CALLOWAY COUNTY, Ky. — Two former inmates donated supplies and sweat to give back to the Calloway County Jail on Wednesday, providing the jail with a fresh start of its own.
Twin Lakes Construction owner and former inmate Matthew Kohlenberger said he felt led to give back to the facility that helped him through “one of the lowest points of his life.”
“The Pilot Program allows you to get a real job while you’re incarcerated, and you get to make a real paycheck every week and learn how to be a productive member of society — how to hold a job, how to budget your money, and do everything that you’re supposed to be doing the whole time,” Kohlenberger said.
Kohlenberger said that having a job during his period of incarceration made a significant difference because, by the time he got out, he was able to afford a vehicle and supplies to help him start a business.
Volunteers worked in the July heat, with the project taking roughly four hours to complete. Kohlenberger said he also plans to paint the roof and donate wood shutters to the facility in the future.
Derek Robbins teamed up with Kohlenberger for the project and reiterated the importance of giving back. Robbins is working toward his 11th year of sobriety. He said family and staying productive are a huge part of his recovery.
“This right here, giving back to your community — that’s what we want to do, and we wouldn’t be in trouble,” Robbins said.
Lt. Taylor Black said when he initially reached out for ideas on painting, he didn’t expect the men to donate supplies, or to do the work free of charge.
“This is what we want to see out of the people that leave jail,” Black said. “We don’t want them to come back to us. We prefer them to come out, change their life for the better, and make better choices.”
Black said that the Pilot Program, which provides an alternate pathway to low-level offenders, is an important part of creating lasting change in the community.
“If you put someone back out on the street, they’re going to turn around and do the same thing,” he said. “If they don’t have the resources to get a job, transportation, housing — if someone was selling drugs before they come into the jail, that’s probably what they’re going to go back to if they don’t have the resources to change their life outside of jail.”
Program participants use part of their wages to offset taxpayer costs, pay any fines they may owe, and are able to save the remainder, aiming to facilitate stability following release.
Following the workday, each of the men echoed a similar sentiment: with hard work, change is possible.
By John Yelley, Elizabeth Crider. For the full news clip from WPSD, NBC Affiliate in Murray, KY, click here.
