There are concerns that metro women might not get their second chance at a productive life. There’s also concern whether fees the women pay after being released from prison are used properly.

The troubles all have to do with a funding cut from the Missouri Department of Corrections. Journey To New Life Inc., offers transitional living to women who now hope a lack of money won’t derail that journey.

In like a winter breeze, blows a new beginning for Sher Bialczyk.

“Oh my gosh. I love my job. I love being someone to help these other women that come here. They inspire me. I inspire them,” said Bialczyk.

She’s now a manager at Journey To New Life’s journey house. Sher first came as a resident.

“I knew that I couldn’t go home. It was not a good place for me to be, but I came here and I met these wonderful people and they have inspired me to do bigger and better things with my life,” said Bialczyk.

The organization started three years ago, after advocates realized there was a group of folks transitioning who were falling through the cracks.

“They’re more of a challenge, because they have a lot of barriers. They have a lot of challenges,” said Sister Rose Mclarney with Journey To New Life.

In other words, the group takes the former female inmates most other organizations won’t take. That includes those with mental illness, substance abuse problems, and a history of incarceration, like Sher Bialczyk, who’s been in and out of prison four times.

After finally finding someone to believe in her, she’s currently in college working toward becoming a social worker.

“I made the dean’s list last semester, which is amazing because it had been a long, long time since I was in school,” said Bialczyk.

However, she fears other women won’t get the same chance. Journey To New Life recently got word that about 20 percent of it`s budget, which it gets from the state department of corrections, has been cut.