former educator, pastor and counselor, Jerry King, who is teaching a class for
inmates at the Montgomery County Jail called Success in Life.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JERRY KING
Being incarcerated and making the transition from incarceration to civilian life is challenging, so the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office wanted to offer something new with a different approach.
MCSO Captain Mark Hollandsworth recently shared that Deputy Michael Shelor, Programs Director for the MCSO, has been instrumental in making a new class, Success in Life, become a reality for the inmates at the Montgomery County jail.
“Based on my observation and the response of the participants, the class has been a positive experience, and the inmates have gotten a lot out of it,” said Shelor.
The purpose of the class is to teach the participants how to successfully deal with the challenges they are facing – mentally, emotionally, and spiritually – and prepare them for life after they are released from jail or prison.
The class meets weekly for eight weeks, and the inmates sign up to be a participant on a voluntary basis.
Some of the topics taught in the sessions include: ‘How to maintain an attitude of gratitude,’ ‘Broken and restored can be better than before,’ ‘Face your fears with faith,’ ‘Mistakes and mess-ups are temporary,’ and ‘Holding on to hope will help me cope’.
The instructor for the class is former educator, pastor and counselor, Jerry King.
“Mr. King cares about these men and has a heart for helping them to live a better life,” said Shelor.
King said he is grateful for the opportunity to help the men understand that a bad decision or mistake doesn’t have to be the end of their life’s story.
“The emotional and mental principles taught are based on having a ‘growth mindset’ – a positive belief that they can change,” said King.
When the inmates sign up for the class, they understand there will also be a spiritual component based on the faith-based book King wrote, Good News You Can Use, and the scriptures.
“The spiritual part of the sessions is vital as the profound, life-changing lessons and teachings of Christ has positively impacted more lives in the world than anyone in history,” said King.
Some examples of these simple but life-changing spiritual lessons and themes include: ‘Real living begins with forgiving,’ ‘The golden rule in the rabbi’s school,’ and ‘It’s not work or hard labor – just love God and your neighbor.’
Shelor and King say they are looking forward to the next group of inmates who will be participating in the Success in Life class.
