Participants: Aaron Chancy (Host), Tresa Fletcher
Series Code: TNJ
Program Code: TNJ000066A
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00:01 The following program discusses sensitive issues.
00:03 Parents are cautioned that some material 00:05 may be too candid for younger children. 00:08 Welcome to the New Journey, 00:10 where you'll meet real life people 00:11 with real life testimonies 00:13 and real life working ministries for Jesus. 00:15 I'm your host Aaron Chancy, come join us on a New Journey. 00:49 Welcome to the New Journey. 00:51 On today's program we have an exciting, 00:53 exciting story of a woman 00:55 who is involved with parole re-entry. 00:57 Her name is Miss Fletcher. 00:59 Miss Fletcher, we thank you for being on the program. 01:00 Thank you for having me. 01:02 Yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am. 01:03 Let's jump right into our questions. 01:05 Question one, 01:06 you work with the prison system as a PRL, 01:09 what exactly is a PRL and what does a PRL do? 01:13 Okay, PRL is a parole re-entry liaison. 01:16 And as a liaison I work in collaboration 01:19 with the judicial system for clients 01:22 that are going to be released from prison. 01:24 Okay. Making sure that I set up. 01:26 And take assessments for them so that I can see 01:29 what type of treatment referrals are necessary. 01:31 Okay, okay, so to get into this type of work as a PRL, 01:34 parole re-entry liaison, 01:36 what type of degree do you need to work in this field? 01:40 Well, what's needed is a background 01:42 in the criminal justice system, 01:44 they like for you to have a bachelor's degree, 01:47 and I have a master's but that's not required. 01:49 Okay, okay, great. 01:51 Now, you've been doing this for a number of years, 01:53 but what was the motivating factor 01:56 that led you to get into parole re-entry liaison work? 02:00 Okay. Well, actually it was God sent. 02:04 Okay. 02:05 That goes back a little bit to my testimony 02:07 as to where God originated everything for me. 02:11 There was a time when I was down 02:13 for almost a period of one year. 02:15 I had major surgery where the doctor didn't know 02:18 if I would be able to walk again. 02:20 And during that time it was a time 02:22 where I did a lot of self reflecting, 02:23 a lot of prayer and reading my Bible, 02:26 reading other books in preparation 02:28 for what was to come. 02:31 Well, I went back to school 02:32 and it was from that point forward 02:34 that I continued to look to do work 02:36 in the criminal justice system 02:38 in which I ended up landing this job. 02:41 I didn't apply for the job, actually my director, 02:45 she sort me out on Indeed and she said when she met me, 02:49 she said, "I knew I was going to hire you 02:51 when I read your resume." 02:52 Okay. So was it was God ordained. 02:54 Okay, well, that's good news, good news. 02:56 So how many years have you been doing this type of work now? 02:59 Well, actually before I was a parole re-entry liaison, 03:02 I worked for the Washington County Sheriff's Office. 03:05 I did an internship there 03:07 and I was a clinical social worker 03:09 work with clients doing and take assessments there, 03:12 meeting with psychiatrists 03:14 and other social workers to find 03:17 what would be the best possible treatment 03:18 for the client. 03:20 Okay, okay. Great. Now, let me ask you a question. 03:23 Dealing with parole re-entry, you deal with a lot of people 03:26 who come out of prison, 03:28 who end up going back into prison. 03:31 Can you explain to us what is recidivism 03:34 and what have you seen that can help an individual 03:38 stay from going back into prison? 03:40 Okay, it's a relapse in criminal behavior. 03:45 Often times when parolees, they get out, 03:49 they're not complying with the recommendations 03:52 and when they not, they end up 03:54 violating their parole and going back to prison. 03:56 Okay, now, let me ask you, 03:58 you said that they're not complying 03:59 with some of the recommendations. 04:01 What is, what are some of the recommendations 04:04 that a parolee might have? 04:07 If they need treatment, if they have 04:09 extensive substance abuse history, 04:12 we require that they go 04:13 and get an intake assessment at a provider 04:16 and then comply with whatever the recommendation is 04:20 whether it's IOP or residential treatment, 04:22 outpatient treatment. 04:24 Okay, now, have you seen with this 04:27 that people really have to be determined enough 04:30 that they want it bad enough for themselves or is it that... 04:34 Or how much does environment play a part, 04:38 family play a part 04:39 where the person is going back to 04:41 when they get out of prison, 04:43 how do all of these things play into an individual 04:47 going in and out of prison throughout their lives? 04:49 It's significant. Okay. 04:51 One of the things I'm learning, and this is one of the... 04:53 What I did when I started this position, 04:56 I went around to different facilities, 04:58 introduced myself, try to build some relationships 05:01 so that I can assist these guys 05:03 when they get out in finding avenues 05:06 to be able to help them to be successful. 05:09 But one of the things that was very disheartening for me was 05:12 when I approached some of the pastors, 05:15 they all wanted to help initially 05:17 and then when it came down to it, 05:19 I really didn't get a lot of feedback 05:20 as to in what ways they could help. 05:23 And so the Metropolitan Seventh-day Adventist Church 05:26 in Evansville, they really helped out a lot. 05:29 They provided bus tokens for the guys 05:31 that couldn't get to from treatment. 05:33 And so that played a very significant role. 05:36 Let me ask you with a person 05:38 that is incarcerated getting ready to get out, 05:41 getting ready to make their parole, 05:42 they've done X amount of years, they have family members 05:46 who are waiting for them to come out, 05:49 mother, father, loved ones or whatever it may be. 05:51 What role can they play or what can they do to help 05:55 that individual adjust back to society 05:59 or to refrain from going back and being a repeat offender 06:02 and going, getting back incarcerated? 06:04 I think education is key. Okay. 06:07 A lot of times people don't know the resources 06:09 that are available out there, and because they don't know, 06:13 then they don't make good decisions 06:15 as far as helping the parolee, 06:18 you know, be able to get into treatment, 06:19 be able to seek mental health, 06:23 treatment and those types of things. 06:25 But once that information is given, 06:27 usually individuals they try to gravitate to the, 06:31 "What can I do to help myself," a lot of them will say, 06:35 "So that I won't go back in." 06:37 But then you have some, of course, 06:38 that really don't take the initiative to do that. 06:41 But I think if the families would help out making sure 06:44 that they hold them accountable 06:46 when they make decisions that are not favorable, 06:50 I think that would help a long way. 06:51 Okay, you know, I remember one time at a prison 06:54 and I was there, I was incarcerated in Texas 06:57 and there was this parole re-entry program, 06:59 it was called Project Rio and what's Project Rio 07:02 is basically reintegrating back into society. 07:05 And you had different guys who were in the prison 07:08 and, you know, I guess they didn't really 07:10 want to do anything. 07:11 They would just lay in the bunk all day, 07:13 but then you had individuals 07:14 who would get involved with Project Rio, 07:17 get involved with... 07:19 At that prison there was something called home habitat, 07:21 learning how to build homes, get their GED. 07:24 How important is it for an inmate 07:27 while they are incarcerated to get involved 07:30 with as many things they can as possible 07:32 so that things can be better for them 07:34 when they get out? 07:35 I think, it builds a foundation for them. 07:37 Okay. 07:38 One of the things I'm gonna be doing 07:40 is going to the prisons and talking to the inmates 07:42 before they released, sharing with them the resources 07:46 that are available for them once they are released. 07:49 And then sharing how I can help as a liaison 07:52 to be able to help them transition back into society. 07:54 Okay, now, you mentioned some resources. 07:56 What are some of those community resources that 08:00 the family members can tap into, 08:01 the inmates before release, after release, 08:04 what are some of those things that they can tap into? 08:06 One of the things that just started 08:08 in the state of Indiana as recovery works 08:11 and it started in November. 08:13 And when a client gets out of prison, 08:15 they don't have insurance, they can get recovery works. 08:18 As long as they're resident of the state of Indiana, 08:21 age, 18 years of age 08:23 and also if they fall below the poverty line, 08:27 they qualify for the program. 08:29 I get it. Okay. 08:30 Now, let me ask you, 08:31 is it pretty much the same for different, 08:34 for each state in America or I'm sure that each state 08:38 had their little particulars or whatever. 08:40 But how does a family member, how does a inmate find out 08:44 about the different things that the prison may have 08:47 or that the resources that are out in the community 08:49 that can help them, how do they go about doing that 08:51 in whatever state they're in. 08:52 I think the best thing to do is get in touch 08:54 with the social worker that's inside the prison 08:57 and talk to them about what's outside. 08:59 I know for Indiana, we communicate 09:02 with the social worker inside quite often. 09:04 Okay. 09:05 We get a list of offenders that's gonna be released 09:07 within six months and we try to set up 09:09 resources for them upon their release. 09:11 Okay, now, we hear a lot in society 09:13 about repeat offenders. 09:16 People getting out, stay out a day, 09:19 couple months, couple weeks whatever 09:20 and go right back to incarceration. 09:22 But talk about some success stories 09:24 that you have seen over the years of working 09:27 as a parole re-entry liaison 09:29 to give kind of people some encouragement 09:31 because not often do you hear of, 09:33 you know, people who get out 09:35 and they're just, you know, doing right the whole way. 09:37 So talk about some of those success stories 09:39 that you have seen over the past few years? 09:41 I'm gonna share one in particular 09:42 that really stuck with me. 09:44 There was a young lady, I call her Ann 09:46 just to protect her identity. 09:49 She got out, we met and she gave her story to me, 09:53 share with me the struggle 09:54 that she had with substance abuse. 09:56 She lost her husband, he died abruptly, 10:00 lost her children as a result of her substance abuse. 10:04 Her mom would not allow her to see her children 10:06 so she was very distraught. 10:08 But she was determined that she was going to be successful. 10:11 Yeah, okay. 10:12 And so what she did, she got into school 10:14 and she started working very hard, 10:16 she was working a part-time job, 10:18 going to school full time because she knew that 10:20 that's what she wanted, that's the new life 10:22 that she wanted for herself. 10:24 Well, one day she was on her way to school 10:26 and she was hit on her moped by a drunk driver. 10:30 And in the process she had to go to the hospital, 10:33 of course, her face had to be reconstructed. 10:37 She couldn't speak but she could write 10:39 and what she wrote was, 10:41 "I'm a former substance abuser," 10:43 that's what she wrote for the doctor to know. 10:46 And so she was so determined 10:47 that she was not going to go back to that 10:49 that she wanted him to hold her accountable. 10:52 And when she came into the parole office, 10:54 she had to have a pill count, her pill count was accurate. 10:57 And I had seen her after her accident 11:01 and she said, "I'm going to do this," 11:02 and she shared with me that her mother 11:05 is now in her life again, her children, 11:07 she's been reunified with them 11:10 and also she'll finish school next year. 11:12 So I feel that that's a very good success story. 11:15 Amen. 11:16 And if she can do it anybody can do it I feel. 11:18 Definitely, you know, one of the key words 11:20 that you said in there with the young lady was 11:23 that she was determined. 11:25 And I know for myself, it took a lot of determination 11:29 because when you first get incarcerated you come out, 11:33 you have this record now, 11:35 sometimes it can be difficult trying to get a job 11:38 and it's almost like you're stuck in a circle 11:40 chasing your tail. 11:41 For me, I first got incarcerated as a juvenile, 11:44 I went through juvenile system 11:46 then I went to jail charged as an adult, 11:48 went to prison at 19 years old. 11:50 I get out and all you see 11:53 is a bunch of stuff on my record. 11:54 I didn't finish high school, 11:55 I only finished the tenth grade, got a GED. 11:57 And so many individuals that I have met 12:00 even while I was out there, it's almost like 12:02 we're just running in this circle 12:04 and we can't get out. 12:05 And it really takes a lot of determination 12:08 for individual to state and say, "You know what? 12:12 I want to do better. 12:13 Despite my circumstances I want to do better." 12:17 What have you seen 12:18 when it comes to these different individuals, 12:20 the success stories versus the not so successful stories 12:24 has been that key factor that has made the difference? 12:27 Certainly, some people we know 12:29 that are in a different place mentally. 12:31 Yeah, definitely. 12:32 And we realize that everyone 12:33 is not going to take the same steps, 12:36 they need to be spoon fed if you will. 12:39 Having someone to say, "I'm going to help you 12:42 through the process," because I have guys, 12:45 they get out and they just, they don't know what to do. 12:48 It's like, "Well, I want to do this 12:52 but I don't know what steps to take to do it." 12:55 And it's very hard where you have society 12:57 that's beating you down that's saying, 12:59 "Well, you know, you served your time 13:01 but even though you've been released 13:02 you're gonna continue to serve your time 13:04 because it's never enough." 13:06 So when you have individuals like that, 13:09 I think the best thing to do 13:10 is try to connect them with good resources. 13:14 And I'm a strong believer in having 13:17 that spiritual component for anybody. 13:21 The success stories that I've seen, 13:23 most people are connected from a spiritual standpoint, 13:27 they allow Christ to lead in their lives. 13:30 And once they have that, 13:31 I think the churches needs to get more involved 13:33 and, you know, what they can do to help, 13:37 find out what they can do, 13:38 if they need to do community work, 13:40 allow them to do community work at the church, 13:43 whatever is needed to be able to meet the requirements 13:46 that the court puts on their stipulations, 13:50 I think that will help them a long way. 13:52 Okay, yeah, definitely. 13:53 I definitely believe that that will help. 13:55 Now let's talk about the accountability if a parole, 13:58 parolee is not in accordance with the recommendations 14:02 that have been placed upon him by the parole officer, 14:05 by the state, what happens with that? 14:08 Well, when I make recommendations for treatment, 14:11 I have the clients to fill out a release of information form. 14:16 And once they fill out that release of information form, 14:19 I can contact the treatment provider to see 14:21 if they've been in compliance with what's been recommended. 14:24 If they haven't been in compliance, 14:26 at that time is when I speak with the parole officer 14:29 and I say we need to do something, 14:31 you know, we need to have another intervention 14:33 because this client is not being compliant 14:36 with what's been recommended. 14:38 And so if we can stop it early on, 14:40 then we can find out what are the barriers 14:42 that are preventing you from moving forward. 14:45 And once we identify those barriers, 14:47 then we can reduce, sometimes that, 14:49 you know, they don't tell us, "I can't get to my treatment," 14:52 you know, "Well, let's see what we can do to help you," 14:55 you know, and so we just make sure 14:58 that we in constant communication 15:00 with the treatment provider to make sure 15:01 they're doing what's expected. 15:03 Great, great. Let me ask you a question. 15:04 What is the difference between a parole officer 15:07 and a parole liaison? 15:08 What is the difference between those two? 15:10 Well, I'm a parole re-entry liaison 15:13 and I'm the go between person, kind of, we partner 15:17 with the Department of Corrections 15:19 just to make sure that we can meet the client's needs. 15:24 So a parole officer, what they do, 15:26 they more punitive. 15:28 I would say, I'm more therapeutic 15:31 in terms of trying to find the best possible solution 15:35 for a client to be successful. 15:36 Okay, okay. 15:38 So it seems like as a parole liaison, 15:41 your job is more so to actually help the individual? 15:43 Yes. Okay. 15:45 So for a person that is incarcerated 15:47 or the family member of the one incarcerated, 15:50 how do they connect with a parole liaison, 15:52 because while I was incarcerated, 15:55 I had never heard of a parole liaison. 15:57 I knew what parole officer was, probation officer, 16:00 but I never heard of a parole liaison. 16:02 So how can a inmate's family member 16:06 get in contact with a parole liaison 16:09 so that that individual can step in between 16:11 and be that go-between person for him? 16:13 Again, communication is key. 16:15 I think it's important for the family members 16:18 to reach out to see what services are available. 16:21 And for me I can only speak for the district that I'm over. 16:24 I try to make sure that the family members know that 16:29 I'm there to help in any way possible, 16:32 making sure that the people inside the prison, 16:35 the staff know that we are available 16:38 for whatever needs that needs to be met. 16:41 I correspond a lot with family members 16:43 and past events and that's helped a lot 16:46 as we try to transition them out of prison. 16:48 Okay. 16:50 What are some of the steps as the PRL 16:52 that can be taken to make the proper referrals? 16:56 Well, for one is to make sure 16:58 you do a pretty good assessment. 17:00 And that's just... Assessment on the inmate? 17:02 On the client, yes. Okay. Okay. 17:04 Inmate, yes. 17:05 Just gathering information about substance history 17:10 where they compliant, did they go to their treatment, 17:13 were they, did they complete successfully, 17:16 did they graduate from a therapeutic community, 17:18 is there any mental health history, 17:20 medical problems. 17:22 And I think once we gather that type of information, 17:25 then we can make the referrals as needed. 17:27 Okay, okay. 17:29 What if a parolee gets out, no job, can't afford it, 17:33 what can a parole liaison at that point do 17:36 if this individual has no job, family member no income, 17:40 what can they do for the parole liaison to step in? 17:43 Well, what I do is I gather again, information, 17:48 and then I make, complete the documentation 17:51 for the client to be able to get into recovery works. 17:54 A lot of clients now that's getting out of DLC 17:57 are signed up for HIP, that's Indiana Plan... 18:01 Healthy Indiana Plan for insurance. 18:04 And if they don't have the insurance, 18:06 then they can get into recovery works 18:08 but of course, we utilize the insurance first 18:11 before making the referral for recovery works. 18:13 Okay, okay. 18:14 While the inmate is incarcerated, 18:17 what do you feel are some key things 18:19 that inmate needs to do while he is incarcerated, 18:22 he, she to prepare themselves to get ready, 18:26 to get ready to be released? 18:27 For instance, when I was in prison I went for, 18:30 went before the parole board and in Texas at that time 18:34 I don't know what they do right now 18:35 but they gave me something called the FI-2 18:38 and the FI-2 meant that I was going to be released 18:41 within about a three month period. 18:43 So within that three months, 18:44 I was going to get out at some point. 18:46 And so there were different things 18:48 that I could get involved in while I was, 18:50 while I was in prison 18:51 or before I went before the parole board, 18:54 after I saw the parole board. 18:58 What can individuals do to prepare for that? 19:01 So like me, I got the FI-2, I know I'm about to get out. 19:05 What can I do to really prepare myself, 19:08 okay because you have an individual 19:09 who's been locked up, 10, 15, 20 years, 19:12 now I'm about to go and get out, 19:14 I'm about to step out into the society 19:16 that is totally different, totally different, 19:19 20 years later so many things have changed. 19:22 What can this individual do while he is inside 19:25 he or she to really prepare themselves 19:27 to step outside of those gates? 19:30 I think what's important again, 19:32 the social workers role is so important, 19:35 identifying the client's needs, 19:39 making sure that she's aware of those needs. 19:43 Once the client's needs are met, 19:46 I think that assist them in going a long way 19:48 once they are released from prison. 19:51 A lot of times guys, and you know this, 19:54 they do different programs to get a time cut... 19:56 Yeah, oh, yeah. 19:57 But is their mind really at that stage of change to say, 20:01 "You know, I really want to make a difference. 20:03 I really want my life to change or am I just doing this 20:06 to appease the judicial system." 20:09 So I think it's really important, 20:12 the social work role is so important 20:14 in the criminal justice system and see where the client is 20:18 in terms of their stage of change. 20:19 Yeah, you know, that's very important 20:21 and you said that I would know this. 20:23 And, you know, one of the times that I got locked up, 20:26 it was an older guy who told me, 20:28 he said, "Look, the way to get out is... 20:31 When you get incarcerated, sign up for every program 20:33 that they have so that when you come 20:35 before the parole board, they look at these things 20:38 and say, "Oh, he's the individual 20:39 that's trying to do something." 20:41 And so for me I didn't have the mindset 20:43 of I was going to change, 20:45 but I knew if I sign up for Project Rio, 20:46 if I sign up for Home Habitat, I already have my GED 20:49 but I signed up for the GED program anyhow. 20:52 So if I signed up for all of these things it will look, 20:54 it have that appearance like I'm trying to do something. 20:57 And so I'm sure people play the system so often. 21:01 But I think one of the key things 21:02 is that a person has to be determined that, 21:06 "Look, aside from all of this, 21:08 aside from me trying to play the system, 21:10 I have to be determined enough to want to do right." 21:13 And I think that's where a lot of it starts up, 21:15 starts at is your desire to want to change. 21:19 I know for me, I had to get back in school, 21:22 like I said, I only finished the tenth grade, got my GED. 21:26 While I was incarcerated, I was 17 years old. 21:29 You touched on how important education 21:31 was earlier in the program. 21:34 Speak a little bit more about how impactful, 21:36 how important it is to get an education 21:39 and to be able to get further in society. 21:42 And the reason I'm asking that is because in most prisons 21:45 people can get a trade, 21:47 you can come up with some kind of trade. 21:49 But even sometimes it's hard to get employed 21:51 even with that trade. Yes. 21:54 But with education 21:56 it opens up a career and not just a job. 21:59 So talk about how much important it is 22:01 to actually get an education, a college degree 22:04 and even go on to pass the bachelor's, 22:06 even a master's degree. 22:08 I had a gentleman that 22:10 when I was at Washtenaw County was assigned to me. 22:13 And this young man, 22:15 he will get write up every single day 22:18 for whatever reason. 22:20 So I brought him in 22:21 and I just listened to his story. 22:23 And once I listened to his story, 22:26 I tried to assist him with getting involved with 22:29 because he would use a lot of profanity 22:31 and I said, "Well, how would you like 22:33 to change those words 22:35 and make them something more positive?" 22:37 And so what I did was, I got him connected with 22:41 someone to teach him reading 22:44 and once he started to improve in that area, 22:47 he wanted more and more for himself. 22:49 He was able to see that, "I do this," you know. 22:52 And so, but that's not how I started with him. 22:55 Like I said I listened to his story 22:57 but I found, I said, 22:59 "Why are you getting all these write ups?" 23:01 I asked the question and he said, 23:03 "You know, I get so angry 23:05 and this is how I express myself." 23:07 So I said, "Why don't you write about how you feel." 23:11 So I got him a journal and he started writing 23:13 because when I first met with him, 23:15 you know, he used a lot of choice words 23:17 and he realized that this is not something 23:20 that he should do when around me. 23:23 And so when he came to share his journal with me, 23:27 he said, "Well, Miss Fletcher, I can't use those words 23:30 because I know these are words that you don't like." 23:32 And so as he started writing, 23:35 he started wanting to learn more 23:38 and it eventually decrease the amount of write ups 23:43 that he was getting. Oh, wow. Okay. 23:44 He went from write ups every day 23:47 till we got to the point where one month, 23:49 no write ups at all. Okay, okay. 23:51 And so I think it's important to, 23:53 I know you ask about education piece 23:55 but to fine a person's learning style 23:59 and for him he liked to rap, you know, 24:03 and so he started rapping in his journal. 24:05 He will rap something in his head 24:07 and write it on his journal to the best of his ability. 24:10 But that opened up more doors, 24:12 you know, and he was able to learn more 24:16 and started working on a GED, 24:18 you know, so that was this one step 24:20 and then the next step. 24:21 And so I think it's important to learn people's writing... 24:23 I mean, not writing styles, learning styles, 24:26 learn what can help them, listen to their story 24:31 because if we listen to people's story, 24:32 we can learn a lot about them and then we can, 24:35 if we can make provision for change. 24:37 Definitely. 24:39 A person, he or she lives in this bad area, 24:43 whatever state it is, lives in this bad area, 24:45 gets incarcerated, comes from a area 24:47 which drug infested, crime all over, 24:49 gets incarcerated, does a number of years, 24:51 comes out, goes right back to that situation. 24:55 What can that person do in that type of situation 24:58 to really break that whole cycle 25:00 because he's got a record, he or she has that record, 25:03 everything around him is negative 25:05 that's where the person lives. 25:07 What can this individual, what is something simple 25:09 that this individual can do to break that cycle 25:11 because it's very hard to just, "You know what, 25:13 I'm gonna sit in my house all day, 25:15 I'm not going to talk to anybody," 25:16 eventually you're gonna get tired of that 25:17 and be right back into I think. 25:19 So what can a person do that is in that situation? 25:22 I think it's important to go to meetings. 25:24 Especially most of, I'm gonna say 25:26 a large percentage of people that are incarcerated 25:29 has some type of substance abuse issue. 25:32 And if you can get involved in meetings, 25:35 you know, have a sponsor, 25:37 someone that you can kind of escape 25:40 from your circumstance. 25:41 Someone that you can talk to that can relate to you, 25:44 I think that's very crucial. 25:47 Of course, a lot of times they surround it with, 25:49 you know, bad areas where they live 25:51 but if you go to meetings, 25:52 I try to tap into if my guys are spiritual, 25:56 get them involved in church. 25:58 Okay. Be a mentor. 26:01 Talk to other young people. 26:02 I strongly encourage that, talk to other young people 26:05 about your life so that they can 26:07 possibly take a different path. 26:09 Okay, okay, great. 26:11 Let me ask you this last question. 26:13 What led you to decide to be a parole liaison versus 26:16 actually working directly in the prison system? 26:19 Well, again, I believe it was chosen for me. 26:24 Okay. 26:26 I pray about everything 26:27 and I ask God to lead in my life, 26:30 "Lord, what do you want me..." 26:31 Prior to this job, I had resigned 26:34 from another position 26:35 and before I had anything lined up 26:38 because I knew that that door was closing for me. 26:41 But when God opened this door for me, 26:44 He let me see that 26:45 when I share with you guys about my testimony, 26:48 when I was down for almost a year 26:50 because of my knee injury. 26:52 During that time it was, it was very instrumental 26:55 in learning the path that God has for me. 26:58 And I needed help, 27:00 I needed assistance from people. 27:02 It was a very dark time in my life 27:05 and I believe it was just to prepare me 27:08 for people like those that have been incarcerated, 27:11 those that are in the criminal justice system 27:14 to say, "Hey, I've been through this, 27:16 God brought me through this. 27:17 He can bring you through it as well." 27:19 And the reason why I chose to be outside the system 27:22 as opposed to trying to pursue something inside the system 27:26 was because I want to be that advocate, 27:28 I want to be that voice to go out to the community 27:30 to be able to help people to bridge the gap. 27:33 Definitely, definitely. 27:34 Well, you know, it's a great work 27:35 that you're doing, like I said I had never heard 27:37 of a parole liaison individual while I was incarcerated. 27:41 I know of a probation officer, I know of a parole officer 27:44 but never a parole liaison. 27:46 And I'm just thankful for the work that you do 27:48 because it almost seems like 27:49 you're a motherly figure to a lot of these individuals. 27:53 But honestly that's what a lot of them need. 27:55 A lot of people need that motherly figure 27:58 to steer them in the right direction. 28:00 So we definitely want to thank you for the work 28:02 that you're doing, the work that you will continue to do 28:05 in working with these inmates and as you say clients 28:09 and guiding them in the right direction. 28:10 So thank you, Miss Fletcher, for being on the program. 28:12 Thank you. 28:13 Thank you for tuning into the New Journey. 28:16 Look for you to come back once again 28:17 on another exciting program of the New Journey. 28:20 Take care and God bless. |
Revised 2017-09-11