‘Second Chance Choir’ has Lincoln County Inmates Singing a New Tune

It's hardly typical church choir attire — leg irons, orange or black-and-white uniforms. And the singing isn't always pitch-perfect, sometimes with missed notes or forgotten lyrics.

The congregants don't mind. The choir, made up of inmates from an eastern Missouri jail, gets a standing ovation.

Capt. David Curtis runs the Lincoln County Jail, about 60 miles north of St. Louis. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that since taking over the job in January, Curtis has started several programs aimed at giving inmates direction in their life.

Now he's started a choir, dubbed the Second Chance Choir, and he takes them to local churches. On Sunday at Calvary Chapel in Troy, the 12-man choir sang "How Great Thou Art" and "Amazing Grace" at both services.