Latest local news, weather and high school sports for Toledo area

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - For 15 years of his marriage, Ron Tijerina was serving time for a conviction for raping a 14-year-old boy in Ohio.

Now, he and his wife, Cathy, have turned their nightmare into a nationally recognized prison program that strives to strengthen families and marriages when a father or husband is behind bars.

The couple meets with inmates for a 36-week program called Keeping Families and Inmates Together in Harmony - or Keeping FAITH, for short. Twelve Ohio prisons offer the voluntary program for inmates who are fathers in a committed relationship.

The sessions focus on communication skills, character development, relationship stability and parenting.

More than 2,000 Ohio inmates have enrolled in the program since 2007 and 1,090 have completed it.

---

Read complete story at The Blade.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)