| Waitl had him answer some very basic questions. When she
asked what was important to him, he said his wife and children. When she
asked what he needed to do to stay out of trouble once he gets out of
prison, he said he had to avoid certain friends.
It sounds simple enough, Quimby said, but the process of clearing one's
mind and consciously setting down priorities and goals, verbally and in
writing, ''is very powerful.''
Matt said the course has taught him ''to stop and look at the
situation. Before, I wasn't looking into the future, what would happen if
I got high.'' ''I'm trying to make decisions so I'll be a better parent,''
he said. He said he never got high in front of his children, who are 10
and 8, but they have seen the effects drugs have had on his behavior.
Waitl said that in a way she is helping children since Matt and other
inmates are parents, she said. If they manage to stay out of prison and
they learn to make better decisions, they'll be better parents.
''It's the ripple effect,'' Quimby said. ''You throw that little pebble
in and the ripples continue out. It affects the whole community when
people start making better choices in their lives.''
Vita Education Services is seeking volunteers for its Personal Decision
Making course at the prison. Training starts March 5. For more
information, call Vita at 215-345-8322. The organization also runs
volunteer literacy programs for the general population. |
