JDPP - Time In, Feedback from Inmates

Time In
Feedback from Inmates

York Residency

"This has been a tremendous experience for me and has given me an opportunity to face some demons that had been buried for many years. I was able to express myself without feeling guilty about family secrets being told. I feel like an anvil has been removed from my chest… And if these stories can be told outside then maybe, just maybe there is hope in the form of help. This program is a good start for many of us who want to heal and don’t know where to start."

"I really enjoyed working on this project. Because it gave me a way to voice some of what I feel being locked up. I had the chance to hear some of the women stories on how they got to this point in their lives. I experienced the pain, the sadness, the loneliness, the rage, the depression. It helped me realize that even though I may feel all alone I am not. Because that woman I just passed on the walkway might be going through the same thing as me."

"I guess, I could just go on and on about the treasure you brought to us. So I’ll end with you gave the women and myself a precious memory. When life knocks us down, and it will before it ever picks us up, we can go back to this time, remember what it felt like to be proud, to work hard with our sisters, to find joy, laughter, respect and most of all freedom…Thank you for this, for past weeks, the present of today, and for the hope of tomorrow…"

"I’m moved to tears thinking about what I’ve learned about myself and others. I am capable of obtaining respect for my accomplishments. I’ve learned that at 47 years old, it’s never too late to do anything."