Wheels of Hope: Inmates Restore Mobility for People with Disabilities

By Joni and Friends|Published On: October 6, 2025|Categories: Press Release|

LAS ANIMAS, Colorado, October 6, 2025 – Hundreds of like-new wheelchairs sit at the Bent County Correctional Facility in Las Animas, Colorado, waiting for a recipient. Newly restored, they are ready to be shipped to high-need countries around the world where they will be distributed to people with disabilities, along with a Bible. Some recipients have so few resources, they come to wheelchair distribution events carried by loved ones, pulled on blankets, or pushed in wheelbarrows.

Josleen in a wheelbarrow and her mom standing behind her.

Wheel by wheel, bolt by bolt, BCCF residents have lovingly restored over 200 used wheelchairs that have been collected from donors from across the United States to prepare them for a new chapter overseas.

In the process, the inmates are working to restore themselves.

Incarcerated volunteers working with Wheels for the World®, a program of the international disability ministry Joni and Friends, report that the meaningful act of wheelchair restoration, underpinned by the Gospel message, makes them feel “human again” and “not like a stereotypical inmate.”

To celebrate the grand opening of the most recent Wheels for the World restoration workshop, and the lives that will be transformed because of it, Joni and Friends along with CoreCivic, the operators of Bent County Correctional Facility, are proud to announce that a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony will be held at the facility on October 7 from 9:30–11:30 a.m.

Since 1998, CoreCivic has operated Wheels for the World workshops to help Joni and Friends meet a pressing need. Eighty million people around the globe are in need of a wheelchair, according to the World Health Organization, but in some countries less than 5% have access to one. Since launching Wheels for the World, Joni and Friends has distributed over 246,000 wheelchairs. The global need for a wheelchair is growing every year as demand outpaces donations.

Inmates wearing bright orange uniforms concentrate on repairing wheelchairs in a workshop setting.

Seven CoreCivic correctional facilities have been home to wheelchair restoration programs over the past two-and-a-half decades, and three are currently in operation, including Bent County Correctional Facility, South Central Correctional Facility in Clifton, Tennessee and Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler, Mississippi.

The impact of these restoration centers cannot be overstated.

These are just a few of the lives transformed through Wheels for the World:

In the Zambian capital of Lusaka, young Chisomo spent much of his time on the floor, and his mother had to carry him everywhere she went. A restored wheelchair means Chisomo’s mother can easily travel to the market with her son to sell produce. The family’s newfound economic freedom also means Chisomo can now go to school.

Chisomo, with a huge bright smile, sits in his new cub chair surrounded by happy children celebrating their friend. The picture conveys feelings of happiness, joy, and hope.

In the Philippines, Nicole, a young woman living with cerebral palsy, received her first wheelchair at the age of 25 during a Joni and Friends outreach. The mobility restored her dignity and allowed her to fulfill her lifelong dream of going to the mall for ice cream with her family for the very first time.

Nicole sits in her newly restored wheelchair, accompanied by her mom and her donor. On Nicole’s lap is a photo of the donor’s late son, who originally owned the wheelchair.

In Brazil, Nicolly, an 11-year-old girl with cerebral palsy and microcephaly, once crawled on the floor wearing knee pads. She received a pediatric wheelchair through Joni and Friends, as well as education on how to use a communication board on her wheelchair tray so she can express her needs and wants more clearly.

Nicolly sitting in her new wheelchair next to a Joni and Friends intern; both are smiling at the camera.

In Zambia, 8-year-old Diana’s feet had long dragged on the ground because her aunt and caregiver could not afford a wheelchair that fit her. Diana’s new wheelchair is customized to accommodate the hump in her spine caused by spina bifida. At the Joni and Friends distribution event, Diana made friends with Chi Chi, another young girl who received a wheelchair, creating what the girls call a “friendship family.”

Diana, sitting in her new wheelchair, smiles excitedly at the camera while her aunt sits beside her, smiling warmly at Diana.

“We are proud and truly blessed to be partnering with Joni and Friends on this endeavor to impact and change lives,” said CoreCivic Warden Virgil Ensey. “This program will not only provide meaningful wheelchairs to those in need, but the skills and values learned through this program will equip incarcerated residents to better integrate into society.”

A man restoring the wheel of a wheelchair.

“Residents have opportunities in shipping and receiving, technical trade skills, inventory management, upholstery, quality control and other areas. All these skills are needed in the business community and will assist participants in this program to be successful upon re-entry,” Ensey said.

Many BCCF residents demonstrate their dedication to Wheels for the World daily, including one resident who lives in a wheelchair himself. He understands firsthand the necessity of a functional mobility device. He smiles as he works, knowing that his efforts are meeting the needs of others.

This culture of giving has energized staff as they have spent numerous hours administering this program. This endeavor was made possible by the efforts of Assistant Warden Steven Salazar, Chief of Unit Management Shawna Gonzales, Chief of Security Troy Abdulla, and Program Facilitator Jeremy Gotlobb.

Close-up of hands fixing the wheel of a wheelchair with a wrench.

Jason Holden, Joni and Friends Chief Operating Officer, said he is deeply grateful for this partnership with CoreCivic.

“This program does more than teach valuable vocational skills, it invites inmate participants into a mission bigger than themselves by restoring wheelchairs that will serve children and adults around the world,” Holden said. “Every restored chair represents a life lifted off the ground and into a seat of dignity. Joni and Friends, together with this CoreCivic partnership, is turning second chances into renewed hope for families in need and honoring the God-given worth of every person.”

Joni and Friends partners with multiple correctional agencies and institutions to bless disabled people around the world and give the dignity of meaningful work to incarcerated individuals. Joni and Friends is grateful for every partner that makes this important work possible.

About Joni and Friends: For more than 40 years, Joni and Friends has provided the hope of the Gospel and practical care to people living with disability around the globe. Ministry programs include Joni’s House, Wheels for the World™, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training. Joni and Friends also delivers daily inspirational media through radio programs and podcasts.