JCAP participants carry new skills in to the New Year
MARSHALL COUNTY — Program Director at the Marshall County Jail Joshua Pitts said he is motivated to keep helping people who struggle.
Christopher Williamson is a recent graduate of the Jail Chemical addictions Program (JCAP). He said, “When I first came into this program I thought drugs weren’t as bad as what people make them
out to be, but after breaking my life down for the past couple of years I see the relationships that I’ve hurt, opportunities I’ve lost, and time I’ll never get back. I see drugs didn’t instantly ruin my life, but they did faster than I thought. I know now from the help of these classes that I cannot even put myself in a situation to even have the choice to use. For the first time in my life I have goals for one, five, and ten years. I have plans for achieving those goals. I am very thankful for the opportunity to participate in this program.”
Pitts said, “Chris recently told me something that really motivated me to keep trying to help people that struggle. He told me that when he first started classes here at the jail he was not even sure that he wanted to stay sober once he was through his incarceration, but now he wants to be sober and he is making plans to live that way. That is a pretty impressive leap in motivation for an individual’s desire to change to make in a few short months. I think it is important to recognize that desire to change. We are doing something right here and I love that I have the opportunity to be part of it. I am really proud of Chris and the direction he is moving for himself.”
Thanks to the program, participants are taking some new skills with them in to the New Year that will equip them for an improved outlook on life and enable them to engage in healthier relationships.
Domestic Violence Moral Reconation Therapy (DV MRT) addresses the impact of domestic violence and the distinction between healthy and unhealthy relationships. Individuals in the class do not all have charges pertaining to Domestic Violence; the class was made available to participants who wanted to take it.
Williamson said, “I learned that mental and emotional abuse are forms of violence as well, not just physical.”
He shared that even though he has not committed domestic violence, he has had unhealthy relationships in the past and wants to create healthier and better relationships in the future.
In anger management class, participants are taught to give themselves time and space between the initial emotion to think through the situation and the potential consequences before committing to a response.
Anger is a secondary emotion for many people because it can be easier to express than pain, rejection, or disappointed. “They learned how to better accept what was bothering them and better communicate with people close to them instead of just showing anger.”
Logistics Class taught participants warehouse, supply chain management, and shipping - receiving skills. Pitts said, “They get a nationally recognized certification through Logistics class. This will help them gain employment after they serve out their sentence.”