Program Inspires Hope For Inmates
Hope can be hard to find in the normal world let alone here with 12 foot fences and razor wire, but that's exactly what some inmates are finding.
The atmosphere was pep rally, and despite the labels that reminded you this was prison, inmate spelled out on shirts, visitors on the chairs, there was a decidedly unconfined vibe in the air.
"I really enjoy the program, I love the program," said Solomon Broadus, serving time for kidnapping, and one of 80 prisoners participating in an initiative that promotes faith and character.
"I think before I act now, used to be I act and then I think about it," he said.
For most of the guys in this program there's a stark difference in their before and after selves.
"I'm doing time for arson and escape from Okmulgee county jail," said Will LeGrand, using the tools in the program to help him diffuse a recent argument with his wife.
"I was like hold on, wait. I think what's wrong here is, you know, maybe I'm not seeing things right, and maybe I was impatient, maybe I wasn't sensitive as I should be to what you were saying and before I never would even know that those things existed much less be able to stop myself, recognize it, and handle it," he said.
"The goal of this is for them to find their significance and to become successful," said Irene Lee, the program coordinator, and chief cheerleader.
"They're amazed at how far they can go with the right tools, opportunity, direction," she said.
So much so, that even Solomon's 300 year sentence, amazingly doesn't jade him.
"I don't think about the time, you know what I mean, even though the judge said 300, God didn't say it, I know he got a bigger purpose for me,"he said.
