VOICES FROM THE INSIDE - VOLUME VII

Hear My Voice - "It's more of a benefit that it will ever be a detriment."

The Hear My Voice video series is OCE's response to the desire of the men and women in our programs to have a platform to speak to the community. These videos were made to allow them to express their thoughts by speaking from the heart. This series offers a chance for those wishing to personalize themselves, to let the public see they are people who prefer to speak for themselves. They are aware of the societal climate pushing for changes and they are not in complete agreement. Sometimes a letter is not enough; it is easier to have a conversation, but if they did write one it will be included with the video.

"I do believe that everybody would want the me that comes out of here after working at OCE than the me that walked in here years ago living beside them when I get out. I think it's gonna be a definite benefit for everybody. I've learned skills; I've learned how to take direction; I've learned how to swallow my pride; I've learned how to let go of my ego; I've learned skills that will help me provide a living for me and my family where criminal activity is not even a thought in my mind."

"I've never had a real job out in the community. This is really the first opportunity that I've had to actually build my work ethic, learn the skills that I have, and ultimately learn responsibility. I come to work everyday with a sense of pride, and getting better, and just making sure that I leave here with something that is going to help me succeed once I leave. You know, OCE has provided me with the opportunity that I believe to be life-saving, nothing short of that. I was headed down a path of destruction."

IN MY OWN WORDS - DAVID, SRCI CALL CENTER

I work in a prosocial environment at the OCE Call Center

"We utilize computers for our jobs everyday. This has allowed me to learn new software and stay current with technology, which is a necessary part of life in todays world. The structured environment is professional and the OCE staff are always willing to answer questions and assist you.

We have received many letters and continue to see more come in. The responses have been fairly well-rounded with a range of positive, negative, and neutral tones. We want to share with you a letter we received from David. David resides at Snake River Correctional Institution and finds that he has an identity as an individual by working in the Call Center around professional people who treat him with dignity. What he has to say in the following letter is real and in his own words.

Read more stories like this and learn about OCE training programs and projects by visiting our BLOGS PAGE.

IN MY OWN WORDS - ROBERT, CALL CENTER

This OCE job has literally been life changing for me.

"OCE Jobs are not forced on us compared to a regular DOC Job that is actual Slave Labor (I.E. Kitchen Worker, Unit Orderly etc.). We can barely afford envelopes and Hygiene with any Job that is not part of OCE. Without OCE I would probably have lost contact with my family members who are struggling to make ends meet let alone provide me with the funds to stay in touch with them. If it weren't for this Job I believe that I would have never had the chance to learn how to be responsible."

We have received many letters and continue to see more come in. The responses have been fairly well-rounded with a range of positive, negative, and neutral tones. We want to share with you a letter we received from Robert. Robert works in the Call Center and has held his job for nearly 9 years. He sees OCE as providing the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than himself. What he has to say in the following letter is real and in his own words.

Read more stories like this and learn about OCE training programs and projects by visiting our BLOGS PAGE.