Baton Rouge, Louisiana (WAFB)-As a man who has served his sentence in prison, Ben Castro knows how difficult it is to return to society.

Most people released from prison do not have a car to pick up their work. This often leaves them with no choice but to rely on their friends for a free ride. But Castro warned that you can’t trust everyone.

“People are used to that lifestyle and culture, they have arrest warrants, so the last place they don’t want to go is the DMV or the state police headquarters. When they leave, they will continue the project…I want to end the project,” Ben Castro said.

This is why he founded Freedom Rides, a new organization whose goal is to provide cars for people seeking a second opportunity.

“For the past 5 months, the parole program has kept me going where I need to go. Sometimes it can be nervous because there are other customers who need to get to the destination,” Alisha Disotell said.

Alisha was recently sentenced to 30 years in prison for manslaughter, which was commuted by Governor Edwards. During her 19 years in prison, she served as a mentor to prisoners in need. She currently has two jobs and is eager to help people like her find freedom for the first time in years. This is why Castro regarded her as the perfect candidate.

“My first goal is to buy me a car, so I’m saving money. Yes, I do two jobs, I just started selling Mary Kay, I also do some other things, so what I do is work . Because I want to build myself, not just build myself, so I want to influence my community, just like I did when I was imprisoned,” explains Disotel.

“This is what I thought of when I was in prison, and now seeing it happen in the parking lot of this place, I am… I can’t even… I can’t even,” Casto added.

Freeride is a non-profit organization funded through donations. Their next goal is to provide 1 car per month to people in the system who deserve a second chance. If you want to donate to the organization, click here.

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