What’s Going On In Prison?

What’s Going On In Prison?

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By Paid in Full

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in News

Hello, Paid In Full Oregon Supporter,

Here is an email I received from a Department of Corrections staff person a while back. It shows the impact our students are now having in the Corban extension at the Oregon State Correctional Institution (OSCI).

“Good morning Judge Kohl,
 
I wanted to share a little ray of sunshine during this COVID pandemic. About a month ago the students in the Corban extension received a memo from staff regarding some negative attitudes in a few students.
 
Since that memo, I have had several students come to talk to me stating it was very difficult to get the memo. That really hit them by surprise.  They were really concerned that the act of a few was reflecting badly on the group as a whole.
 
This morning, a student came to me and shared this story:

‘We asked the students who wanted to, to meet up and check-in with each other. We called it cookie and coffee talk. The group of first cohort students chose to focus on the good, the things that were happening, and the progress they were continuing to make. They tried to support each other with the school work and tried to fend off the negativity. They said that instead of a negative mindset corrupting the group, they needed to stand up and show them how to be positive and how to show the way.’

What an amazing thing for this group of strangers to do for each other in the name of the Corban program.
 
I just thought you should hear the good work that continues to happen inside where you are unable to be.”

We expect that a certain amount of negativism will happen in the prison environment. Why not? It happens in the free world! But the encouraging response by our students brings hope. Hope, not only to our students but also to the OSCI staff. They chose to focus on the positive.

Please continue to pray for our students, their fellow adults in custody, and the staff at OSCI and Corban. Our students are praying for you.

Ever grateful,

Tom Kohl

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Tom Kohl
Executive Director and Founder
503-799-0342