Community Corrections enacts new program

Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Moral Reconation Therapy facilitator James "Figgy" Hardwick (left) presents completion coins to the first two MRT graduates, Anthony Alamo and Zachery Wood. (Courtesy photo)

The fall of 2015 was an interesting time for Putnam County Community Corrections as it introduced a new class to current home detention and probation clients.

Moral Reconation Therapy, or MRT for short, is a systematic, cognative-behavorial, 12-step program.

The program was first implemented in Memphis, Tenn., at the Shelby County Community Corrections Center and is designed to enhance self-image, promote personal growth for a positive and productive identity, and facilitate the development of higher stages of moral reasoning.

More than 120 studies have been done on this type of therapy and it has been proven that MRT significantly increases moral reasoning levels, enhances life purpose, facilitates increased social support, and gives participants more perceived control over their lives. Those who have completed this program have significantly lower levels of rearrests compared to other methods of treatment.

James "Figgy" Hardwick is the facilitator for MRT in Putnam County and has seen a positive outcome in such a short amount of time.

"My favorite thing about MRT," Hardwick said, "is being able to watch the students grow in confidence and seeing them realize their potential in life and become willing to implement a plan for change."

Hardwick has been with Putnam County Community Corrections for 12 years and also is certified and has facilitated Prime for Life, Prime Solutions, ART, Thinking for a Change and Victim Impact Panel.

So far, Putnam County has seen two graduates from the MRT class.

Anthony Alamo was the first to complete the program in October. Alamo has continued to come to the class as a co-facilitator to Hardwick since his completion.

"MRT was helpful to me because I was able to look back on my life and realize the mistakes I have made and how far I have come since then. It is nice also to be able to help other people in the class by co-facilitating," Alamo said.

Zachery Wood completed the program in December.

"I would definitely recommend MRT to other offenders," Wood said. "As humans, we all get lost in the world we live in and we just need to find ourselves again. MRT is a good way to help us do this."

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