Allen McCarter who was once incarcerated himself, now runs one of the pilot programs. He knows what challenges ex-offenders face.

"I had people around me who encouraged me and supported me. It can be quite disheartening to have so many doors slammed in your face," said McCarter.

The prison system says due to re-entry programs, Missouri prisons have around 700 fewer inmates than they did in 2005.

"That was our peak time and really our peak population count, if you will. There was really no where to put some prisoners," explained Chief Public Information Officer Brian Hauswirth.

In the past 18 months, the national prison population increased seven percent. In that same time, Missouri's prison population decreased 4.7 percent, a statistic that doesn't exist in any other state. 

The mission is simple; prepared to go out there, be productive, and get a job. So recently released prisoners don't end up back behind bars. The Department of Corrections says it would like to see more states follow Missouri's lead. Right now there are more than 40 re-entry groups working in Missouri.