Eight Men Graduate From JCAP

Eight men graduated Friday from the 19th class of the Jail Chemical Addiction Program (JCAP).
The graduates were Ridley Brown, Jesse Messer, Michael Nelson, Nathaniel Hollett, Justin Brinegar, William Wind, Kevin Hall and Zachary Springer. Their mentor was Harold Lewis, from the 18th graduating program.
Casey Trombley, the Kosciusko County JCAP coordinator, said, “Today, we are not just marking the end of a program, but we are celebrating the transformation over JCAP 19.”
She said the graduates over the past four months have taken one of the hardest journeys one could take - the journey inward. It was a season of digging deep, stripping away old patterns and facing truths that are easier to run from.
“They’ve grown not just in recovery, but as fathers, sons, brothers and men,” she said.
During the program, the graduates participated in Moral Reconation Therapy, built stronger decision making and accountability, managed anger, built health relationship and set healthy boundaries. They’ve developed practical tools for life through financial education, logistics and job readiness, she said. They’ve done Bible study, built parenting skills and participated in fitness training and CPR training. They have also been able to give back by going to the Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County and The Magical Meadows.
Kosciusko County Sheriff Jim Smith started off the graduation stating he couldn’t be prouder to be in front of everyone for another graduation. He acknowledged the crowded room, saying everyone was there to help celebrate with the graduates “for this long and rewarding journey.”
“I always enjoy watching the different groups come through this program and I find myself analyzing the differences between the first day to the day of graduation. One thing about this group I keyed in on was, when I spoke to them the very first time, I felt the commitment. I felt the commitment, I felt the eagerness in you guys from the get-go. And you didn’t know what you were getting yourself into, but you knew you needed to do something different. You were willing to put yourself out there and commit yourself to this,” Smith said. “It is easy to do what we know and what we’ve always done, but for each of you, again, you made that commitment to make changes.”
Smith said the graduates started doing the program for themselves, but their reasoning grew from there. He said they have proven to themselves and each other they were able to commit to something and see it to the end.
“Now I challenge each of you to use that same mindset as you reenter your respective communities. The same mindset,” Smith said.
The graduates were able to build a foundation and he said he wanted the graduates to build on that. He said he wouldn’t lie to them by saying they won’t have hard days. There will be temptations and the graduates will have to navigate them, but they have the resources to do that.
Guest speaker Dr. Ron Lewis, assistant professor and program director of marketing and sports management at the University of St. Francis, said the graduates’ journey was beyond inspirational.
“You have family and friends here that absolutely care for and enjoy you and are honoring your journey,” he said.
The road to get to the graduation has not been easy and the road going forward won’t be easy. However, the road is not easy for anyone. He said the graduates were not defined by what has happened to them, “for we are going to remember the person you’ve become and you’re becoming,” he said.
He said he wanted each of the graduates to walk out of the program not as a reformed criminals, but just as better men.
Lewis told the graduates not to discredit themselves. There will be “steps out,” but they have done the work and that means something.
He said a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. The graduates are going to come across situations where they have to make hard decisions that will upset some people that they used to or now know. He said if the decision will help them be better people, they should run toward that decision. He said they all have the capacity to do the right thing.
“You are the embodiment of leadership,” he said, noting leadership is leading by example.
He also said leadership is ownership.
“You gotta own your own stuff,” Lewis said. “We can’t make excuses for our poor behavior. We can’t make excuses for doing the wrong thing. We have to acknowledge it,” and the graduates can redirect their lives and learn from the past.
Lewis said there are going to be times where they think about what they should have done in the past. He said they should keep what’s in the past in the past, but make sure they don’t repeat the bad decisions.
“Each one of us has our own crosses to bear. You’re doing that, you’ve done that,” Lewis said, adding the graduates should make sure to put all their resources in place.
All eight graduates and their mentor from the 18th graduating class gave testimonials before getting their graduation certificates.