Lives are being changed in downtown Redding for the better. It's happening at the "Day Reporting Center" (DRC).
Shasta County Supervisors just approved a one-year, $900 thousand renewal with "GEO Reentry Services" to help an average of 75 participants at a time move from criminal behavior to productive lives. Some of them come here voluntarily, some are referred by county probation; some are given a choice: here or prison.
“As they continue to get to know staff; as they continue to get to see that we’re just here to help, whether that means resources or even family support, they start to be more open-minded to making improvements in their behaviors and their thoughts.”
The DRC's cognitive-behavioral treatment has a 62% success rate in keeping participants from committing another felony. The state average is 50%.
The common denominator is drug addiction. Participants I spoke with had high praise for the program.
“They really saved my life. They gave me the foundation and the ability to dig deep within myself; to un-plant those bad seeds and to plant good ones,” said Program Participant, Cody Sutherland.
“Oh, man, I was bad Sleeping on couches, begging for anything and everything that I could get. [My] family didn’t want to have nothing to do with me,” said Program Participant, Christopher Coulter. “And now, I run my own business. I’m a general contractor. I’ve got more work than I can even handle and I’ve got six guys at work that work beneath me.”
“They gave me direction; support since I’ve been back,” said Program Participant, Kevin McAninch. “I’ve gotten my license back, my children back” Program Participant Mikayla Miranda said.
“This program has done wonders for me and my family, and it’s completely changed me from the inside out,” said Program Participant, Mikayla Miranda.
“It’s more like a family I’m coming up to the end of my program and I, like, kind of, don’t want the program to end, you know? And that’s how that’s become,” said Program Participant, Travis Haller. “They’ve done everything for me, you know, and gave me a new way of life.”
The program is individually tailored to the participants who proceed at their own pace. There are random drug tests and they are given a breathalyzer test every time they come in.
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