• 3 Feb 2024
ABLE Staff Writers

Out of a Mountain of Despair, a Stone of Hope: A Former Inmate’s Story of Transformation

One man’s story of the power of rehabilitation and second chances.

It’s often said that prison is a revolving door. In fact, over 600,000 people are released from prison every year, but 66% of those released are arrested again within 3 years. And within 10 years, that percentage increases to an astonishing 82%.

So, what is the answer to recidivism? Education and rehabilitation.

Instead of viewing prisons as a form of long-term punishment, prisons should be used as an opportunity to rehabilitate, especially for those serving time for minor crimes. Prisons are, after all, called “correctional facilities.”

Criminon is dedicated to offering a second chance to incarcerated individuals through educational programs and courses. Each week, more than 5,000 inmates participate in Criminon correspondence courses.

As any Criminon supervisor will relate, the wins and changes that are often witnessed in individuals as they progress through the Criminon courses can be miraculous.

Here is one story shared by Criminon Florida:

Danny’s Story of Addiction, Lines, Imprisonment and Change

My name is Danny, and this is my story.

Today, I am candidly telling my experience so that you might find a glimpse of yourself in my story and a stone of hope for your future.

My dad liked to watch his 3-year-old son stumble while drinking a beer. The numb feeling that washed over me would become the pursuit of a lifetime. At first recreational, it escalated quickly into full-blown drug addiction and everything that comes with it. Crime, lies, loss, and a rap sheet that landed me in prison. By age nineteen, I was serving five years on my 2nd strike and settled into what I thought was the only existence I would ever know.

In prison, I became a part of a brotherhood, a family I was so committed to that I surrendered my last bit of decency defending, willing to serve a life in prison honoring.

I spent five years in solitary confinement, completely isolated from others. I vowed, if I got out, I would do only good and no drugs. It was there I began my search for truth and discovered the works of L. Ron Hubbard. In his writings, I found my stone of hope and began my descent off the mountain of despair. It was there I began to live.

As a student of Criminon, you can follow in my footsteps by applying the knowledge within each Criminon course and experience the same rebirth I did.

Today, I am married with two children, a CEO, working with betterment groups—including Criminon—and helping others improve their conditions in life.

Wishing you a productive and life-changing 2024!

Sources:

  1. Bureau of Justice Statistics
  2. Criminon Florida
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ABLE Staff Writer

The ABLE editorial team is a diverse group dedicated to sharing news about social betterment and forwarding ABLE’s mission of a world free of drugs, crime, illiteracy, and immorality.

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