JACKSONVILE, Fla. -- A local organization has one mission but many goals: to ensure that ex-offenders make a successful transition back into society, which should also make the community they live in safer, reduce the prison population and save taxpayers money.

Sharnika Williams, 26, is one of Operation New Hope's success stories.

In 2005, Williams was arrested for grand larceny. She spent eight months in jail and remains on probation.

"I realize that I have made poor choices in my past, but I don't want those choices to become my future," Williams told Channel 4’s Ashley Townsend.

Williams is two weeks into the Operation New Hope's voluntary ready-to-work program.

Williams knows that finding a job is the toughest obstacle for ex-offenders, so she is happy to attend Operation New Hope's career-development class, which not only teaches job skills, but also helps ex-offenders sell themselves during an employment interview.

“Yes, I do have this discrepancy in my background," Williams role plays in the class. "But I'm coming to you very humble and looking for a job and I would like to be employed by you and work harder."

Those who have never faced living with a criminal history might wonder why taxpayers should fund programs like this.

Statistics show two-thirds of those released from state prison are rearrested within three years.

Since it costs about $20,000 per year to house a prisoner, Operation New Hope administrators say it will cost far less to teach ex-cons how to live successfully outside of prison.

"I think it costs a little under $5,000 to train you and put you on the job, so there's a significant savings to taxpayers," said the program's career development coordinator, Leroy Mervin Jr.

Congress just passed the Second Chance Act, which aims to reduce recidivism by giving former prisoners a second chance at a productive life. It will help support program's like Operation New Hope and similar programs.

For more information, contact OperationNewHope.com