Second chances

Achieving positive change through guidance, education

by Caroline Basile, associate editor

With each day, the lives of the residents at the Lubbock County Community Corrections Facility’s treatment center improve for the better.

Through South Plains College, the LCCCF offers life skills and GED classes for the residents, helping them meet the conditions of their probation and helping them get their lives back on track.

"You see people that are trying to get their lives back together," said Winnifer Yandell, an instructor in workforce development. “These are people that have made mistakes. It's great to see someone get a second chance. For example, we had a young man in here graduate a few months ago. We helped him study for his GED, and he is now enrolled at SPC full-time and has a full-time job and an apartment. We are really proud of him, and it's one of our neat rags-to-riches stories. It’s sometimes difficult, but we hope to help people move on to a better place in life. I really enjoy teaching here.”

Yandell has been teaching at the facility for 12 ½ years and has taught a variety of classes ranging from parenting courses to catering. She is currently teaching a class about cultural diversity, along with other job skills.

Yandell explained that some of their residents are first-time offenders or have been in the criminal justice system since childhood and just went down the wrong path. The LCCFC is their second chance.

The program has been in place since 1993, when the facility opened. They originally offered credit courses.  

"One of the requirements for Texas for conditions of probation is to get their GED if they don’t already have one,” said Lupe Ruiz, a vocational and educational coordinator at SPC. “When they arrive at the CRTC, that is one requirement they can fulfill here. Of course, not everyone receives their GED. Those that are able to receive their GED will, and those who don't improve their reading and math skills tremendously. We have men who come in with low reading and math skills that have gotten their GED, simply because they were focused on what they needed to do, whereas before they weren't.”

The residents take the GED test over several weeks, taking two or three sections of the five-section test.

“Hopefully, I have one more test to take,” said Bobby Price, who is enrolled in the GED course. Price has been at the LCCCF for 10 ½ months and says the atmosphere is “different, but it’s better than being prison or in county. At least here you have a second chance to be successful at life.”

The 192-bed facility is currently housing 132 residents, but the number changes daily. Residents graduate at the beginning of every month. Occasionally, some graduate in the middle of the month, so there are always new faces.

Most of the residents are parole violators who used drugs or alcohol and violated the terms of their probation.

“We are based on a cognitive program,” said Val Williams, director of the LCCCF. “This program teaches residents how to take responsibility for their thoughts and feelings and how those drive their behavior.”

Ruiz explained that there is no specific age range or background for the residents of the LCCCF.

"We get it all,” Ruiz said. “I've seen them from age 17 on up. Drugs do not discriminate. We've had doctors, engineers, people with college degrees, etc…"

Classes are mandatory for residents to attend, and they are necessary for the residents to move into the next phase of their treatment.

"It’s a normal classroom atmosphere,” Ruiz said. “There is no registration deadline for courses. If a resident is sent to the facility, he will begin courses as soon as that next Monday. We take kids in all the time. If you come in on Saturday, Monday morning you will be in class.”

After attending classes for a month, a resident must go in front of a panel to petition his progress to the next phase and receive more privileges.

Each resident is allowed certain privileges that are determined by the phase they are in. The privileges range from being allowed to watch TV and movies, to wearing street clothes.

   "This is a cognitive-based treatment,” Ruiz added.  “There are so many things from each phase that they must know and practice before being promoted to the next stage."

According to Ruiz, residents can be in the facility anywhere from three months to even a year. The program is based on individual success. The panel looks at how they are mastering the materials and integrating themselves within the LCCCF community.

 "I enjoy working here and seeing the progress the residents make,” Ruiz said.  “I have learned not to make a quick judgment when we have new people.”

Every resident in the LCCCF is assigned a probation officer, whose job is to uphold what the court has ordered. The officers, the facility, and program are used to take care of the resident’s problems, not just the drug and alcohol abuse, but anything from a missed court date to an outstanding traffic ticket. 

"We want to make sure that when a resident leaves, he has as little legal baggage on him as possible,” Ruiz said. "We want to make them self-sufficient, but it takes a lot of guidance.”

Ruiz went on to say that he believes those on probation find the help they need at the LCCCF.

“The classes and the counselors take a huge interest in these men,” Ruiz added.   “That's why we are here. They know what anti-social is, but we are trying to show them a pro-social way of living. If we can do that, we accomplished something."

Jerry Brunson and Larry Guthrie, two residents at the LCCCF have almost completed Phase Three of their treatment and are on their way to Phase Four. To make it to the next phase, the residents must meet a certain criteria and a checklist. With each new phase is a new class to help them learn a new job or skill.

“We learned about job skills, how to fill out resumes, important life skills,” said Brunson, who has been at LCCCF for two months.

“It’s a laid back environment,” Brunson added. “It’s not jail, basically. We’ve got a lot more privileges than anyone does in jail though.“

Guthrie and Brunson both appreciate the supportive atmosphere they have found at the LCCCF.

“It’s a rehab you can’t check out of,” Guthrie said. “But the culture and the learning is way different here. You learn how to do better in society and in that environment. Lots of people here just got off the beaten path somewhere. Maybe they didn’t have the right break in life or something.  What this place does is gives us another chance.”