Nothing comes from nowhere. All creativity is built on what came before it. There’s no such thing as an original idea. All ideas that lead to amazing things are born from the raw material of our influences.
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet are characters in a poem written thirty-two years earlier. Henry Ford’s assembly line idea came from a group of Chicago meat packers. Sir Isaac Newton combined the insights of other men for his work in astronomy, math, and philosophy. It was Newton who said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
So much of what we create comes straight from the minds of other people. The Kronos Project stands on the shoulders of giants. The Kronos Project’s inspiration originates from the thousands of religious and nonreligious individuals and organizations who believe that faith is an essential factor in reducing prison recidivism.
More specifically, The Kronos Project emerged from two faith-based prison organizations, Kairos Prison Ministry and Horizon Communities in Prison, which later evolved to Horizon Prison Initiative. These organizations were created to address the spiritual needs of the incarcerated.
Kairos Prison Ministry was established in 1976 in Florida. Kairos is a Christian ministry whose creation stood on the shoulders of the 1940’s Spanish Cursillo movement. Kairos strives to initiate Christian communities inside prisons internationally through a well-organized three day experience in the Christian faith.
Horizon Prison Initiative was established in 2008 as an Ohio expansion of Horizon Communities in Prison and Kairos’ Christian faith efforts. Horizon is now an independent intermediary working in cooperation with Departments of Corrections in four states to grow Christian communities inside prisons. Unlike Kairos, Horizon is multi-faith. Horizon’s goal is to transform prisoners who transform prisons and communities.
The Kronos Project stands on the shoulders of Kairos, Horizon Communities in Prison, and Horizon Prison Initiative.
All creators only own part of their ideas. The Kronos Project has learned what has worked in the past, and then streamlined and accelerated those successes into a Kronos innovative blueprint to change lives behind bars. We thank our giants for allowing us to stand on their shoulders.
Locking up dysfunctional deviants in dysfunctional settings for long periods of time and expecting societal inclusion at the end of incarceration is more hope than reality. The Kronos Project has learned how to repurpose the proven to bring this hope to fruition.
Interested in being a Kronos parent company or host prison?
The Kronos Project is a fictional novel based on real people. Follow four inmates, Strong, Mateo, Carter, and Jax, through this innovative ten-month prison program. Learn how one small program can change lives and a prison culture from the inside out. Available on Amazon. Paperback $15.99. E-book $3.99. Join our conversation on Facebook.