offer job training.
AFFIRMATION:
Soteria nurtures physical & spiritual health through a combination of health requirements (like no drug or alcohol use) with journaling, mentorships, and group outings.
ADVOCACY:
Our founder, Jerry Blassingame, has worked with Local, State, and National representatives to expunge criminal records and eliminate collateral consequences that punish individuals with criminal records.
Housing Programs
SOTERIA HOUSE
Soteria owns and operates (2) 16-bed transitional homes where our program participants live while enrolled in our 6-12 month Reentry Program. Interns at Soteria House follow a daily schedule that begins with journaling and ends with a family-style meal in the evenings. Our participants are assigned responsibilities such as driver, cook, and house manager to support one another as they come and go from their job placements within the community. We have curfews and community service requirements to help men and women establish the structures that support healthy, successful lifestyles as they transition back into society.
HOW TO APPLY
Entry into Soteria House requires referral from one of the following persons:
A chaplain or pastor
A caseworker, social worker, or warden
A prison minister or prison ministry program
A parole or probation officer
Applications must be submitted at least 6 months prior to release.
or Download an Application to mail to Soteria
AFFORDABLE RENTALS
To further our commitment to community development, Soteria provides 18 affordable housing units for Soteria graduates and low to moderate income families.
Men and women often excel in our program only to face the reality when they graduate that the only housing options available to individuals with criminal backgrounds exist in toxic environments.
Soteria mitigates that reality by owning affordable rentals for our graduates and families impacted by the criminal justice system. Each of our homes has been renovated by the men in our Soteria at Work job training program.
To apply for one of our homes, please download the application below and mail or email it to:
Soteria CDC
c/o Denise Patterson-Jones
210 Shaw Street
Greenville, SC 29609
Employment Programs
SOTERIA AT WORK
A Social Enterprise
Soteria at Work teaches men in our program how to selectively dismantle homes and then salvage the wood that would have gone to the landfill. They learn how to de-nail, sand, and turn that wood into beautiful pieces of furniture - like farm tables and sliding barn doors. In the process, they learn how to take something that would have been discarded and create something new with beauty and purpose. Our tagline, “Reclaiming Wood. Reclaiming Lives.” is exactly what we do.
SOTERIA AT WORK provides a sincere opportunity for individuals to learn and apply new skills, earn money, improve their long-term job prospects, and make a real difference in the community.
Visit our website to learn more: SOTERIAATWORK.COM
SECOND CHANCE EMPLOYERS
Secure housing and employment are critical to an individual’s ability to successfully reenter society after incarceration. Soteria works with a network of local employers to provide jobs with dignity to the men and women enrolled in our 6-12 month reentry program.
Every program participant at Soteria opens both a checking and a savings account within their first 30 days in the program. By the time they obtain employment, they are prepared to save so that they can pay off any fines, fees, child support and then work on building assets - like owning their transportation and housing.
To reach these goals, we must have employers willing to give people with criminal backgrounds a second chance.
Advocacy Services
South Carolina Second Chance Justice Collaborative is a partnership between Soteria, nationwide reentry advocate Root & Rebound, and the Solicitor’s Diversion Program of Greenville County . The Collaborative advocates for the rights of people who have been harmed and marginalized by mass incarceration, seeking to increase access to justice and opportunity for people with records, and to fight poverty and create second chances for people in Greenville and more broadly across South Carolina.
Soteria CDC set up an expungement fund to help offset fees associated with the expungement process. To give to this fund, select “Donate” below and choose “Expungements” from the drop down menu. To start the process of expunging your record, call 864.272.0681 to make an appointment.
Intern Spotlight: Green
driven to succeed for his daughter and future
In just one short month with Soteria, Green has emerged as a dedicated leader and worker! During his time in incarceration, he turned challenges into opportunities by creating a visionary plan for his future. Through the Soteria at Work program, Green is already turning his vision into reality. With steady determination, he is saving to purchase a truck and earn his Commercial Driver's License (CDL)—a goal he has long held close to his heart. Yet his aspirations reach even further. Green speaks with passion and purpose about launching his own clothing brand—not simply as a business but as a lasting legacy he dreams of passing on to his daughter.
Green's natural ability to connect with others has helped him build a network of relationships that nurture both his professional journey and personal growth. His total commitment to the Soteria program and his transformation exemplify the life-changing power of second chances. Soteria is honored to recognize his ambition and dedication as he continues to build a promising future for himself and his family.
Intern Spotlight: Deidra
Deidra’s god moment
Before Soteria, Deidra candidly described herself as someone who built walls rather than bridges, struggling with addiction and disconnection. Though not initially grounded in faith, she experienced spiritual glimpses that prepared her heart for what she now describes as her "God moment" with Soteria. At her darkest hour, when self-doubt overshadowed her potential, Soteria's founder Jerry Blassingame extended a hand of hope—recognizing in Deidra what she couldn't yet see in herself. Her powerful testimony resonates with profound gratitude: "Do you know how Jesus was the kindest, most compassionate person willing to help everyone? Well, that is what Jerry and Soteria have been for me." With conviction in her voice, she adds, "I truly believe Jerry is a prophet and has been such a blessing," crediting him and the program for offering a new perspective on her life.
Through her time with Soteria, Deidra has cultivated a hopeful vision for her future with her son after graduation. Her journey from resistance to resilience exemplifies the transformative power of compassion, community, and second chances. As she prepares to graduate, Deidra stands as a testament to the enduring impact of Soteria's mission and the beautiful possibilities that unfold when someone believes in you when you've stopped believing in yourself.