On August 15, 1996, Daryl Atkinson began serving a prison term with the Alabama Department of Corrections for drug trafficking. Prior to that time, he lived a completely selfish life. He did exactly what I wanted to do, when he wanted to do it, and who he wanted to do it with. In hindsight, he thought his selfish behavior would bring him the happiness and peace that he so deeply desired but it only brought him misery and pain. He indulged in drugs, alcohol, and other risky behaviors to try and fill a void that he felt deep within. Nothing worked, no matter what he tried and believe me he tried a lot, he always ended up completely spiritually, mentally, and physically bankrupt.
Veronica Everette’ holds a degree in education from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She
has taught in the Philadelphia school system, has been an independent training consultant winning numerous training contracts with the Washington, DC, local government and with several federal agencies, and has worked for 16 years with the U.S. Department of Treasury,Financial Management Service as a training specialist.
Shortly after his release, Baqir Mujahid sought the services of Community Success Initiative to network and find opportunities to assist in a smooth reentry. This led to taking a Building your Business class through CSI’s collaboration with Good Work, another Triangle area nonprofit.
Janet Taylor had been to jail for the umpteenth time. If the cops hadn’t arrested her when they did, she’s certain she’d be dead because her body was almost completely dehydrated, malnourished, and emaciated. She was in jail for the same old thing: prostitution.
It all began with her recreational use of cocaine, the monster from the pit of hell. She started out using it only at parties with “special”
friends. However, soon it turned out she liked cocaine more than life itself because of the feeling of euphoria it provided. Soon she was
using it secretly and by the time she knew what hit her, she had a full-fledged drug addiction. She had a monster on her back and didn’t
know how to get it off.
At the age of 16 Corey Purdie was convicted as an adult and placed in the custody of to the NC Department of Corrections. With the help of prison ministry volunteers, Corey committed his life to Christ while in prison. After serving 8 years, Purdie was released. Following his release, Purdie developed a friendship with Jeff Smith, a local pastor who mentored him as a father figure. Smith instilled hope in Purdie through Biblical text like Jeremiah 29:11 and reminding Purdie that he still had a purpose beyond his past.
