State officials observe ‘second-chance opportunities’ in Lifeline tour

April 28, 2026                        

Lifeline Recovery Center showed off the second-chance opportunities for its clients during a tour Tuesday for officials from the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

Secretary Keith Jackson, along with staff members Natalie Burikhanov and Ryan Walters, toured the center to learn more about Lifeline’s work—particularly the workforce reentry and second-chance opportunities for clients in the recovery program.

Steve Powless, Lifeline board chair, said Lifeline is eager to cooperate with Kentucky’s efforts to help their clients.

“We need to do our part,” he said, “to support Frankfort’s initiatives to help individuals transition from incarceration back into the workforce.”

Powless also serves on the Governor’s Council of Second Chance Employers, which works to promote second-chance hiring practices, improve reentry outcomes for individuals released from incarceration, and reduce recidivism rates across the state.

Lifeline partners with more than 30 employers, and 100 percent of its residents secure employment during the program’s second phase of treatment.

The mandatory employment component of Lifeline’s treatment plan is critical to residents’ success in sobriety, according to Ashley Miller, executive director.

“Meaningful, long-term employment during recovery helps individuals maintain independence and build a foundation for a healthier future,” Miller said.

Lifeline is a Christ-centered, long-term residential recovery program that serves approximately 200 adults each year, with more than 3,000 individuals supported since its founding in 2004. The organization is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. Lifeline operates a 45-acre men’s campus, acquired in 2022 in Ballard County, and is developing a new 45-acre women’s campus near Barkley Regional Airport.