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SOME OF THE VALLEY’S WEALTHIEST ENTREPRENEURS TAKE THEIR LIFE-LESSONS TO JAILED INMATES
(Phoenix, AZ.) When the founder of a new inmates educational program came to the Sheriff’s Office offering to teach inmates ways to make better life choices, it didn’t take long for Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his inmate programs team to say ‘yes.’
Arpaio is always looking for innovative ways to help convicted inmates see the error of their ways and to turn their lives around.
But the administration of this program does paint an unusual picture because the coaches of LifePilot are glamorous jetsetters who dine on caviar, not green bologna sandwiches.
On Wednesday, February 22, fifteen inmates chosen from the drug and alcohol rehab program known as ALPHA will engage in a four hour long dialogue with these Life Choices coaches.
The coaches are well established and successful business people, including Phoenix based jeweler Al Molina, who voluntarily reach out to troubled adults teaching them tried and true techniques to live quality lives.
The founder of LifePilot, Peter Thomas, himself an enormously successful businessman who developed the Four Seasons Hotel and Resort in Scottsdale, started the LifePilot program after his 34 year old son committed suicide in 2000.
Wednesday’s program is the first time it will be taught to people in jail.
“Our hope is to take this program nationally to jails and prisons everywhere to reduce the national and local recidivism rate,” says Thomas. “Our message is that just because someone has made poor choices in their own lives that resulted in incarceration; it’s never too late to turn your lives around.”
As for Sheriff Arpaio, who has implemented several educational programs for inmates since taking the Office of the Sheriff in 1993, he is cautiously optimistic that the program will have a positive impact on the participants.
“Reducing recidivism is the goal of every Sheriff and every warden in this country,” Arpaio says. “Whatever it takes, we should at least try. If it helps only one inmate to leave jail and never come back, that’s a good investment of time.”
The program is open to invited media. It will be held in the chapel of the Lower Buckeye Jail at 35th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road from 1 PM to 5PM on Wednesday, February 22, 2005. For entrance into the secured facility, contact the on call Media Relations Officer at pager number 602 238 8097.
Click here to view pictures from this workshop...
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