By Corrina Sisk-Casson

Correspondent

DUNLAP, Tenn. -- The inmates of Sequatchie County Jail have something to sing about. So much so, they have formed a group called Free on the Inside.

The group of male and female inmates, the chaplain and a few volunteers sings praise songs as part of the worship service each night.

They sang without accompaniment at first, but inmate Andy Bickford said he prayed for a guitar so he could play along.

"I didn't tell anybody else," Mr. Bickford said. "They just came one day to drop a guitar by, and it was a prayer answered."

The first guitar was given by Chapel Hill United Methodist Church. Then Sammy Hixson joined the team and got Flat Mountain Baptist Church to buy another guitar. Slowly, the group received a bass, keyboard, a few guitars and a mandolin.

Mr. Hixson teaches anyone who wants to learn to play. Because the inmates come and go, he always has new students.

Inmate Carla Selfe said she had never played until Mr. Hixson taught her the mandolin. Mr. Hixson said it's a hard instrument to play because of the intricate picking, but with practice she can do very well.

"She has the talent, and she's using it for God," he said.

That's the group's main purpose, he said, to use their talents to worship and share God.

Mr. Hixson got into the jail chaplain program and started with the music group while visiting his son.

"They've kind of turned into my kids," he said. "You get attached to them."

The band has about a dozen people. They play at the jail, at churches and at fairs and festivals.

Chaplain Lenard Sutherland came up with the band's name.

"These people are incarcerated; they're locked up. But when you are born again, then you are free on the inside. That represented who they are," he said. "We keep punishing people and all we do is build up bigger jails. So why don't we try a different approach? This is the one we're doing. And it's changing lives."

Corrina Sisk-Casson is based in Sequatchie County. Contact her at corrinacasson1@aol.com.